Governor Quinn Announces $15 Million to Build New MetroLINK Facility in Rock Island

MOLINE – July 23, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced more than $15 million in capital funds to build a new MetroLINK Transit Maintenance Facility. The facility will consolidate the agency’s administrative operations and maintenance functions, and serve as the cornerstone of a new riverfront development. MetroLINK estimates that the project will create 125 construction jobs.

“Our mass transit systems drive Illinois’ economy, and we must invest in them to continue our economic recovery and create jobs,” said Governor Quinn. “This important investment will create jobs and ensure that MetroLINK has the facilities it needs to best serve people throughout the Quad Cities.”

The new facility will replace MetroLINK’s current maintenance facility, which was built in 1983 and contains only three maintenance bays and accommodates 57 buses. Today MetroLINK’s fleet contains 94 vehicles, and the agency has had to lease off-site space to house some of its vehicles. Buses that run on compressed natural gas, which make up half of MetroLINK's fleet, are currently fueled off-site as well. In addition, the agency’s administrative operations and maintenance functions have outgrown the current space.

The 140,000-square-foot facility will include administrative operations and maintenance offices; a fullservice maintenance garage; a dispatch center; fueling stations (both compressed natural gas and diesel); a parts storage area; and storage and/or parking for all buses, support vehicles and employee vehicles.

The state-of-the-art facility is designed to be LEED silver certified and will contain: a photovoltaic solar system to generate electricity; a geothermal heat pump system; a solar hot water system; a clean-waterrecycle bus washer system; and a compressed natural gas fueling station. The project’s total cost is $33 million dollars and will be funded by a combination of federal, state and local capital funds.

Yesterday Governor Quinn announced more than $500 million for critical mass transit infrastructure improvements throughout Illinois. The funding, provided through the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, will create and retain an estimated 18,000 jobs and improve traveler safety.

Investment in mass transit is critical to Illinois’ continued economic recovery. Yesterday’s announcement will help meet the most critical needs of Illinois’ mass transit systems, including: replacing unreliable railroad cars, elevated and subway cars, engines, locomotives, buses, vans, tracks, stations, platforms, and other structures and facilities.