Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill Tuesday that devotes billions of dollars to infrastructure projects across the state.

The bill authorizes the Illinois Department of Transportation to proceed with $1.6 billion in bonds to pay for a variety of projects, from high speed rail to local road improvements.

Quinn said safer roads and bridges reduce traffic fatalities.

“We have to keep focused on this,” he said, “there’s no question that you cannot just take a year off or a decade off of investing in your bridges and highways and roads if you want to have a safe state.”

Quinn said the new transit projects will create thousands of jobs across the state.