What The Infrastructure Plan Could Mean For Chicagoland

Inside Trump’s Plan For Rebuilding American Roads, Railways And Airports
Workers fix a sewer main below the sidewalk in Mid City New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. The city of New Orleans is perhaps one of the best examples of what President Donald Trump calls the country’s “crumbling infrastructure.” City officials say New Orleans needs more than $11 billion to update key parts of its infrastructure. The city has about $2 billion in hand, but it’s not clear that Trump’s bold plan will help make up the gap. New Orleans’ mayor says Trump’s proposal puts the onus on cities and states to raise taxes and fees to pay for the improvements. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Inside Trump’s Plan For Rebuilding American Roads, Railways And Airports
Workers fix a sewer main below the sidewalk in Mid City New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. The city of New Orleans is perhaps one of the best examples of what President Donald Trump calls the country’s “crumbling infrastructure.” City officials say New Orleans needs more than $11 billion to update key parts of its infrastructure. The city has about $2 billion in hand, but it’s not clear that Trump’s bold plan will help make up the gap. New Orleans’ mayor says Trump’s proposal puts the onus on cities and states to raise taxes and fees to pay for the improvements. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

What The Infrastructure Plan Could Mean For Chicagoland

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From turn-of-the-last-century water systems, bridges built during the Eisenhower administration and airports in need of modernization, Chicago’s infrastructure is in need of a serious upgrade. So President Trump’s announcement of his infrastructure plan sounds like great news for the city and the region.

Not so fast.

While historically, most of the funding for federal initiatives came from D.C,  Trump’s plan would flip that script. NPR’s David Schaper details what the plan would mean for Illinois, and how projects would be paid for.

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David Schaper, NPR reporter