While President Obama’s reelection made Democrats happy across the country, none may be quite as thrilled as Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
His close friendship with the President is seen as a possible factor in drawing federal funding to the city during the second Obama term.
Emanuel expects funding for roads and mass transit and a push for education reform to be high on the White House’s to-do list.
Specifically, lots of cash will be needed from Washington to extend the CTA’s Red Line to 130th street. The price tag on that project should top $1 Billion.
Among recent federally funded infrastructure projects, dozens of miles of the city’s arterial streets were resurfaced using federal stimulus money after Obama took office. Stimulus money helped pay for the $20 million revamp of Congress Parkway in the South Loop. And the $133 million Englewood Flyover rail bridge project was covered almost entirely by federal money.
In addition, Emanuel said he expects Obama to continue “strengthening education, and pushing even further on Race to the Top.” Emanuel helped design the president’s signature national education initiative, which requires school districts to compete for funding.
Source: https://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-what-can-city-expect-from-2nd-obama-term-20121108,0,1486567.story
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