43 minutes for $43 billion—Take part Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Jeremy Wilburn

We're saving you a trip to Springfield: Make your voice heard by being part of 43 minutes for $43 billion

Potholes. Crumbling bridges. Slow trains. Slower buses.

Illinois, we don't have to put up with this.

We need $43 billion over 10 years to fix our transportation infrastructure. We're organizing 43 minutes for $43 billion, starting at 11 a.m. (central) on Wednesday, May 18. It's 43 minutes to let Springfield know you're not happy. There's more info below on how to:

1. call your legislator,
2. call Springfield leaders and
3. tweet your general displeasure.

You can be part of a mass effort to remind Springfield that we deserve better roads, trains, buses and bridges—and that means investing!

The clock is ticking and the end of session in Springfield—May 31—is nearing. Although it's impossible to predict what might happen, there does seem to be momentum building toward a budget deal. If that happens, we have to take advantage of this opportunity to address our state's $43 billion transportation deficit.

Be a part of making your every day travels easier, smoother and more enjoyable. Here's how it works:

43 minutes for $43 billion

11 a.m., Wednesday, May 18, 2016

How do I participate?

Call your legislators

The squeaky wheel gets oiled; the creaky bridge should get fixed. Look up your state representative and state senator with this handy tool. Call their office in Springfield and deliver a cordial—but pointed—message. Here's a suggested script:

Good morning! [Every day I have to dodge potholes] OR [My train/bus is late way too often] OR [Fill in your own transportation frustration here]. I'd like to remind the senator/representative that our state needs to invest an additional $43 billion in transportation over the next 10 years, and we have to start now, or the problem is only going to keep getting worse. No one wants to live or do business in a place with deteriorating infrastructure. I'm calling to support investment in transportation and to make sure it isn't forgotten during the budget process. Thank you!

Call the governor

In addition to calling your representatives, go the extra mile and tell the governor and four legislative leaders that you're fed up with the state of Illinois' transportation systems:

Tweet!

It's Infrastructure Week, so we're capitalizing on that momentum with the #InfrastructureMatters hashtag. We also encourage you to use #twill to be part of the Springfield conversation. It never hurts to tag your legislators, either. There's no official list, but AARP Illinois maintains a good list of legislators on Twitter.

Here's a sample tweet to work with:

IL has $43billion transpo deficit. Tell Springfield: “These potholes drive me crazy!” http://bit.ly/1Xg14hf #InfrastructureMatters #twill

Thanks for being a part of making your commute—and democracy!—work better in Illinois.

Learn more about why we have a transportation deficit and how we can fill it.

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