ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Illinois Gov. Pritzker stops in Rockford Friday morning, highlighting the city’s mass transit district facility expansion and other area transportation initiatives.

RMTD was awarded $39.4 million from the Illinois Department of Transportation for the project through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Grant Program. With the funding, RMTD is in the midst of renovating the current vehicle storage and maintenance facility located at 520 Mulberry Street.

“What you see here today is part of that vision in action. With funding from the Rebuild Illinois Capital Grants program, these facilities and their upgrades will help the regional transportation system better serve people’s day to day needs,” Pritzker said.

Leaders including RMTD Executive Director Michael Stubbe, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, Sen. Steve Stadelman (D)-34th District and acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi also spoke at the event.

“The state of Illinois’ investment in this project will help ensure RMTD has sufficient space to store, fuel, charge and maintain current and future fleets of vehicles, while also providing our dedicated operators and mechanics with a modern facility to come to work in,” said Michael Stubbe, Executive Director of the Rockford Mass Transit District.

Rockford is the third stop on Pritzker’s “Standing Up for Illinois Tour,” which his administration says highlights “how the Trump Administration’s extreme agenda is hurting working families, farmers, veterans, seniors and other Illinoisians.”

Pritzker claimed $826 million allocated to improve Illinois’ transportation infrastructure is being delayed or potentially eliminated at the federal level.

“Right now, the White House is withholding crucial infrastructure dollars and preventing projects from progressing across not just the state of Illinois, across the country. It is happening in red states and blue states. Projects have been halted.”

State Sen. Dave Syverson (R)-35th District disagrees.

“Many of these projects that are already in the works are going to continue. The goal in Washington is not to eliminate projects, it’s to streamline them to get those dollars to the states quicker, to eliminate bureaucracy,” Syverson said.

Earlier this week, Pritzker made stops in Champaign-Urbana and Romeoville. A fourth stop is planned Friday for Peoria.

This story is developing and will be updated.

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