IDOT Indicates New Dempster Street Improvements for Morton Grove

Morton Grove, IL, March 18, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Current Morton Grove Village Trustee and Action Party Mayoral Candidate, Daniel J. Staackmann, was pleased to see a posting on the Illinois Department of Transportation’s website that defined two programs that will benefit the Village of Morton Grove. “I like to monitor this site for news and updates regularly and was pleased to see a report that addresses our long-standing issues for improvements to Dempster Street from the North Branch of the Chicago River to Central Avenue,” stated Staackmann, who serves as the Chair of the Dempster Street Redevelopment Committee of Morton Grove’s Village Board of Trustees.

Listed under the “FY 2009-2014 Highway Improvements Program for the 9th Congressional District (Rep. Janice Schakowsky-D)/State Highways,” there are two improvements listed for Dempster Street (officially designated a state highway as IL 58). The first is for additional lanes, resurfacing, and traffic signal replacement with an estimated cost of $2,335,000. The second is for land acquisition, with an estimated cost of $855,000. Both projects show anticipated activity from 2010-2014. The report can be found on the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) website at: http://www.dot.il.gov/hip0914/uscongress/cdist9.pdf.

These enhancements to Dempster Street have been in the planning stages for at least ten years. Former Action Party Mayor Dan Scanlon sought these funds during his administration. Plans have been drawn up by Morton Grove Village staff and outside engineering companies who have been providing input to take advantage of the State’s construction schedule to also improve underground infrastructure (such as water mains and sewer pipes) at a reduced cost to Morton Grove taxpayers . Staackmann noted that “the Village has been waiting a long time for this funding, and is looking forward to official notification by the State of when these much-needed improvements can begin.”

Along with Staackmann, the other Action Party candidates for the April 7, 2009 municipal election are Tony S. Kalogerakos for Village Clerk; Daniel P. DiMaria, Larry Gomberg, and Bill Grear for Village Trustees.

The Action Party, a grassroots Morton Grove-based political party, prides itself in the fact that its members are non-partisan – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – who are dedicated to providing the Village of Morton Grove with experienced, independent, and dedicated leadership.

Look for more information about the Action Party of Morton Grove, its candidates, and the upcoming April 7 election on their website: www.actionparty.org.

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