Politics, not population or need, often determine how surface transportation projects get funded in Illinois. This point was made quite clear yesterday when the General Assembly's Legislative Research Unit unveiled a new report -- requested by state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) -- proving the state's funding structure disproportionately benefits downstate residents.

When the gas tax was raised in 1989, Chicago lawmakers cut a deal to send 45 percent of the road fund's money to the six-county area, raising the region's share by five percentage points. Since then, the Illinois Department of Transportation's formula hasn't shifted. And in recent years, that percentage has tilted even further away from Chicago -- just 37.5 percent of the total spent ($725.6 million) in 2008 was targeted in the Northeast corner, despite the fact that 63 percent of Illinoisans live in the Chicago area, accounting for more than half the vehicles and surface miles traveled in the state.

By diverting resources away from the roads in greatest need of maintenance, the formula harms the state's ability to move goods and people effectively and increases the risk of injury. Sandoval says population distribution should, in part, dictate how money is allocated; therefore the formula should be revised. "It is time to craft a policy for road fund spending that meets the need of Illinois' economy today," he told the Tribune, "and not simply sustain the policy decisions from decades ago."

Of course, Chicagoland does take in more funding for mass transit, in theory equaling out all surface transportation expenditures. But transit advocates argue that Gov. Quinn's proposed capital bill is too small and the highway-to-roads ratio too uneven to compensate.

House Bill 2359, introduced by Rep. Kathy Ryg (D-Vernon Hills), could create some equity by establishing a new advisory committee to the Illinois Department of Transportation for prioritizing projects. As Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) -- a co-sponsor -- told us over e-mail in March, the bill "would help level the playing field by requiring the development of a state transportation plan to guide all spending decisions, reflecting priorities, performance measures, and criteria for project evaluation."

The bill is still kicking, as the House leadership extended the bill's final action deadline through May 31.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user Scorpions and Centaurs.