West Cook News

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, alongside the County’s Department of Transportation and Highways (DoTH), announced today the allocation of nearly $8 million for 35 projects under the 2024 'Invest in Cook' grant program. The funding will be distributed across various municipalities, township road districts, transit agencies, special purpose governments, and a nonprofit conservation organization to support transit, pedestrian, bicycle, freight, and road projects.

This marks the eighth year of Invest in Cook grant funding for transportation-related initiatives. Since its inception in 2017, the program has awarded $64.2 million for 277 projects throughout Cook County.

The current investment aims to leverage additional local, state, and federal funds amounting to nearly $42 million for transportation infrastructure engineering and construction. Historically, every dollar from Invest in Cook has attracted three dollars from other sources.

Projects were evaluated by type to promote diversity in transportation modes. This year’s grants focus significantly on low and moderate-income communities. "Providing better transportation options is part of how my administration is expanding access to opportunities across the County," stated President Preckwinkle. She added that this year's leverage ratio is the highest in the program's history.

Invest in Cook grants assist municipalities by providing necessary gap funding for planning, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and construction phases essential for securing further grant opportunities.

The initiative aligns with Connecting Cook County—the County’s long-range transportation plan—which outlines investments aimed at attracting businesses and talent while retaining existing resources. The grants also support priorities such as ‘Vital Communities,’ ‘Sustainable Communities,’ and ‘Connected Communities’ as detailed in the Cook County Policy Roadmap.

DoTH assessed 78 grant applications based on criteria from Connecting Cook County:

- Prioritize transit and other transportation alternatives

- Support the region’s role as North America’s freight capital

- Promote equal access to opportunities

- Maintain and modernize existing infrastructure

- Increase investments in transportation

Evaluation included performance-based criteria and qualitative assessments through interviews.

For a complete list of 2024 Invest in Cook grant recipients and projects: www.cookcountyil.gov/investincook

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