The Third Deficit: Illinois' Transportation Crisis

The Third Deficit: Illinois' Transportation Crisis

Years of declining revenue and inadequate investment have left Illinois’ roads, rails and bridges in poor shape. The resulting transportation snafus are more than headaches: They have real costs. Our transportation network was once a point of pride for our state, but its decay is burdening our wallets, stifling our economy and making Illinois less competitive than our neighbors. Just how big of a hole are we in? Research by the Metropolitan Planning Council puts a number on this deficit for the first time, and suggests that the solution is within reach. We can’t wait any longer, though. A growing number of Illinois companies and organizations are arguing that addressing our transportation deficit is just as important to the future of our state as fixing our budget and pension deficits. James R. Reilly, former Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), the agency that owns McCormick Place, the nation’s largest convention center and Navy Pier, Illinois’ top visited tourist and leisure destination and generates $8 billion of economic activity and supports 65,000 jobs in the city and the state. Since retiring from full time employment at MPEA, Reilly has joined the Metropolitan Planning Council as a Senior Fellow and been appointed by the Governor as Chairman of the Capital Development Board. Reilly brings more than 30 years of experience in management and large real estate development to his current position. His extensive experience includes being Trustee and CEO of the MPEA and CEO of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau as well as COO of the State of Illinois under Governors Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson. Under his leadership and in accordance with the Illinois General Assembly’s Reform Legislation of 2010, the MPEA enacted historic measures to ensure the economic vitality of McCormick Place and Navy Pier. These measures included the selection of a private management firm to run the day-to-day operations of McCormick Place as well as entering into a lease agreement with the not-for-profit, NPI, Inc., to manage and develop Navy Pier. While at the MPEA, Reilly has also played a consistent leadership role in unveiling a series of historic labor reforms, service improvements, price reductions, and restructuring of MPEA’s capital debt; all designed to enhance the customer experience and further align McCormick Place’s operations with its major competitors in the convention and trade show industry. During his tenure at the MPEA, Reilly also played a key role in the redevelopment of Navy Pier in 1995, as well as the development of the McCormick Place South Building which opened on-time and under budget in 1996 and the development of the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in 1998. His previous experience includes serving as Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority from 2005-2010 as well as President of the Reilly Consultant Group from 2005 to 2010 where he specialized in labor negotiations, the hospitality industry and project development. Reilly represented the 49th and 97th Illinois Legislative House Districts from 1977 – 1983 and chaired the House Appropriations, Education and State Government Committees and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. During his tenure in the Illinois General Assembly, Reilly was Chief sponsor to the Illinois Human Rights Act, Emergency Medical Services Act and championed reform for the Regional Transportation Authority. Reilly is currently an Ex-Officio Board Member for NPI, Inc., and Choose Chicago. He was previously on the Board of Directors for Mercy Hospital and the Illinois Institute of Technology and holds a Bachelors of Science Degree from Illinois College and a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Chicago Law School.