Last Friday, State Sen. Martin Sandoval and State Rep. Julie Hamos -- chairs of the House and Senate transportation committees -- took a group of lawmakers, transit officials, and reporters for a tour of the Chicagoland region's mass transit system. From a Metra station in Cicero to a Pace bus lacking air condition, the group saw firsthand what commuters deal with daily -- a system in urgent need of repair. "It was an eye-opening day," Sandoval told reporters at a press conference in Springfield yesterday, "going around Metra, CTA, [and] Pace and witnessing the decay and the rust and the strain on our system.”

Sandoval stressed that now is the perfect time to enhance the system's capacity and create jobs through intense state investment. That's why he formally endorsed the Transportation for Illinois Coalition's (TFIC) proposed capital plan yesterday, which calls for $13.5 billion in infrastructure spending over five years to cover a “minimally adequate, maintenance- and safety-focused program.” While a 2006 study conducted by TFIC found that Illinois transportation projects needs exceeds $23 billion, the coalition -- consisting of 70 members such as the AFL-CIO, the RTA, and the Chamber of Commerce -- eased their request because of the state's budget deficit. Yet the pared-down figure is still almost $10 billion more than Gov. Pat Quinn allotted for roads and rails in his capital bill. TFIC consultant Linda Wheeler explained the differences between the two proposals in Springfield yesterday. Watch it (full video at Blue Room Stream):

Finding an adequate revenue source will be the big sticking point, as Illinois Issues' Bethan Jaeger explained:

Sandoval said he wants to fund the alternative plan with a motor-fuel tax increase, which he said has support in the Senate. However, he said he supports a higher increase than a version proposed in the House, which seeks an 8 cents per gallon increase. Sandoval said that he thinks there is little to no support for Quinn’s proposal to spend part of the money from an income tax increase to fund a capital plan.

With lines of communication open in Springfield for the first time in years, Sandoval is optimistic the legislature can reach a compromise. Passing a mini-capital plan -- even one that stiffed mass transit -- was a step in the right direction. But it can't be the last step, he warns. "They’ve talked about [the mini-plan] as being an appetizer to the full meal," he quipped. "I hope ... we [don't] leave in 40 days and 40 nights with just a Happy Meal."