Invest In Cook
The 2024 INVEST IN COOK PROGRAM HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED
The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways announced the list of 35 projects that will receive funding under the 2024 Invest in Cook grant program. A total of $7,995,113 will be distributed across 30 municipalities and will fund four transit, six bicycle, 12 pedestrian, one freight and 12 road projects.
This is the eighth year Invest in Cook grant funding has been awarded for transportation-related projects. In its eight years, Invest in Cook has awarded $64.4 million in grants for a total of 278 projects throughout Cook County.
About Invest in Cook
Invest in Cook grants help municipalities further their transportation projects by covering the cost of planning, engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction associated with transportation improvements sponsored by local governments and private partners. Past projects funded by Invest in Cook have gone on to receive $3.00 of local, state or federal funding for every $1.00 of Invest in Cook awards. This program is designed to solicit applications for improvements consistent with the five priorities of Connecting Cook County, the County’s first long-range transportation plan in 75 years, which guides how the County invests in transportation to attract and retain businesses, people, capital and talent. Invest in Cook grants advance the Vital Communities, Sustainable Communities and Smart Communities priorities laid out in the Cook County Policy Roadmap.
Invest in Cook seeks projects consistent with the priorities detailed in Connecting Cook County that:
- 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 what already exists
- Increase investments in transportation
DoTH staff evaluate and score proposals using publicly available, performance-based criteria. A qualitative assessment consisting of staff reviews of applications and applicant interviews complement the quantitative assessments.