Negocios Now

20 Diciembre 2008 Septiembre 2011 NegociosNow www.negociosnow.com On the road to the future 15-year capital plan—Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future—designed to create jobs, stimulate the economy, provide better travel conditions and relieve conges- tion. T Negocios Now José Márquez-León (left), CEO of Latinos Information Sciences and Technolgy Association and David L. Cohen Executive Vicepresident of Comcast Corporation. LISTA to Bridge the Digital Divide Comcast Joins Forces with 'Internet Essentials' aims to provide affordable computer equipment and Internet access Comcast Corp. Executive Vice President David Cohen and Chi- cago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have joined forces to launch Internet Essentials, a broadband program designed to help provide afforda- ble Internet access and computer equipment as well as digital-litera- cy training for eligible families. The program is being made available throughout the Comcast footprint as students return to school this fall. Households will be eligible to participate in Internet Essentials if they have at least one child appro- ved to receive a free lunch through the National School Lunch Program and live in communities in which Comcast offers Internet service. "Having access to high-speed Internet service allows children to do schoolwork, adults to find jobs and grow the city's economy, and families to learn and explo- re together," said Mayor Emanuel. "The Internet Essentials program is a perfect example of the city's government and business com- munity working together to craft innovative, competitive solutions to the important problems facing our citizens." Cohen added, "Mayor Emanuel has proposed a very ambitious set of initiatives, all of which are designed to promote economic development and attract new business to Chicago. As a corpo- rate citizen of this great city with more than 1,000 Chicago emplo- yees, Comcast is proud to play a role and partner with Chicago in these initiatives. But we're parti- cularly proud to be a partner in the Mayor's ambitious broadband agenda, which tracks our own his- toric commitment to ubiquitous broadband availability and adop- tion across our footprint. "The shared focus of the Mayor and Comcast on broadband adop- tion is justified by the relations- hip between broadband adoption and jobs. Based on some national research, every one percentage point increase in broadband adop- tion in the City of Chicago should translate into 1,000 to 3,000 new jobs." The program is important, not just for Chicago, but for the nation overall. According to a study released by Connec- ted Nation, a nonprofit group focused on improving broad- band adoption across the U.S., a 7 percent increase in broad- band adoption would create 2.4 million jobs and save $662 million in health-care costs and $6.4 billion in vehicle mileage, among other savings. "For years now, LISTA has been asking companies to step up and think creatively about closing the digital divide I applaud Comcast for their visionary stance on clo- sing the digital divide," said Jose Marquez Leon, the national CEO of Latinos in Information Scien- ces and Technology Association. "Through this program, Comcast and other organizations who join in this effort will make great stri- des in leveling the playing field for many Latino and African American students and families." The program, which launched this fall, will provide participants with: Reduced cost Internet service and affordable computer equip- ment as well as access to online, print and in-person digital-literacy training. More information on Internet Essentials is available at www.com- cast.com/opportunity CNEGOCIOS NOW NATIONAL EDITION The proposed capital plan is financed by bonds backed by a toll increase that will take effect Jan. 1, for passenger vehicles and by a previously approved commercial toll rate increase beginning in 2015. The proposal represents the first toll increase in 28 years for I-PASS users, who com- prise 75 percent of the Illinois Tollway's 1.4 million daily us- ers. The Tollway receives no state or federal tax dollars for maintenance and operations. Toll revenues pay for debt ser- vice, operational costs and all construction and maintenan- ce of the system, and only tho- se who use the Tollway system pay for it. The capital plan maps out the Tollway's infrastruc- ture investments for 2012- 2026, making the complete rebuilding of the 52-year-old Tollway system a priority and including new projects that focus on enhancing mobility. The capital plan includes: Reconstructing and wide- ning the Jane Addams Memo- rial Tollway (I-90) as a 21st century, state-of-the-art corri- dor linking Rockford to O'Hare Airport; Building a new interchange to connect I-294 and I-57— one of only two places in the nation where interstates cross but do not connect; Constructing a new all- electronic Elgin O'Hare West Bypass to provide western access to one of the nation's busiest airports; and Funding for planning stu- dies for the extension of Illi- he Illinois Tollway recently proposed a new $12 billion, Kristie LAFLEUR nois Route 53 and the Illiana Expressway. Communities throughout the region are advocating for new transportation projects with increasing urgency. Illinois residents, business owners, planners, elected offi- cials and others understand that new roads can improve quality of life by saving people time and money, creating jobs and stimulating local econo- mies. The proposed capital plan will create more than 120,000 permanent jobs and add $21 billion to the economy. Every $1 billion of annual construc- tion will create more than 13,000 construction-related jobs. And, this capital plan will sustain those jobs over the next decade. The Tollway's new capital plan also will ensure that the Chicago area remains compe- titive with other major cities in the United States and around the world. Conges-tion costs the Chicago area between $4 billion and $7 billion a year. Without an innova-tive, multi- modal transportation system capable of handling increased travel demand, our regional economy will suffer. The proposed capital plan will create more than 120,000 permanent jobs and add $21 billion to the economy. Kristie Lafleur is the Illnois Tollway Executive Director overing USHCC National Convention & Business Expo, Miami Beach 2011 For advertising contact us at ventas@negociosnow.com or call (312) 593 2557

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