Proposed Bill No. 5989, introduced by REP. O'Dea of the 125th District, seeks to amend current statutes to enhance local transportation infrastructure. The bill proposes two significant changes: first, it would allow regional councils of governments to participate in local transportation projects with a total cost of up to one million dollars, including design, right-of-way, and construction elements. Second, the bill aims to increase the funding to the local transportation capital program to match the level of the federal surface transportation block grant program.

The purpose of this bill is to broaden the involvement of regional councils of governments in transportation projects within a specified budget range and to ensure that state funding for local transportation is on par with federal funding. By doing so, the bill intends to support and improve the efficiency of local transportation initiatives by leveraging both regional collaboration and increased financial resources.