Buttigieg, Pritzker Attend Joliet Ribbon Cutting: Photos

JOLIET, IL — Some of the most powerful Democrats in the country visited downtown Joliet on Wednesday afternoon to mark the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Pace Transit Center.

On hand for the event were Congressman Bill Foster, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. presidential candidate.

“The state of Illinois is proud to dedicate nearly $40 million to the Joliet Multi-Modal Transportation Center, support made possible in part by Rebuild Illinois," Pritzker said at Wednesday's ribbon cutting. “Investments like these do more than just connect cities, they allow our residents to access opportunities beyond their immediate neighborhoods, streamline regional collaborations, and open doors for new jobs and new businesses. I’m proud to partner with local and federal officials to mark yet another milestone for this region.”

Joliet's new Pace Transit Center features 11 bus bays. Before now, Pace had nearly 600 bus boardings daily at several on-street bus stops around Joliet's downtown area.

“Thanks to good planning and good leadership, people can now wait comfortably inside this facility, and can get to jobs in downtown Joliet or downtown Chicago because bus lines, Metra, and Amtrak, are all here,” Buttigieg said in Wednesday's press release.