Illinois congressmen warned today that a major transportation bill being debated in Washington could cut into long-term funding for transportation projects in the Chicago area, particularly mass transit.

Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill., said he and others want to make sure that mass transit funding, tax incentives for riders of public transportation and money for long-range large projects are restored to the transportation bill.

“There’s some positives associated with this bill,” Dold said, referring to the five-year federal transportation package being pushed by House Republicans which jeopardizes up to $450 million a year for local projects. “But there were are some shortcomings. We wanted to come together to find some solutions.”

Dold gathered along with Reps Judy Biggert, R-Ill., and Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill., and officials from Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, Pace and the Regional Transportation Authority.

Read more: The Chicago Tribune.