UPDATED 1:52 p.m.
PEORIA, Ill. – It’s doable, and people want it.
That’s the short version of an update from city, state, federal, and other area leaders on the proposed Peoria to Chicago rain line — the first proposed Amtrak service in the area since 1981.
“When I say the stars have aligned properly, they’ve aligned properly with the mayor’s vision, with our committee’s vision, but also with the fact that Congress passed a trillion dollar transportation bill,” said Ray LaHood, former Congressman and former Transportation Secretary.
LaHood says time — and especially money — is what it will take to get the rain line up and running.
“This is not an inexpensive project,” said LaHood, at a news conference Thursday. “We estimate the cost of this to be in the neighborhood of $2.5 billion. That’s ‘B’ — billion.”
(City of Peoria)
Plus, it could also take ten years or more to get the service up and running, and fix train tracks so that they can accommodate passenger rail.
“(It will be) a big boost to our economy, better quality of life for our residents, local access to destinations within and beyond Illinois, and welcoming visitors to Peoria from other areas within Illinois and beyond,” said Mayor Rita Ali. “It is a viable option.”
Ali says the green-light has been given to keep going and keep continuing the study of a proposed route, which is being done with money announced Thursday by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Also, the city plans to apply for money that’s part of a new Federal Railroad Administration Corridor Identification and Development Program, slated to start in the fall.
It’s estimated that as much as 800 people could ride the rails to Chicago from Peoria every day. In an online survey, the city says 95 percent of people expressed at least some interest in such a service here.
Peoria is down to two potential locations for a train depot. Cindy Loos of Hanson Professional Services says the potential sentimental favorite, the area of the former Rock Island line Depot, just won’t work.
“That was eliminated mostly because the site isn’t big enough,” said Loos. “The platform length would block all the entrances, so people couldn’t even get parked to get on the train. We were building a separate facility there…doesn’t provide the opportunities for future development as the other two sites do.”
Those sites: the Gateway Building, and the area around the Post Office near State and Water.
CLICK HERE to read PowerPoint slides from a Thursday news conference (PDF document).
CLICK HERE to read a feasibility study (PDF document).
