[IL-Talk] Fwd: Public input sought through June 14 on new Illinois rail study

[Ray Campbell]

Hello All:

Many of us have traveled across Illinois by train, or at least we did
pre-Pandemic.  Forwarding the below information from IDOT on the
Illinois Rail Study and ways you can provide input.

Ray Campbell


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: e-Subscription at illinois.gov
Date: 1 Jun 2021 14:14:19 -0500
Subject: Public input sought through June 14 on new Illinois rail study
To: ray153056 at gmail.com

Illinois e-News Release
________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
                         CONTACT:
June 1, 2021
                                          Paul Wappel
217.685.0082

                                                   Maria Castaneda
312.447.1919
Public input sought through June 14 on new Illinois rail study

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation is inviting
the public to comment and offer suggestions on a new study assessing
the state’s rail system. The goal of the study is to seek input on
current conditions, capacity concerns and safety challenges to help
identify potential improvements and solutions.

Comments will be collected through June 14 via illinoisrailneeds.org,
which includes a short video, informational displays and a link to a
survey.

The information gathered will be used in the development of a
statewide rail plan, a requirement of states seeking federal funding
under the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. It also will
serve to inform IDOT’s ongoing Illinois Long-Range Transportation
Plan, providing strategic direction for the development of the state’s
transportation system.

Illinois is the rail hub of North America, the only state in which all
seven Class 1 railroads operate. Illinois boasts more than 10,000
miles of track and serves a robust passenger rail network, with Amtrak
connecting 30 communities statewide and Metra operating 11 lines in
the Chicago area.

Under Gov. JB Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program,
Illinois is making historic investments in both passenger and freight
rail, including $500 million to re-establish passenger rail to the
Quad Cities and Rockford, $400 million for the Chicago Region
Environmental and Transportation and Efficiency (CREATE) Program, $100
million for improvements to improve safety and reliability on Amtrak’s
Saluki service between Chicago and Carbondale, and $78 million to
upgrade rail crossings and improve safety throughout the state.


Attachments
Public input sought through June 14 on new Illinois rail study
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