Mindful Metropolis January 2010 : Page 29
contender among the more than 34 states that submitted applications totaling more than $57 billion. Illinois is asking for $4 billion, or half of n To New York To Philadelphia To Washington the total kitty, to build out a second, high- speed track from Chicago to St. Louis. Th e funds would purchase or upgrade the actual tracks, purchase new trains, install new sig- naling mechanisms and make a host of re- lated improvements necessary to safely and effi ciently run a train capable of traveling up to 110 miles an hour between the two cit- ies. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s proposal, Amtrak would run nine round trips per day on the line and the travel time would be shaved from a current fi ve-and-a-half to just under four hours. In addition, the line would increase capac- ity for freight trains; a move that planners are hoping will shift some freight off of the roads and onto the tracks. According to IDOT spokesperson Paris Ervin, “Th e improvements...will make trains signifi cantly more competitive to other forms of transportation, while relieving our over- congested highways, reducing our depen- dence on fossil fuels and air pollution levels, and connecting our urban centers.” IDOT is also predicting signifi cant eco- nomic growth along the train route. If IDOT’s proposal is accepted, it would mean as many as 2,860 direct jobs created by the end of 2010, and another 1,000 positions in 2011, according to IDOT estimates. In addi- tion, says Ervin, countless other supportive industries would fl ourish near the train sta- tions along the route. In an eff ort to show its commitment to the project and a willingness to provide match- ing funds, the Illinois General Assembly ap- proved $400 million in this year’s capital bud- get for the project. According to Rep. Nekritz, because the Chicago to St. Louis line would rely so heav- ily on existing tracks, it could be up and run- ning years—if not decades—before other proposals. And that is precisely why she says it should be able to make its way to the “top of the heap.” “We have a lot of political clout going for us as well, but I think more important than that, even, is that we really are, in Illinois, ready to go,” said Nekritz. “We think we can have 110-mile-an hour service in four or fi ve years. I think the president and the Federal Rail Administration are looking for a success story and we are able to provide the quickest success story.” regional plans Th e Illinois proposal is part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, a regional plan to develop 3,000 miles of existing and new railroad tracks, with Chicago as the regional hub. Th e new trains would reach speeds of 80 to 110 miles per hour and would connect Chicago to Minneapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Louisville. Currently, Amtrak trains typically reach top speeds of 55 to 80 miles an hour. Although each state must pursue its own funding for its own part of the initiative, governors and departments of transportation in nine states, along with Mayor Daley’s offi ce, are coordinating their eff orts. “Th ey are meeting regularly and sort of working together as a region to promote the entire Midwest,” said Nekritz. Ten other regional plans have been out- lined by the FRA for potential corridors that would connect areas like the California coast, the Pacifi c Northwest and central and south- ern Florida. to spend or not to spend No one has any illusions that all of this won’t cost a pretty penny. “Spain has spent $350 billion Euros in the last 17 years to build out their system,” said Nekritz, “so this is a long-term vision and this is going to take us a while, just as it took us a while to build out the interstate highway system.” (Accord- ing to the U.S. Department of Transportation, since 1958, the federal government has spent $1.3 trillion on highway construction.) Th at draws a lot of criticism from fi s- cal conservatives. Although estimates vary, Randall O’Toole, senior fellow with the Cato Institute, a D.C.-based Conservative think tank, estimates that a national high-speed rail system could cost upwards of $90 billion to develop. O’Toole, who outlined his opposition to the Chicago to St. Louis line in a recent re- port, “Taking Illinoisans for a Ride: Th e False Promises of a High-Speed Rail,” claims that the utility of high-speed rail, and the environ- mental benefi ts, are overblown. “High-speed rail is good at doing one thing Potential TRAVEL TIMES to Chicago Madison, WI 1:00 Hour Springfield, IL 1:15 Hours Indianapolis, IN 1:15 Hours St. Louis, MO 1:52 Hours Detroit, MI 2:00 Hours Cincinnati, OH 2:00 Hours Cleveland, OH 2:20 Hours Columbus, OH 2:20 Hours Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN 2:40 Hours Source: Midwest High Speed Rail Association
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