After listening to the May 11th meeting, it doesn't seem likely that Illinois will move forward with this project. The steering committee is unimpressed with findings for ridership growth compared to cost. Lots of talk about comparable plans/projects (California, Florida, Colorado) but a significant pushback by many on committee that Illinois is not growing like any of those places (2% annual is best case projection for next few decades). They'll finish the report and provide to state legislatures to determine next steps.
https://www.stlmag.com/business/il-high ... ojections/
This is probably for the best. Yearly ridership of ~2.9 million is in no way worth $44-$55 billion + a $250M yearly subsidy.
What they need to do is focus on improving time between Joliet and Chicago and Alton and St. Louis. I may be wrong but from what I understand, the number of intersections in the Chicago area greatly limit what frequency could be and also cause delays. While it would still cost a lot, fixing these issues would allow for more frequency and make the STL-CHI connection more competitive.
Improving the Alton-STL section could also make a regional train more realistic of a public transit option someday.
How much would it cost to build an L line that loops around the city? You could do so much with that amount of money.
Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk
This is probably for the best. Yearly ridership of ~2.9 million is in no way worth $44-$55 billion + a $250M yearly subsidy.
What they need to do is focus on improving time between Joliet and Chicago and Alton and St. Louis. I may be wrong but from what I understand, the number of intersections in the Chicago area greatly limit what frequency could be and also cause delays. While it would still cost a lot, fixing these issues would allow for more frequency and make the STL-CHI connection more competitive.
Improving the Alton-STL section could also make a regional train more realistic of a public transit option someday.
How much would it cost to build an L line that loops around the city? You could do so much with that amount of money.
Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk
- 970
Sometimes I question if a high speed rail route between Chicago and StL would even be good for StL. Maybe I’m not thinking big enough picture but I’m not sure we would get net benefit of that today
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- 6,161
^I think it could be the beginning of something bigger, but it's a difficult first step. If we have a high speed rail line to Chicago I could see us once again becoming a serious contender as a secondary national rail hub. For reasons of health, well being, equity, and sustainability the country really needs a serious high speed rail network. The only way we get it is with serious investment from the federal government, but if we already have the beginnings of a regional network connecting St. Louis and Chicago I think that makes it just that much easier to build a number of logical extensions out from St. Louis, like Kansas City, Memphis, or possibly even Springfield towards Oklahoma City or Little Rock towards Dallas. Getting the line to Chicago is ever so much easier with federal support, but getting the hub out of federal spending is easier if the line to Chicago is already there. There's no guarantee federal funding models or transportation priorities will ever change, but a successful project that people enjoy somewhere that isn't the Northeast is probably the first step to changing perceptions enough to make things move forward.
- 990
I was thinking this too in theres a number of other projects that are needed and could help make a stronger HSR case when these other projects are done.StlAlex wrote: ↑12:26 AM - 2 days agohttps://www.stlmag.com/business/il-high ... ojections/
This is probably for the best. Yearly ridership of ~2.9 million is in no way worth $44-$55 billion + a $250M yearly subsidy.
What they need to do is focus on improving time between Joliet and Chicago and Alton and St. Louis. I may be wrong but from what I understand, the number of intersections in the Chicago area greatly limit what frequency could be and also cause delays. While it would still cost a lot, fixing these issues would allow for more frequency and make the STL-CHI connection more competitive.
Improving the Alton-STL section could also make a regional train more realistic of a public transit option someday.
How much would it cost to build an L line that loops around the city? You could do so much with that amount of money.
Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk
Yes a lot of the issues are in the Chicago area and fixing those would allow higher frequency and more reliable service along with shaving time off the trip. Also that work will help increase freight rail capacity which could help pull trucks off the highways improving safety and congestion. Also recall the bottlenecks also prevent additional routes from starting like Chicago-Peoria (with possible extension to Springfield). Finally some of the proposed improvements for Chicago Union Station would allow through-running routes and larger maintenance space for Amtrak making it easier to have more available rolling stock.
Yes getting Alton-STL improved would be great for improving the route, increasing freight rail capacity, and increase ability for a regional rail system to start along with a potential Amtrak route going east.