dakotafredSame objection as Walker's in Wisconsin
He did not like the construction costs being only partially covered either or the terms of the Federal grant being that the rail line had to be up and operating to spec by a specific date or the original $800 million grant would turn into a loan that had to be repaid with interest. Wisconsin voters tend to favor the incremental vs the all at once approach as well............see the same thing in Dallas with DART.
In regards to subsidy, he has carefully reduced the Chicago -Milwaukee subsidy without impacting service all that much. If he gets his three additional Chicago-Milwaukee RT frequencies he just might have a self-sufficient corridor there with little or no subsidy.
BTW, I noticed this as a general rule with the electorate in this country. They do not like to pay multiple Billions for a landmark project up front in which there is no immediate gratification or enjoyment of it until years in the future. Incremental projects always seem to garner support, especially those that can be enjoyed relatively quickly.
GREG WEBERIowa doesn't want to be left holding the bag if and when Illinois fails to hold up their end. A real possibility considering that state's horrible fiscal condition. I believe passenger service to Ia City would be a real success but I can't blame Branstad for his decision.
billionaire vultures like rauner never use amtrak and therefore could care less if Illinois has passenger rail or not.
CMStPnP Buslist don't recall Iowa turning down any money. They did submit an application for a $140M ARRA grant in '09 that was not accepted by FRA. They did get $17M from FRA for some new crossovers on the BNSF in 2010. And they did get $400000 from FRA for planning efforts. Technically your correct but realistically, the constant delays on the Iowa side led the Federal government moving funds allocated to Iowa for Iowa City service......over to Illinois. And then you had the Iowa Governor drop the neutron bomb as reported on below in the link..... http://qctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/iowa-slams-door-on-amtrak/article_ff0b7790-80e4-523f-a1da-48504d75306f.html
Buslist don't recall Iowa turning down any money. They did submit an application for a $140M ARRA grant in '09 that was not accepted by FRA. They did get $17M from FRA for some new crossovers on the BNSF in 2010. And they did get $400000 from FRA for planning efforts.
Technically your correct but realistically, the constant delays on the Iowa side led the Federal government moving funds allocated to Iowa for Iowa City service......over to Illinois. And then you had the Iowa Governor drop the neutron bomb as reported on below in the link.....
http://qctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/iowa-slams-door-on-amtrak/article_ff0b7790-80e4-523f-a1da-48504d75306f.html
The Iowa governor chose to directly benefit/subsidize a business, rather than from bottom up through the public.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Buslistdon't recall Iowa turning down any money. They did submit an application for a $140M ARRA grant in '09 that was not accepted by FRA. They did get $17M from FRA for some new crossovers on the BNSF in 2010. And they did get $400000 from FRA for planning efforts.
CMStPnP Victrola1 The odds of the State of Iowa chipping in for an extension to Iowa City are smaller than microscopic. Iowa already turned down funding but the Quad Cities have been pushing for this train since way back from the 1980's. I think there is enough traffic to and from the Quad Cities to merit the train by itself. They can wait on Iowa and more favorable political conditions there. The plan for Iowa was to tap Iowa State University traffic from Iowa City. Which I feel they can still do with connector busses from Quad Cities.
Victrola1 The odds of the State of Iowa chipping in for an extension to Iowa City are smaller than microscopic.
The odds of the State of Iowa chipping in for an extension to Iowa City are smaller than microscopic.
Iowa already turned down funding but the Quad Cities have been pushing for this train since way back from the 1980's. I think there is enough traffic to and from the Quad Cities to merit the train by itself. They can wait on Iowa and more favorable political conditions there. The plan for Iowa was to tap Iowa State University traffic from Iowa City. Which I feel they can still do with connector busses from Quad Cities.
don't recall Iowa turning down any money. They did submit an application for a $140M ARRA grant in '09 that was not accepted by FRA. They did get $17M from FRA for some new crossovers on the BNSF in 2010. And they did get $400000 from FRA for planning efforts.
grover5995 An upgraded O'Hare Transfer station would provide direct connection to all terminals via an expanded People Mover. Express service could run through Union Station up to Milwaukee with DMU or electric trainsets.
the people mover extension is already under construction, its primary purpose will be to serve a combined rental car facility on the site of the former lot F
Falcon48The term "White Elephant" comes to mind.
It certainly helps the flow of useful information when someone who is familiar with the local layout examines such propsals.
grover5995 The current CTA Blue Line is only 2 tracks and takes nearly 45 minutes between the Loop and O'Hare on a good day. In addition, CTA stops near Union Station are at least a couple blocks away. The most likely plan for express service would use existing MILW-West line and North Central line O'Hare Transfer station. A more ambitious proposal would run south of CUS and west over former Soo Line right-of-way through River Forest and Franklin Park. This route has very little freight traffic since CN routes through trains over EJE. An upgraded O'Hare Transfer station would provide direct connection to all terminals via an expanded People Mover. Express service could run through Union Station up to Milwaukee with DMU or electric trainsets.
The current CTA Blue Line is only 2 tracks and takes nearly 45 minutes between the Loop and O'Hare on a good day. In addition, CTA stops near Union Station are at least a couple blocks away. The most likely plan for express service would use existing MILW-West line and North Central line O'Hare Transfer station.
A more ambitious proposal would run south of CUS and west over former Soo Line right-of-way through River Forest and Franklin Park. This route has very little freight traffic since CN routes through trains over EJE. An upgraded O'Hare Transfer station would provide direct connection to all terminals via an expanded People Mover. Express service could run through Union Station up to Milwaukee with DMU or electric trainsets.
Then you have the cost of building a commuter station accessible from the airport terminals, probably with a hugely expensive underground tunnel (the existing ex-Soo Line route gets nowhere near the air terminals). Or, you could extend the existing airport / parking lot shuttle to the ex-Soo Line route, but then you have to add the time spent waiting for and riding the shuttle to the total transit time. You would also have to add capacity to the existing Milwaukee West line between Franklin Park and Chicago Union Station (which is already a full service commuter line as well as a freight route). And, after all this, you only get a route that accesses CUS on the far west side of the downtown area. If a traveler is going anywhere else, the time needed to get from CUS to the ultimate destination must be added to the total transit time. The existing rapid transit line, in contrast, goes through the heart of the downtown area (and also serves the area around CUS). Bottom line is that a commuter line like this would probably not be able to provide service to most potential riders that's superior to the existing rapid transit line. The term "White Elephant" comes to mind.
CMStPnPNo idea why folks do that (transfer from Bus to Train in Milwaukee for a short part of their trip). Is the bus station in Chicago in a bad area compared to Union Station or do they intend to transfer to METRA at Union Station? Not sure.
Dpends on the bus line. Megabus stops at Union Station, as does Van Galder. The Greyhound bus station is about 5 blocks south and west of Union Station. Not a bad location, but not convenient to the Loop.
schlimmAlso why would students take a connecting bus to board a train to go home to Chicago area? They can take many buses directly now. Suburban Express runs from campus to Oak Brook and Woodfield malls to and from on weekends: 3 hr 15 min.; $30 one way. Or Megabus or Burlington Trailways, but they are slower.
Interesting question, there is a small intermodal market though. Seen it in Milwaukee transfers from bus to train........even when the bus continues onto Chicago.....you have folks get off the bus and transfer to the train in Milwaukee. The Amtrak Thruway buses have some traffic on them as well that go to Green Bay and other points not served by train.
No idea why folks do that (transfer from Bus to Train in Milwaukee for a short part of their trip). Is the bus station in Chicago in a bad area compared to Union Station or do they intend to transfer to METRA at Union Station? Not sure.
Now what I have seen in Wisconsin with UW-Madison, Badger Coaches has almost a 100% monopoly on the UW-Madison traffic from and to Madison, unfortunately Amtrak or Milwaukee was unable to lure them to the Amtrak Milwaukee Intermodal Terminal.........then I started to scratch my head, where are they stopping in Milwaukee? Why at the former Greyhound Bus Terminal of course!!! Whats the point of having a Intermodal Train station when you can't even recruit all the major Bus Lines in the city to use it????? I do not understand that. The former Greyhound Depot is not in a good neighborhood though but it is more convienent to Marquette Students than the Amtrak Depot is.
https://www.badgerbus.com/tickets/serviceinformation.aspx
It is too bad, thats some lost revenue for Amtrak on Chicago to Milwaukee Corridor. Some UW Madison folks take Greyhound and transfer over to train but not a lot. I am sure most take Badger though because it is more frequent and cheaper in fare probably......then there is the school pride thing with Bucky Badger on the side of the coach. Plus it connects other UW Campuses so they can all SURGE to the Camp Randall games in Madison. They need to get more bus lines to use the Milwaukee Amtrak Intermodal Station beyond the two they have there (Greyhound and Wisconsin Coach lines).
CMStPnPThe plan for Iowa was to tap Iowa State University traffic from Iowa City. Which I feel they can still do with connector busses from Quad Cities.
Slight correction: Iowa State is in Ames, farther west; Uni Iowa is in Iowa City.
Also why would students take a connecting bus to board a train to go home to Chicago area? They can take many buses directly now. Suburban Express runs from campus to Oak Brook and Woodfield malls to and from on weekends: 3 hr 15 min.; $30 one way. Or Megabus or Burlington Trailways, but they are slower.
I am sure they are counting on several billions to be printed and pulled from the Federal Treasury to be spent on studying-designing-permitting-constructing. There is a lot of cash to be spread around Chicagoland on a project that large, so it will likely happen.
Boy, you'd need a high-powered microscope to find any encouragement for Chicago-Quad Cities in this story. All words, including IDOT's blue-sky budget, no cash.
The proposed rapid transit station under Block 37 was to be part of an express rapid-transit service to O'Hare. Nobody seemed to think to the next step as to how an express service would operate since the O'Hare line (like most of the L) is a two-track line.
The article used the term "shopping arcade" rather than shopping mall at Union Station. Also I hought ther was already a CTA line to O'Hare, why are they talking about using commuter or freight lines?
Ah you doom and gloomers thought this was dead. Reads like it is still rolling forwards to me............
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/04/02/officials-optimistic-about-expanding-amtrak-service-in-illinois/
See it pays to be optimistic on these things. So what is the superstation beneath block 37...........first time I heard of that. Also first time I heard about turning Chicago Union Station into a shopping mall, I think the reporter got that part wrong.
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