Chris Barkan, Professor and George Krambles Director of RailTEC, was a guest speaker on Good Day Chicago on Wednesday morning, 09 June discussing the establishment of the Illinois High-Speed Rail Commission. The Illinois Legislature recently passed bill HB 0399 that created the Commission to develop a statewide plan for a very high speed rail (HSR) line connecting St. Louis and Chicago. The HSR line would also link with Amtrak and Metra services connecting the cities of Rockford, Moline, Peoria, and Decatur, and integrate inter-city bus services as well. The Commission will conduct a ridership study and make findings and recommendations concerning a governance structure, the frequency of service, and implementation of the plan.
The High Speed Rail Alliance, which has been promoting HB 0399 for several years, prepared a media release that included a quote from Professor Barkan. “This legislation is an essential step toward development of a safe, efficient, and environmentally sustainable 21st-century transportation system for Illinois. Such a system will fundamentally transform Illinois citizens’ mobility and bolster the state’s economy. It will also transform our higher education system by enabling fast, convenient travel between the three University of Illinois campuses. Beyond the educational benefits, this will also support the objectives of the University’s Design Partners Institute https://dpi.uillinois.edu. I hope the Commission will soon get underway and quickly complete their efforts so the real work of planning, design and construction can begin.”
Click here to read the entire Midwest HSR Alliance media release.
Click here to see bill HB0399.