SR0241 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0241 LRB103 32123 LAW 61151 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Passenger rail service is increasingly being recognized as a critical asset for small and medium-sized communities, providing reasonably priced, safe, and accessible transportation to complement the highway network; and

WHEREAS, Fast and frequent passenger trains will help our region to remain globally competitive by lowering travel costs, bypassing highway congestion, and improving access to jobs and education; and

WHEREAS, The State has an excellent mix of universities and colleges that have long been supported by trains to Chicago and will become more attractive with improved service; and

WHEREAS, Improved access to O'Hare International Airport will make the airport more attractive for airlines to offer international flights, which will give communities throughout Illinois better access to global markets; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has a long history of investing in passenger trains, including Amtrak, Metra, and the South Shore Line; and

WHEREAS, Amtrak and Metra are jointly developing a group of projects to improve rail infrastructure in Chicago, including a direct link between O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Union Station, and McCormick Place; and

WHEREAS, Metra has committed to converting to Regional Rail, where trains operate on "memory schedules", defined as arrivals and departures at the same time each hour they appear on the schedule, to provide quality service to people traveling for many purposes and between many destinations throughout the day; and

WHEREAS, Downstate communities will also benefit from Regional Rail, as use of frequent trains on memory schedules provides the opportunity to serve many types of passenger trips; and

WHEREAS, Regional Rail is the foundation for a future high-speed line operating at 220 mph; and

WHEREAS, The State Rail Plan, the Statewide Public Transportation Plan, and Metra's strategic plan call for a robust web of trains and buses that could create new connectivity throughout the entire State, but projects are currently considered in isolation, with a focus on trips to Chicago; many travel markets and constituencies that would use a well-connected system are missing from the analysis; and

WHEREAS, A unified approach would expedite planning and construction, reduce capital expenses, and create statewide benefits more quickly; and

WHEREAS, Federal funds are now available to expand and upgrade the State's rail network; however, to make the most of these opportunities, the State must act; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois High Speed Rail Commission is developing a vision for an integrated rail plan that would combine high-speed rail and regional rail to link the entire State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation.