Quote:
Originally Posted by jpIllInoIs
Thats what I thought when I read the CN Heritage/CSX-IAS connector loop in downtown Joliet. Sheer lunacy to clearcut a fairly dense downtown core for a train that may have 5 rt/day. And to be oblivious of the near-term plan to reroute All Amtrak trains off of said CN Heritage to the Rock Island in Joliet..just challenges the veracity of this "study".
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Yeah, the most charitable interpretation is that the study was mostly done before this was clear, but the ridership comps look a bit suspect. Still, I like the project. I do wonder how many people from Peoria currently travel to Princeton or Bloomington-Normal for Amtrak already, but this would be much more time efficient. And the Illinois River towns (Morris, Lasalle, Ottawa) all have really great bones but are a bit too far for Metra.
Selfishly, I want this this because of 1) Starved Rock access without renting a car (assuming there will be a shuttle from Utica... the Utica bridge has no sidewalk and looks perilous for bicycles) 2) easy access to the I&M canal trail in Morris for biking.