A New Paradigm
Currently, each rail proposal is being evaluated independently.
Freight railroads are privately planned and funded. Commuter rail is planned by a local agency and funded, in part, through the Federal Transit Administration. Intercity trains are planned by Amtrak and funded through the Federal Railroad Administration. Yet, they all use the same track in Chicago.
Important, Chicago-area infrastructure investments, such as the Englewood Flyover, are hard to justify in the current environment. Construction costs are concentrated with just one or two users. The benefits, though large, are spread to railroad users across the whole country.
For passenger service, a more effective approach would be to treat the proposals as a series of building blocks added to existing Metra corridors. This unified approach would expedite planning and construction, reduce capital expenses, and expand the benefits more quickly.
Several core projects are shared by all passenger routes and need to be considered separately.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has begun to coordinate key Chicago Terminal District projects as part of CREATE. We recommend that IDOT also coordinate planning and development of infrastructure investments shared by Metra, extended commuter rail and intercity service.
Next: The Corridors
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