The Illinois Department of Transportation said today the Chicago to Rockford to Dubuque, Iowa, Amtrak route will not include Belvidere when it begins hauling passengers in 2014.
IDOT said an independent study by the Decatur office of URS Corp., an engineering company, determined a southern route through Genoa in DeKalb County was less expensive, safer and would serve more passengers than one through Boone County.
URS’s analysis showed that a route through Genoa would require $26.2 million to upgrade infrastructure between Chicago and Rockford. Improvements through Belvidere would cost $62.3 million.
The southern route crosses 143 roads and highways, while the northern route crosses 176, the study said. And it estimated that 76,357 passengers annually would ride the southern route versus 54,988 on the northern route.
“My reaction is deep disappointment,” said Steve Ernst, executive director of the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning, who heard the news but hadn’t read the IDOT report. “I can’t believe that going through a rural area like Genoa generates more traffic than going through McHenry and Boone counties, and stopping at O’Hare.”
Ernst said cost calculations by the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative had both projects within $700,000 of each other.
Click here for URS Corp. study
Gov. Patrick Quinn said the project will create 650 jobs, linking Chicago’s Union Station with downtown Rockford and Dubuque.
“Illinois is committed to creating jobs and promoting economic development by linking our cities, businesses and universities through passenger rail,” Quinn said. “The selection of the southern route does the best job of accomplishing those goals safely and cost effectively.”
Rockford Register Star political editor Chuck Sweeny broke the story this morning when Belvidere Mayor Fred Brereton said the route from Chicago to Dubuque would go through DeKalb County.
Chart Comparing Belvidere (A) and Genoa (C) Amtrak routes
Source: URS Corp.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
Click here for IDOT news release
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I see the southern route was determined to be the less expensive route but what I don’t see is any ridership estimates between the northern route and southern route, would one be more profitable in the long run as opposed to the other route.
Seriously, how could ridership be higher by going the southern route. A stop at O’Hare would be incredible!
I understand there would be less street crossings but in the end what’s better for the railroad? Elgin and Belvider!
And it estimated that 76,357 passengers annually would ride the southern route versus 54,988 on the northern route.
No estimate of ridership? REALLY!
How did they conclude that 20,000 more people would ride from Genoa than from Belvidere? It just doesn’t make any sense, but there are progressive Democrats in DeKalb. But this will be moot after Amtrak funds are stripped in a few years. You could call this the Waste O’Money.
What a fraud! Money and politics wins once again! Going throug Genoa will produce more passengers than a stop at Elgin, Marengo and Belvidere? Nonsense! Illinois is beyond corrupt, and once again crooked politicians and insider deals trump common sense! Pathetic! Follow the money, and the truth will emerge!
It seems irresponsible to base a decision solely on cost. The economic boom to this rail line would most certainly have to include a stop at O’Hare Airport…how can a public transportation provider NOT look at the benefits of a hub such as O’Hare, the population of the surrounding communities and the effectiveness of the service to its customers….shame on you, IDOT.
It would have been nice; and a route that had an origin at or near the Rockford airport may have expanded the number of carriers based there. This may have an even worse domino effect if Embry Riddle discards the Rockford option because of our lack of adequate public and commuter transportation. Think of the job potential that just went down the drain. Damn shame.
Simple really, it\’s not because of the number of more people that would ride and wanted the northern route, it is there were more people that didn\’t want the northern route. Start with the people who run all those buses every day to Ohare, that would vanish, poof, and all the highway funds and toll road revenues that go with it. Not to mention the possible dent to the alternative plan for Ohare the little airport that could, Peotone. That is a bunch of bucks sitting there waiting to be scooped up by the insiders who do those deals. Think the chicago area pols that were pushing that deal, George Ryans friends, want to see all that revenue start flowing to the Dubuque-Rockford airport? Oh, Dubuque didn\’t want Rockforders riding the train down to Elgin to gamble either, they are supposed to be riding the train to Dubuque for that. Who else is going to want to go their on the train? So, rockford will get it\’s two trains a day. until they cut amtrak funding again,
Yes, I believe history may repeat itself again unfortunately if politions use the same tactics in reconstructing this amtrak line again, the cheap way. I know money is hard to come by but we used to believe in spending more money to make more money. What happened? I’ll tell you, people grow impatiant more and more. Our leaders need to be looking at tomorrow and instead of focusing on the up front cost. Cheap cheap cheap. I fear they’ll never learn. We need to stand up for the northern route, maybe sign patitions, or do a multi community meeting in a central location in a city between the two proposed lines.