October 31st, 2007
As reported earlier today,Amtrak saw big gains last year in Illinois ridership. But the route from Chicago through Rockford still isn’t on track. State officials continue battling over a capital plan that would presumably include the $32 million needed to upgrade the tracks to get the trains rolling. Amtrak officials say it would take two construction seasons to do the work, so at this point it looks like no trains before late 2009.
One thing to follow though - CN, which owns the rail line Amtrak would use, is buying the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern lines that loop around Chicago.
“CN said in its STB filing that the transaction would reduce rail traffic congestion in Chicago’s inner core and increase rail capacity for carriers operating in the city by dispersing CN trains along the EJ&E arc on the periphery of the Chicago metropolitan area. The public would also benefit from CN’s plan to spend approximately US$100 million to upgrade the EJ&EW’s infrastructure.”
If congestion is reduced in Chicagoland, it could shave cost or time off the Amtrak project. It would also benefit area businesses that use those busy freight tracks.
Of course, Amtrak talk is in the theoretical stage until Springfield approves the funds. In the words of Jimmie Rodgers, “If you’ve got money, I’ll see that you don’t walk.”
October 30th, 2007
Chicago/Rockford International Airport was mentioned positively in a recent article about airports with free WiFi. Those flying to Las Vegas can get free WiFi on both ends of the trip.
Many airports, and most hotels I’ve been at, charge for WiFi. (Note - if you find “free” WiFi at O’Hare, beware. It’s a trap.
One travel blogger said:
“Some airports and airlines and hotels see charging for WiFi as an easy way to make money, but so is poking people in the eye and stealing their pocketbook. You might make some small change in the short run, but what goes around comes around. People don’t like being gouged and they’re going to go somewhere else.”
What do you think? Is free WiFi important to the business traveler? Is it a trend that’s going to continue?
October 26th, 2007
It never fails - every time gas prices in Rockford jump up, calls roll in to the Register Star. People are rightfully concerned whenever such a valuable commodity increases in price. What they often ask is “Are we being gouged in Rockford?” or “Are we paying higher than elsewhere?”
The challenge is that “gouging” is a legally specific term - from government’s point of view, gouging is only when prices jump excessively high in a disaster situation (for example, the Illinois attorney general famously went after some gas stations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and eventually settled with some of them). There’s not a legal sense of “gouging” at normal times.
What’s easy to answer is the question of how much we pay compared to others. The short answer is “It depends on the day.” Gas prices are a roller coaster driven by a variety of factors - supply nationally, supply in specific areas (if a refinery goes down in Indiana, prices go up in the Midwest), demand (prices go up in the summer when more people drive and thus less gas is available), taxes in different areas, cost of doing business in different areas (rent, etc), competition, etc. Head swimming yet?
Some rules of thumb - gas prices in more urban areas are higher, partly because the cost of land is higher and the demand is higher; gas prices near a big box retailer like Wal-Mart can go down because that chain charges less and the competition follows; and, while energy companies report large profits, the gas stations themselves tend to make a very small profit from gasoline. That product has become the thing that gets people in the door, where they then are bombarded with opportunities to buy groceries, toys and other things.
A great site to monitor gas prices is AAA’s Fuelgaugereport.com, which has a daily update of average gas prices in markets throughout the state. Each metro area includes city, suburban and rural retailers - so Rockford’s average price includes Winnebago and Boone counties, for example.
To illustrate the roller coaster effect: Today, Rockford had the third-highest gas prices in Illinois, behind Chicago and Quincy. A month ago, Rockford had the fifth-highest prices in the state. A year ago, we were tied for second in the state. Given that Rockford is the second-largest market on the list, that doesn’t seem out of line. What is also interesting is that Illinois is tied for 17th highest gas prices in the country - not too long ago, we were near the top. You may not enjoy the prices you’re paying now, but folks in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington are paying over $3 a gallon.
(Another oddity - diesel prices don’t go lock-step with gasoline prices. While we now have the second-highest diesel prices in the state, were were 9th just a month ago. Overall, Illinois is 23rd in the nation.)
October 26th, 2007
The Illinois Department of Transportation had a public open house in Cherry Valley Thursday to update residents on the planned widening of I-39/U.S. 20 between the Cherry Valley tollway interchange and the point when I-39 heads south. The project would make the road three lanes in each direction. Officials say the project won’t start before 2009 and, with funding up in the air, it’s unclear when it actually would happen.
For more information, visit the project Web site.
This will happen after two Illinois Tollway projects - the widening of I-90/I-39 past Rockford next year and the revamping of the Cherry Valley interchange in 2009.
Here’s an IDOT map of the I-39/U/S-20 project:
October 24th, 2007
This is worth monitoring as Chicago/Rockford International Airport hopes to get United to expand service to Denver and add service to an East Coast city like Washington, D.C. For now, the airport’s future growth may rest with smaller up-and-coming airlines.
This is a good time to introduce my favorite transportation blog - Today in the Sky by USA TODAY’s Ben Mutzabaugh. He has a good handle on the worldwide passenger airline industry, and is a fun writer to boot.
October 24th, 2007
These are exciting times in the Rock River Valley when it comes to the transportation and distribution industries.Chicago/Rockford International Airport is having one of its best years ever with passenger service and continues to set records with cargo operations. Distribution centers are popping up all over the place. The Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (remember, they just changed the name) will get widened in Rockford next year. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll have passenger rail again.
Keep checking back here and I’ll update you on the latest developments locally and nationally (and internationally - Ireland, anyone?).
Safe travels!
