PEORIA, Ill. — Now is the time to tell Peoria city leaders what you think about the possibility of passenger rail coming to the city.
A ten-question survey is now available asking how residents feel about bringing passenger rail back to what is currently the largest metropolitan area in the state without it.
“Bloomington does, Rockford does. Many other communities do…Princeton, Galesburg, communities much smaller than Peoria,” according to Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
“There’s no time like now that we can tap in to new federal and state funding and resources to make this a reality for Peoria,” said Mayor Rita Ali, at a news conference Tuesday.
Ali says she’s been meeting monthly for the last year with local, regional, and federal leaders to try to develop a plan, which will culminate in the completion in the coming months of a feasibility study, funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
As for other project funding, the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission has a hand in that.
“A portion of FY 22 budget has been set aside for a project that will study the location of a multi-modal center that will serve passenger rail and potentially other modes of transportation,” said Eric Miller, CEO, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.
LaHood told WMBD’s “The Greg and Dan Show”, the feasibility study will determine what if anything can happen. But, the process really starts with the survey.
“If the survey comes back with strong ridership numbers, then that really gives us the opportunity to go to the U.S. DOT and to Amtrak and make the case,” LaHood said.
The economic benefits would be great to having passenger rail in Peoria, according to Joshua Gunn, the CEO of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, who says the benefits go far beyond here.
“This is about connectivity, not only within the Peoria area, but within the State of Illinois, and really the broader super-region of the Midwestern United States,” said Gunn. “I look forward to the time when Peoria can once again be a hub and a destigation for business, for visitors, and for economic boom.”
The proposed Chicago-to-Peoria Amtrak route would also include LaSalle-Peru, Ottawa, Morris, and Joliet — cities that Peoria is also working with.
(City of Peoria)
