Bill Text: IL SR0241 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 21-10)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-19 - Resolution Adopted [SR0241 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR0241-Introduced.html
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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Passenger rail service is increasingly being | ||||||
| 3 | recognized as a critical asset for small and medium-sized | ||||||
| 4 | communities, providing reasonably priced, safe, and accessible | ||||||
| 5 | transportation to complement the highway network; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Fast and frequent passenger trains will help our | ||||||
| 7 | region to remain globally competitive by lowering travel | ||||||
| 8 | costs, bypassing highway congestion, and improving access to | ||||||
| 9 | jobs and education; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, The State has an excellent mix of universities | ||||||
| 11 | and colleges that have long been supported by trains to | ||||||
| 12 | Chicago and will become more attractive with improved service; | ||||||
| 13 | and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Improved access to O'Hare International Airport | ||||||
| 15 | will make the airport more attractive for airlines to offer | ||||||
| 16 | international flights, which will give communities throughout | ||||||
| 17 | Illinois better access to global markets; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Illinois has a long history of investing in | ||||||
| 19 | passenger trains, including Amtrak, Metra, and the South Shore | ||||||
| 20 | Line; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Amtrak and Metra are jointly developing a group | ||||||
| 2 | of projects to improve rail infrastructure in Chicago, | ||||||
| 3 | including a direct link between O'Hare International Airport, | ||||||
| 4 | Chicago Union Station, and McCormick Place; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Metra has committed to converting to Regional | ||||||
| 6 | Rail, where trains operate on "memory schedules", defined as | ||||||
| 7 | arrivals and departures at the same time each hour they appear | ||||||
| 8 | on the schedule, to provide quality service to people | ||||||
| 9 | traveling for many purposes and between many destinations | ||||||
| 10 | throughout the day; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Downstate communities will also benefit from | ||||||
| 12 | Regional Rail, as use of frequent trains on memory schedules | ||||||
| 13 | provides the opportunity to serve many types of passenger | ||||||
| 14 | trips; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Regional Rail is the foundation for a future | ||||||
| 16 | high-speed line operating at 220 mph; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, The State Rail Plan, the Statewide Public | ||||||
| 18 | Transportation Plan, and Metra's strategic plan call for a | ||||||
| 19 | robust web of trains and buses that could create new | ||||||
| 20 | connectivity throughout the entire State, but projects are | ||||||
| 21 | currently considered in isolation, with a focus on trips to | ||||||
| 22 | Chicago; many travel markets and constituencies that would use | ||||||
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| 1 | a well-connected system are missing from the analysis; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, A unified approach would expedite planning and | ||||||
| 3 | construction, reduce capital expenses, and create statewide | ||||||
| 4 | benefits more quickly; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Federal funds are now available to expand and | ||||||
| 6 | upgrade the State's rail network; however, to make the most of | ||||||
| 7 | these opportunities, the State must act; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, The Illinois High Speed Rail Commission is | ||||||
| 9 | developing a vision for an integrated rail plan that would | ||||||
| 10 | combine high-speed rail and regional rail to link the entire | ||||||
| 11 | State; therefore, be it
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| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
| 13 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois | ||||||
| 14 | Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad | ||||||
| 15 | Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide | ||||||
| 16 | Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of | ||||||
| 17 | desired service points and key transfer stations, the | ||||||
| 18 | construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed | ||||||
| 19 | transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for | ||||||
| 20 | the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure | ||||||
| 21 | investments, and the development of a phased implementation | ||||||
| 22 | plan; and be it further
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 2 | delivered to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of | ||||||
| 3 | Transportation.
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