(The following story by Thomas V. Bona appeared on the Rockford Register-Star website on September 26.)
ROCKFORD, Ill. — Local leaders think Amtrak can get to Chicago faster through Belvidere than on the old Black Hawk line.
They also think putting it on the same tracks as a proposed commuter rail service would draw more riders for both.
That’s why the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning will likely ask the Illinois Department of Transportation to change its planned route for restoring Amtrak service. A vote by its policy committee is planned for next week.
“By combining the efforts, you’re putting all your investment into one area and sharing all the common expenses like upgrading rail crossings. That increases the speed,” said Belvidere Mayor Fred Brereton, chairman of the RMAP policy committee. “If we’re able to reduce the ride time, it’s logical to think it would increase ridership.”
While Brereton’s community stands to gain significantly from such a change, RMAP officials from around the region are on board because they see wider benefits.
The model could be similar to routes in Southern California and the Northeast, where riders can choose between commuter rail or Amtrak using the same ticket systems. RMAP Executive Director Steve Ernst said studies have shown ridership increases with those options because passengers appreciate the additional frequency.
Such a move could help both projects, Ernst said.
The Amtrak route could eventually shave at least 20 minutes off its schedule, he said. It could gain passengers by going through Belvidere and the fast-growing northwest suburbs.
The commuter rail line would gain from IDOT’s planned $32 million Amtrak investment. Those first upgrades to tracks could represent a significant “local match” to unlock federal funds toward the $247 million project.
“We think that’s the best investment of public dollars,” Ernst said. “If you’re going to do it, it’s got to be successful the first time out of the gate.”
One of the reasons Amtrak service left Rockford in 1981 was because delays on the old line kept ridership down, Ernst said. Many of those delays were in Chicago, south of Union Station. The Belvidere route would avoid that area.
But there are risks to the proposal.
When Amtrak studied options, it concluded the Belvidere route would draw fewer passengers, have longer travel times and cost more than the Black Hawk route.
The full benefit of coupling Amtrak and commuter rail won’t be seen until the latter project is started in three to five years. And local officials know that if it costs more to do their plan, they have to find the money. They’ve discussed bonds and a sales tax hike as one funding mechanism, but haven’t moved forward on that.
The Amtrak route decision is IDOT’s, and it’s open to discussion.
“Our preferred route is not etched in stone,” IDOT spokesman Mike Claffey said. “It’s not a one-way street. We’re trying to work with the locals to help them reach their stated goal.”
Of course, the green light for any route won’t come until lawmakers in Springfield agree on the long-stalled capital plan. And that’s been a bigger delay than anything on the tracks in Chicago.