Full Text of HR0252 103rd General Assembly
HR0252 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Regional Rail is the foundation for a future | 16 | | high-speed line operating at 220 mph; and
| 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
| 2 | | WHEREAS, A unified approach would expedite planning and | 3 | | construction, reduce capital expenses, and create statewide | 4 | | benefits more quickly; and
| 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
| 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
| 12 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 13 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 14 | | we urge the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High | 15 | | Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a | 16 | | Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the | 17 | | identification of desired service points and key transfer | 18 | | stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus | 19 | | schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and | 20 | | revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of | 21 | | needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a | 22 | | phased implementation 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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