Progress Illinois

Governors from across the Midwest are coordinating their efforts to bring commuter rail improvements to the region and it's great to see. Having already joined Sen. Dick Durbin in a public pitch for stimulus funds set aside for high speed rail development, Gov. Pat Quinn this week signed a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood touting the benefits of building such a network in the region and requesting $3.5 billion worth of grant money. Other signatories included Mayor Daley and the governors of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. From the letter:

President Obama’s vision of making high-speed rail a part of our nation’s future transportation network holds great promise. We recognize that a high-speed rail network has the potential to reduce highway and airway congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. We are encouraged by the $8 billion down payment on this initiative made in ARRA, and we share President Obama’s desire that real economic progress be made through infrastructure investment.

The year 2016 could be a landmark year in Chicago history if Chicago is successful in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Your approval of funding to construct the MWRRI projects, with a plan to complete them in time for the Olympics, could help Chicago in its bid to host the Olympic games.

If approved, the request would fund upgrades to the "Phase I” corridors as outlined in the 2004 Midwest Regional Rail Initiative Executive Report, which include routes from Chicago to Milwaukee/Madison, St. Louis, and Detroit (click map above for larger version).

While it's unlikely that the governors will receive the total amount they are seeking -- after all, the requests would add up to 43 percent of the $8 billion allocated nationwide -- the cooperation they are showing is a great sign of progress. The Transport Politic has more:

[I]t’s surprising and relieving to see so much regional cooperation between states in prioritizing corridors and in working for a common objective. To see the Governor of Ohio suggest that the first phase of expenditures in the Midwest not include a project in his state is more than surprising, and suggests that planning for a national network does not have to be done by the federal government alone if states are willing and able to make accords with one another.

[H/T Streetsblog]