Progress Illinois

For almost 25 years, Windy City cyclists have relied on the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to promote bike safety and advocate for bike-friendly public policy. Now those that use mass transit or their own two feet to traverse the region can call the 6,100-member organization an ally as well.

Earlier this month, the Federation officially changed its name to the Active Transportation Alliance (ATA), a move that emphasizes the organization’s widening scope. “The board had seen this connection between bicycle advocacy … and how it directly affects pedestrians and transit users,” said Margo O’Hara, ATA’s director of communications, “and how taking a broader approach will help bicyclists even more.”

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The Supertrain could be coming to a station near you. Following the excellent news last month that Congress doubled the amount of federal funding earmarked for Amtrak, Sens. John Kerry and Arlen Specter unveiled another bill last week that would build upon the Amtrak reauthorization and fund high-speed rail lines across the country.

Titled the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008, the bill would provide money for tax-exempt bonds to finance long-stalled high-speed rail projects. “A first-rate rail system,” Kerry said in a statement, “would protect our environment, save families time and money, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and help get our economy moving again.”

If the bill passes, Illinois riders could benefit handsomely.

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Just as more and more Illinois commuters were getting on board with mass transit, a stalemate over how to pay for a $4 billion backlog of state bills threatens to force thousands off the bus.

Last month, the Illinois Department of Transportation sent out a courtesy letter to transit agencies statewide warning them that their next round of reimbursement checks may be delayed.

From Decatur to Rockford, transit officials now face the prospect of not being able to cover their costs if the state doesn’t make good on the outstanding payments. The Rockford Register Star reports that in a matter of weeks, some of the Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD) services may even grind to a halt:

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Back in August, we wrote about the problems on Amtrak's Lincoln Corridor line, as highlighted by an excellent Wall Street Journal report on the precarious situation of rail transit nationwide. After years of Republican funding cuts, the Southern Illinois line -- which runs from St. Louis up to Chicago -- is hampered by deteriorating train cars, rundown ticket agencies, and long train delays. With ridership at record levels, Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Milt Sees is seeking some improvements:

Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Milt Sees (SEEZ) says he's looking for ways to pay for train cars that would increase capacity on southern Illinois Amtrak lines.

Authorities say southern Illinois ridership has increased 15 percent from fiscal 2007. In the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 1.1 million tickets were sold on local routes. That's a 30-year record high.

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If you thought the $8 billion dollar investment needed to realize the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative was shocking, you probably aren't that familiar with the scope of our nation’s transit infrastructure needs. Thankfully, a new report by the Center for Transit Oriented Development -- titled “Jumpstarting the Transit Space Race” -- paints a clearer picture of what’s needed to create a system for the 21st century.

Planning has begun on more than $248 billion worth of new fixed-guideway projects (meaning bus and rail transit) in communities across the United States. Midwestern lawmakers have already proposed over $44 billion worth of projects amd Illinois accounts for just shy of $6 billion, which doesn’t include the modernization of the CTA. But don’t buy the Neo-Hooverite line that this is too much money to spend in the midst of a recession. Expansionary policies are the antidote to economic downturns and the modernization and development of new transit systems is essential to protect our long-term economic and environmental well-being.

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Gov. Blagojevich today rolled out a $1.8 billion plan to create "Green Lanes" reserved for Illinois tollway commuters driving hybrids or traveling in carpools. The governor's office is touting the plan as a partial remedy to both traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.  The Sun-Times reports that there could be more driving the lane reconfigurations than environmental concerns alone:

The Illinois proposal appears to capitalize on a new twist in carpool lanes, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that allow solo drivers to use the lanes -- if they pay more.

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Here's some news that flies in the face of anyone who believes rail travel in the U.S. is doomed. New ridership figures demonstrate that the number of people traveling on Amtrak is up both in Illinois and nationwide.

For the first time in 30 years, passengers last year logged more than one million rides between Chicago and the downstate towns of Bloomington/Normal, Carbondale, Champaign, Galesburg, Macomb, Mattoon, Springfield, St. Louis and Quincy. An additional 750,000 people took trains between Chicago and Milwaukee, reflecting a 25 percent increase from a year earlier.

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Following the excellent news last week that both the House and Senate passed an authorization to expand high-speed passenger rail service, the Tribune's Jon Hilkevitch ponders what a boost in funds could do in the Midwest:

The ambitious project proposed for the Midwest would cover 3,000 miles in nine states. All lines would radiate from a hub in downtown Chicago. The cost of a fully completed Midwest network is estimated at almost $8 billion.

Planners envision the line running from Chicago up through Milwaukee, Madison, the Twin Cities and eventually Duluth, while separate routes from Chicago would extend east to Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

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High-speed rail is making a comeback. Following the lead of the House, the Senate passed a five-year, $13 billion bill to boost funds for Amtrak and expand passenger rail service on Wednesday, the first reauthorization bill since 1997:

The legislation authorizes $2.5 billion a year for Amtrak, almost double its current federal funding level. The money would cover operating and capital expenses, including equipment purchases and railroad repairs. About $1.4 billion would help pay down Amtrak's more than $3 billion in debt.

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Earlier this week, Mayor Daley announced that Midway Airport could become the first privately-run hub airport in the nation, not to mention a major test case for a 1996 Federal Aviation Administration privatization pilot program. Today, Chicago's two major newspapers came out in favor of the deal.

The Sun-Times editorial board writes that government has other services that need more attention, especially in tough economic times:

We don't necessarily endorse rampant privatization, but turning to the private sector makes sense for these sorts of assets. Roads, airports and garages are outside the core responsibilities of government and likely will be managed better by private companies.

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