Quad Cities to Chicago rail project could go off the tracks

[QChawks]

This I why I'll never move across the river.

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) – With no state budget in place in Illinois, the Quad Cities to Chicago rail line could be in jeopardy.

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos called on Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner today to ‘honor the state’s obligation to this project before it’s too late.’

Congresswoman Bustos says if there is no funding from the state in two weeks, Illinois will miss out on $177 million in federal funding for the rail line that will travel from Chicago to the Quad Cities.

In April, Bustos wrote a letter to the Governor requesting he either provide the state’s funding portion, which was preapproved, or take action to avoid losing federal funds that have already been secured. Congresswoman Bustos released an update to her letter today, urging the Governor to honor the state’s obligation to the project.

KWQC reached out to Governor Rauner’s office today. Governor spokeswoman, Catherine Kelly responded, “The project remains under review.”

 

[cigaretteman]

This I why I'll never move across the river.

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) – With no state budget in place in Illinois, the Quad Cities to Chicago rail line could be in jeopardy.

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos called on Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner today to ‘honor the state’s obligation to this project before it’s too late.’

Congresswoman Bustos says if there is no funding from the state in two weeks, Illinois will miss out on $177 million in federal funding for the rail line that will travel from Chicago to the Quad Cities.

In April, Bustos wrote a letter to the Governor requesting he either provide the state’s funding portion, which was preapproved, or take action to avoid losing federal funds that have already been secured. Congresswoman Bustos released an update to her letter today, urging the Governor to honor the state’s obligation to the project.

KWQC reached out to Governor Rauner’s office today. Governor spokeswoman, Catherine Kelly responded, “The project remains under review.”

That would be a shame. Remember also though, that Iowa's esteemed governor said no to federal funds for the QCA to Iowa City portion (and possibly on to Des Moines and eventually Omaha) for political purposes and without due consideration.

 

[ICWestfan]

Boondoggle. There is no way that a rail line from QCA would ever be self supporting.

 

[Run&Blade]

Boondoggle. There is no way that a rail line from QCA would ever be self supporting.

If there was just some way to tax the drug runners and hang bangers that would utilize it.

Massive waste of money.

 

[ThorneStockton]

Boondoggle. There is no way that a rail line from QCA would ever be self supporting.

There's likely not many infrastructure assets that would be.

 

[SailorJerryHawk]

Illinois hasn't even come up with money for the I-74 bridge.A train to Chicago is just dumb.

 

[QChawks]

Illinois hasn't even come up with money for the I-74 bridge.

Link?

I thought this was a done deal and read most of it was coming from fed $ anyway

 

[cigaretteman]

Link?

I thought this was a done deal and read most of it was coming from fed $ anyway

Yep, they came up with the money before Iowa did.

 

[JRHawk2003]

The QCA to Chicago route is only one part of a train that would also stop in IC and Des Moines and eventually Omaha.

 

[gonegolfing]

The QCA to Chicago route is only one part of a train that would also stop in IC and Des Moines and eventually Omaha.

Which is equally as dumb, if not worse.

 

[JRHawk2003]

Which is equally as dumb, if not worse.

Dumber than Galesburg to Burlington and across Southern Iowa?

 

[ICWestfan]

Dumber than Galesburg to Burlington and across Southern Iowa?

Yes. Amtrak is dumb and loses gobs of money annually.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

Boondoggle. There is no way that a rail line from QCA would ever be self supporting.

Neither are the roads you drive on, water you drink, trash that gets collected...

 

[eightno2002]

All of this money should be put into the development of that hyperloop thingy. Train service using conventional tracks is pretty uninspiring. Transportation needs a gamer changer - self driving cars, personal aircraft, hyperloop, etc. All these items would make us more productive, increase quality of life, and likely be safer than the highway system we have now.

 

[LuteHawk]

The state of Illinois is preparing itself to file bankruptcy.
They want to get a federal bailout by executive order
before Obama's term is up. The Chicago Democrats
are going to ask Obama for the mercy clause.

 

[ICWestfan]

Neither are the roads you drive on, water you drink, trash that gets collected...

Are you actually comparing those to an Amtrak style rail system? I don't consider the above boondoggles. I also pay out the kiester via taxes for those services.

 

[SailorJerryHawk]

I'm not finding much info on funding for this bridge.But I would think it safe to think that Illinois will have some trouble paying,although the feds will probably help also.Fascinating anyways.

http://www.iowadot.gov/I74corridor/Overview/faq.htm

 

[SailorJerryHawk]

Yep, they came up with the money before Iowa did.

Link? Proof?

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

Are you actually comparing those to an Amtrak style rail system? I don't consider the above boondoggles. I also pay out the kiester via taxes for those services.

How do you know how much of your taxes goes to subsidize the water treatment or wastewater where you live? How do you know how much of your tax money goes to roads? How would you ever know how much of your tax money would go to this or that? Do you have a breakdown? My point is there are so many services we all consume that take some kind of subsidy yet we pick and choose the winners and losers. Rail gets such a bad rap because of the startup costs. Yet, if our leaders had any foresight decades ago the infrastructure would already be in place.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

The last thing we need is a high speed way to get more criminals from Chicago to Iowa. No thanks at any cost.

 

[Jimbo21]

Iowa and Western Illinois are no where near dense enough to necessitate a train line going through them. What an absolutely silly project. Where are they getting the projected ridership numbers from?

 

[JRHawk2003]

How do you know how much of your taxes goes to subsidize the water treatment or wastewater where you live? How do you know how much of your tax money goes to roads? How would you ever know how much of your tax money would go to this or that? Do you have a breakdown? My point is there are so many services we all consume that take some kind of subsidy yet we pick and choose the winners and losers. Rail gets such a bad rap because of the startup costs. Yet, if our leaders had any foresight decades ago the infrastructure would already be in place.

You do not subsidize water and sewer with taxes. They are utilities. You pay for them when you pay your bill.

You pay for roads when you buy gas. The gas taxes have not covered the costs of our roads for some time. Thank you urban sprawl. We just keep spreading out with more and more to maintain, but we don't raise taxes.

Rail makes sense in Chicago to keep more cars off the roads.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

You do not subsidize water and sewer with taxes. They are utilities. You pay for them when you pay your bill.

You pay for roads when you buy gas. The gas taxes have not covered the costs of our roads for some time. Thank you urban sprawl. We just keep spreading out with more and more to maintain, but we don't raise taxes.

Rail makes sense in Chicago to keep more cars off the roads.

Most of the time the fees you pay for services don't cover the entire cost. Funds from property tax revenue will make up the rest. That's what I was getting at.

 

[JRHawk2003]

Most of the time the fees you pay for services don't cover the entire cost. Funds from property tax revenue will make up the rest. That's what I was getting at.

I can tell you that property tax does not make up shortages in water and sewer funds in any towns in Iowa. I am not saying that no town has ever done that, I am saying that its not regular practice. I am sure a shortfall or two has been covered in the past, but that's it. Normally you set rates to break even.

 

[cigaretteman]

I can tell you that property tax does not make up shortages in water and sewer funds in any towns in Iowa. I am not saying that no town has ever done that, I am saying that its not regular practice. I am sure a shortfall or two has been covered in the past, but that's it. Normally you set rates to break even.

In Iowa, it would be illegal for towns to use property tax money to subsize water and sewer. The funds are kept in different accounts and those for sewer and water must be paid for through user fees, and not through taxes.

 

[icu81222]

That would be a shame. Remember also though, that Iowa's esteemed governor said no to federal funds for the QCA to Iowa City portion (and possibly on to Des Moines and eventually Omaha) for political purposes and without due consideration.

That's because he has common sense. Unlike liberals who live in fantasy land.

 

[QChawks]

the story that will never die

 

[jaxhawk06]

the story that will never die

View embedded media

Good, this country needs better rail access

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

A better option is to run passenger trains on the UP from Clinton to Chicago or the CN from Dubuque to Chicago. They’re both straight shots and the infrastructure is already in place.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Good, this country needs better rail access

The sad thing is that it once existed.

 

[torbee]

It is one railroad holding the project hostage by negotiating in bad faith - and trying to leverage YOUR tax dollars to pay for track upgrades it is responsible for.

It’s despicable.

 

[TC Nole OX]

It is one railroad holding the project hostage by negotiating in bad faith - and trying to leverage YOUR tax dollars to pay for track upgrades it is responsible for.

It’s despicable.

BAU for corporate America

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

It is one railroad holding the project hostage by negotiating in bad faith - and trying to leverage YOUR tax dollars to pay for track upgrades it is responsible for.

It’s despicable.

I haven’t followed this story. Which railroad are you referring to? And which main line?

 

[cigaretteman]

I haven’t followed this story. Which railroad are you referring to? And which main line?

Iowa Interstate. From the article:

The holdup is the Iowa Interstate Railroad, a Cedar Rapids-based company that owns about 55 miles of track that would need to be upgraded for Quad-Cities passenger rail.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is leading the negotiations, but local leaders say Iowa Interstate simply isn’t


I do believe they’ve tried to make every effort to present a proposal that Iowa Interstate could get behind, but so far to no avail,” said Illinois State Senator Mike Halpin, a Democrat who represents Rock Island County. ” … It’s just, we’re in a situation where, again, a private company is holding up a lot of progress that would benefit the public and our entire community.”

Elected officials are now asking the Surface Transportation Board to intervene. But it’s unclear if the federal agency will get involved.

 

[torbee]

I haven’t followed this story. Which railroad are you referring to? And which main line?

Here is some background:

Moline Mayor and area legislators fighting to bring rail back to Quad Cities​

Moline’s effort to bring passenger rail service back to the Quad Cities may be heading to the federal Surface Transportation Board due to what Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati and several area legislators deem “bad faith negotiating” by the Iowa Interstate Railroad.

At a press conference on Monday, Feb. 27, Mayor Rayapati along with Illinois Sen. Mike Halpin and Illinois Rep. Gregg Johnson presented a united front, calling on Amtrak and the Illinois DOT to force Iowa Interstate’s hand in upgrading around 50 miles of track needed to complete the long-awaited project.

“We are here to make sure our constituents know that Iowa Interstate Railroad is more interested in corporate welfare and someone else paying the bill for their track improvements than being a good partner and bringing passenger rail to Moline,” Mayor Rayapati said. “We want to support any partner that is willing to take Iowa Interstate to task and make a formal complaint to the Surface Transportation Board in order to force passenger rail to become a reality.”

More than $400 million in state and federal tax dollars have been pledged to the project, including the nearly $16 million spent in downtown Moline on The Q, the site of a future Amtrak station, the station portion of which has sat empty since construction was completed in 2018.

Sen. Halpin noted that several presidential administrations – as well as multiple governors, state legislators and U.S. Congress members from both sides of the aisle – have steadfastly supported the project financially.

“That support at all levels of government has resulted in close to a half billion in state and federal dollars pledged to make this project happen,” Sen. Halpin said. “Sadly, despite this unanimity and a bipartisan commitment to the funds for this project, there’s been one common denominator standing in the way of progress on this project and that’s the Iowa Interstate Railroad.”

All three elected officials who spoke at the press conference noted that Iowa Interstate has consistently refused to accept reasonable offers for track upgrades, instead asking for millions in tax dollars to upgrade its private facilities. Without the needed upgrades on the railroad’s tracks near Wyanet, Illinois, the project cannot be completed.

“It has become clear they are trying to extract as many public dollars into private coffers as they can, asking taxpayers to rebuild their railroad from the ground up,” Sen. Halpin said. “We’ve spent enough time hoping for the railroad to do the right thing. Unfortunately, I think they’ve failed and it’s time to take the next step.”

That next step is formally requesting Amtrak to appeal the matter to the Surface Transportation Board, which has the authority to mandate a resolution to the impasse. The move is rare, but not unprecedented. Recently, the Surface Transportation Board ordered two freight rail lines to allow passenger rail trains on tracks they operate between the cities of New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.

Mayor Rayapati and the legislators said they will update the public on the progress of the latest push to bring the project to completion when more information is available.

 

[sabula]

In a coincidental note, I stepped off Amtrak last night. I rode it from Hartford Connecticut to Ottumwa Iowa. Took a total of 26 hours. If you've got lots of extra time, it's a fun way to go. You see some beautiful parts of the country, and it is so easy. There was absolutely no security check. You can get to the train station 15 minutes before the train pulls out and still get on. I didn't even have to show him a ticket. I just gave him my last name and walked on. The only downside is you do have to put up with some rather 'eccentric' folks on the train. Other than that it was a joyful time, had not ridden it in like 8 or 9 years. Plus it was like half the cost of an airline ticket, which it should be given it took five times longer.

 

[ThorneStockton]

A better option is to run passenger trains on the UP from Clinton to Chicago or the CN from Dubuque to Chicago. They’re both straight shots and the infrastructure is already in place.

Ah yes, the highly demanded Clinton direct to Chicago route. I know locally people have been screaming about being able to get direct to Clinton by rail.

 

[DogBoyRy]

Ah yes, the highly demanded Clinton direct to Chicago route. I know locally people have been screaming about being able to get direct to Clinton by rail.

What a total waste of taxpayer $$.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Here is some background:

Moline Mayor and area legislators fighting to bring rail back to Quad Cities​

Moline’s effort to bring passenger rail service back to the Quad Cities may be heading to the federal Surface Transportation Board due to what Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati and several area legislators deem “bad faith negotiating” by the Iowa Interstate Railroad.

At a press conference on Monday, Feb. 27, Mayor Rayapati along with Illinois Sen. Mike Halpin and Illinois Rep. Gregg Johnson presented a united front, calling on Amtrak and the Illinois DOT to force Iowa Interstate’s hand in upgrading around 50 miles of track needed to complete the long-awaited project.

“We are here to make sure our constituents know that Iowa Interstate Railroad is more interested in corporate welfare and someone else paying the bill for their track improvements than being a good partner and bringing passenger rail to Moline,” Mayor Rayapati said. “We want to support any partner that is willing to take Iowa Interstate to task and make a formal complaint to the Surface Transportation Board in order to force passenger rail to become a reality.”

More than $400 million in state and federal tax dollars have been pledged to the project, including the nearly $16 million spent in downtown Moline on The Q, the site of a future Amtrak station, the station portion of which has sat empty since construction was completed in 2018.

Sen. Halpin noted that several presidential administrations – as well as multiple governors, state legislators and U.S. Congress members from both sides of the aisle – have steadfastly supported the project financially.

“That support at all levels of government has resulted in close to a half billion in state and federal dollars pledged to make this project happen,” Sen. Halpin said. “Sadly, despite this unanimity and a bipartisan commitment to the funds for this project, there’s been one common denominator standing in the way of progress on this project and that’s the Iowa Interstate Railroad.”

All three elected officials who spoke at the press conference noted that Iowa Interstate has consistently refused to accept reasonable offers for track upgrades, instead asking for millions in tax dollars to upgrade its private facilities. Without the needed upgrades on the railroad’s tracks near Wyanet, Illinois, the project cannot be completed.

“It has become clear they are trying to extract as many public dollars into private coffers as they can, asking taxpayers to rebuild their railroad from the ground up,” Sen. Halpin said. “We’ve spent enough time hoping for the railroad to do the right thing. Unfortunately, I think they’ve failed and it’s time to take the next step.”

That next step is formally requesting Amtrak to appeal the matter to the Surface Transportation Board, which has the authority to mandate a resolution to the impasse. The move is rare, but not unprecedented. Recently, the Surface Transportation Board ordered two freight rail lines to allow passenger rail trains on tracks they operate between the cities of New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.

Mayor Rayapati and the legislators said they will update the public on the progress of the latest push to bring the project to completion when more information is available.

Interesting. I guess I’m left wondering why the Iowa Interstate is resisting upgrading their main if so much funding is already being offered to complete the task? I assume the section of track in question runs between Iowa City and Davenport?

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

In a coincidental note, I stepped off Amtrak last night. I rode it from Hartford Connecticut to Ottumwa Iowa. Took a total of 26 hours. If you've got lots of extra time, it's a fun way to go. You see some beautiful parts of the country, and it is so easy. There was absolutely no security check. You can get to the train station 15 minutes before the train pulls out and still get on. I didn't even have to show him a ticket. I just gave him my last name and walked on. The only downside is you do have to put up with some rather 'eccentric' folks on the train. Other than that it was a joyful time, had not ridden it in like 8 or 9 years. Plus it was like half the cost of an airline ticket, which it should be given it took five times longer.

+ bar car.