State: Genoa route likely best bet for Amtrak

By Thomas V. Bona

BusinessRockford.com

SCROLL FOR MORE COVERAGE ON THE PUSH FOR AMTRAK SERVICE

ROCKFORD — State officials will likely choose the Amtrak route through Genoa — not Belvidere — for their final application for federal stimulus money next month.

“We’ll go with the route with the best opportunity to get funding. ... Our best opportunity is with the (Genoa) route for right now,” said George Weber, head of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s railroads bureau.

IDOT was going to submit both routes and let the federal environmental assessment process choose, but federal officials said they could only submit one.

Weber said the Genoa route looks stronger because a state-commissioned Amtrak study found it would be faster, cheaper and more popular than the Belvidere route. Since the stimulus application process is so short, and because federal officials have seen the Amtrak study, Weber said that might be the best way to go.

The choice isn’t final, he said, as the state has until early October to submit an application. But Weber said the choice will be made by technical analysis, not by lobbying from either side.

“The best thing to do for everybody is wait and watch the process play out,” he said.

Rockford- and Belvidere-area leaders want Amtrak to go through Belvidere, citing their own study that shows the Belvidere route competitive with the Genoa one.

They say that without the Amtrak route first, it’ll be hard to get commuter rail between Rockford and Chicago. A recent petition drive collected thousands of names in support of the Belvidere route, and officials will send that information — and their own study — to state and federal officials.

“I think we’re going to give them 11,188 reasons to reconsider,” said Einar Forsman, president of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “This choice (by IDOT) lacks a bigger vision in that there’s much more to attain for our region by following a route that would also mirror a commuter route down the road that achieves more for a greater population.”

Because of the vocal Rockford-area support, Weber said earlier this year IDOT would go with the Belvidere route. But Genoa and DeKalb County leaders protested, and IDOT told both sides to try to work out an agreement. That didn’t succeed.

Either way, the route will connect Chicago to Rockford and Dubuque, Iowa. It could later extend further into Iowa.

The Chicago-Rockford Dubuque phase would cost about $60 million — including at least $30 million in rail upgrades and an annual state operating subsidy. Service could start as early as November 2011 if both federal and state funding is approved.

Amtrak last came to Rockford in 1981. It went through Genoa but didn’t stop there.

Staff writer Thomas V. Bona may be contacted at 815-987-1343 or tbona@rrstar.com.

SPECIAL REPORT
The push for Amtrak service

RECENT COVERAGE
Sept. 16: Amtrak campaign reaches signature goal
July 24: Reps hope all aboard for Belvidere Amtrak option
July 11: Belvidere, Genoa studies square off
July 8: Genoa puts brakes on Amtrak plan
July 7: Potential riders can speak up for Amtrak

Loading commenting interface...