With Mr. Wise’s permission, I copied his article about the train and Boone County. The article is from his campaign blog: www.belviderecommunityfirst.com I am not a voter in Belvidere and am not endorsing Mr. Wise but his take on the train issue coincides with mine. Some of the links maybe unnecessarily political but I think it is factual. If the local government officials are really asking the Obama Administration for a train let see what you might get.
Is the Train Coming to Belvidere?
"The train will be here in five to seven years."
Mayor Brereton, 2001
I am seeking another term, as your mayor to...
"make sure passenger rail service is implemented in four years."
Mayor Brereton, 2008
Our current mayor was once quoted as saying something along the lines of "the train will be coming to Belvidere in five to seven years." That was near the end of his first term.
Now, Mayor Brereton has announced that he will seek a fourth term because he wants to "make sure passenger rail service is implemented in four years."
This is getting to be the mayor's reoccurring refrain. He makes this comment at the end of each term as the reason why he wants to remain your mayor for yet another term.
What you are not hearing is how much will this cost? Who will pay for it? And, is it feasible?
In 2005, our local representatives (municipal, state and federal) secured millions of dollars to complete a "study" to determine the feasibility of bringing passenger rail to Belvidere.
In 2007, Amtrak was asked to conduct their own study and guess what?
The "local" study reads that it is feasible to bring passenger rail service to Belvidere while the Amtrak study reports that it is not.
Who would you believe?
To the right, I have placed several URL's that will direct you to these study's.
What I am asking you to do is read these study's and see for yourself that there are two sides to every story.
Our local passenger rail advocates are leading you down the path of fantasy by using misinformation, half-truths and overzealous optimism.
Please do not get me wrong. Bringing passenger rail to Belvidere would be good for the community and the region, but not at the expense of our cities' resources. Or, an increase in our taxes.
To bring passenger rail to Belvidere. A referendum must be approved to annex Boone County to the METRA transportation district. A second referendum to increase sales taxes by .075% to subsidize METRA and its expenses will also need to be approved. Other passenger rail options will require an increase in property taxes to subsidize passenger rail.
Even better yet, it may take an increase in BOTH taxes to make the mayor's dream of bringing passenger rail service to Belvidere.
Is passenger rail coming to Belvidere?
Or, is our incumbent mayor just telling you that in the hopes that you will let him serve a fourth term as our mayor?
Our incumbent mayor recently announced his intention to seek a fourth term as our mayor and that he was doing so because he wants to..
"make sure passenger rail service is implemented in four years."
Here is the link to the BDR story reporting on the announcement that Mayor Brereton is seeking "another" term
http://belvideredailyrepublican.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1152&Itemid=43
Within this story you will also read that the...
..Union Pacific Railroad recently announced that "Belvidere is the locally preferred site for commuter rail service through METRA or Amtrak."
Really?
The Union Pacific Railroad has never made such a statement.
Below is a link to an editorial by RRS editor, Chuck Sweeney. In this editorial you will read that "consultants" selected the UP line as the preferred route for passenger rail to serve Belvidere and Rockford.
These "consultants" are Tran Systems, the consultants selected by NICTI to conduct this study.
Who is NICTI?
NICTI, (Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative) is the locally organized passenger rail consortium comprised of Belvidere, Rockford, Winnebago and Boone County officials.
NICTI hired the consultants named above, TranSytems, to conduct a study of the feasibility of bringing passenger rail to Belvidere. This study is the one cited by Chuck Sweeney in the May, 2008 editorial.
Now why wouldn't you expect that a consulting firm hired to conduct a study, and be paid hundred of thousand's of dollars to do so, not give you what you paid for.
What NICTI paid for was a "yes it can be done" study that says it is feasible to bring passenger rail to Belvidere.
And what would the cost be?
Bringing passenger rail to Belvidere, according to TranSystems, is only $247 million!
This link below is the NICTI report that was published in April, 2008.
This is the study which is cited by Mayor Brereton as proof that passenger rail is coming to Belvidere.
On April 12, 2007 RATS (Rockford Area Transportation Study) a local government oversight committee, responsible for the distribution of federal funds used for transportation improvements and comprised of local municipal and county officials, voted to create a resolution that will...
"support the most feasible route, which is the route that IDOT recommends to the Illinois General Assembly to restore intercity passenger rail service."
The link below is a PDF of the April 12, 2007 meeting minutes.
You will see at the end of this meeting minutes report that our mayor voted "present" to the motion of the committee approving a resolution of support for IDOT's choice of the "most feasible" passenger rail route. Rather than stand his ground (his current re-election motto is "Still Standing for Belvidere") and vote no to the committee's resolution to support IDOT's choice of the "most feasible" passenger rail route, he instead decides to not upset his fellow "regional" politicians. How's that for putting his community first! And, you will also note that the Boone County Board Chairman, a member of this committee, voted "yes" to the resolution. This says loads about the mayor's supposed ability to build a "consensus of support" among local leaders.
This link directs you to the Amtrak study (May, 2007) that outlines the routes studied, identifies the preferred route and declares "Route C" as the "most feasible route." This route does not include a stop in Belvidere.
http://www.dot.state.il.us/amtrak/RCK_Feasibility.pdf
This link directs you to the press release from the NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION, (May, 2007) which details our legislative representatives' comments regarding the Illinois Department of Transportation selection of "Route C" as the passenger rail route that will serve northern Illinois. This route does not include a stop in Belvidere.
http://www.returnthetrain.com/files/ ATK_07_057_Rockford_route_ decision_1_.pdf
This link directs you to a McHenry County blog which highlights the Amtrak study and its public release. There are some interesting facts listed in this blog regarding the costs associated with bring passenger rail to Belvidere. (the article is 3/4 down the page listed under - appropriately, April 1, 2007.)
http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/ labels/ IDOT.html
The link below directs you to the,
2009-2012 Illinois Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
http://www.dot.il.gov/opp/FY 2009-2012 STIP.pdf
This plan details the State's transportation plan. Within this plan you will find, in Appendix H, the allocation of $60 million for:
Chicago-Dubuque: Rehab track, ties, surfaces, switches, crossings, signals to prepare for resumption of passenger service. The planned fiscal year to begin this project is 2011 (June 2010).
The amount of funds allocated for this project is the amount estimated that it will cost to rehabilitate the CN rail line identified as "Route C" and formerly known as Amtrak's "Blackhawk" route. This route does not include a stop in Belvidere.
