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Iowa City - Chicago Passenger Rail
The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated the award of $230 million in federal passenger rail funds in October 2010 for the Iowa City to Chicago route. The Iowa City Area Chamber has led the initiative locally by actively lobbying for the passenger train service connecting Iowa City to Chicago through the Quad Cities.
“This is a major victory for Iowa City and the state and we are proud of the success on one of the Chamber’s strategic initiatives,” said Nancy Quellhorst, president and CEO of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce. “Iowa City to Chicago passenger rail will play a significant role in the future of our local economy. It will fuel job growth, improve the environment, increase tourism and improve quality of life in the Iowa City Area.”
Quellhorst added that the Chamber appreciates the support from Iowa legislators who demonstrated commitment to this long-term investment for the state. The 79 mph passenger rail service from Chicago to Iowa City will make two trips daily. Projected annual ridership is 246,800 for 2015. The estimated cost of the project $310 million. Click here to review additional facts about the project.
Click here to review an Iowa City to Chicago passenger rail project summary from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Timeline:
• October 2010: Iowa City to Chicago route receives $230 million in federal passenger rail funding.
• August 2010: Iowa and Illinois DOTs file a joint application seeking $248 million to implement new passenger rail service from Iowa City to Chicago via the Quad Cities.
• April 2010: President Barack Obama unveils high-speed passenger rail plan identifying 10 potential high-speed intercity corridors for federal funding.
• February 2010: Iowa lawmakers approve $6.5 million from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF) bill toward the amount needed for federal match dollars. January 2010: President Obama announces the federal government will spend $8 billion developing a nationwide high-speed train system. $1 million allocated for high-speed and intercity passenger rail planning studies to examine a route between Chicago and Omaha via Des Moines.
• December 2009: President Obama allocates an additional $2.5 billion for passenger rail projects, with another commitment of $1 billion per year over the next four years.
• October 2009: Iowa and Illinois DOTs file a joint application seeking $256,695 to support continued environmental impact analyses, track infrastructure construction and improvements, layover facility construction, equipment acquisition, and station improvements to implement passenger rail service connecting Iowa City to Chicago via the Quad Cities.
• July 2009: Governor Chet Culver and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Chicago-Quad Cities-Iowa City route and Chicago-Dubuque route to cooperate and coordinate the planning and implementation of passenger rail service on these corridors, and to share certain costs associated with the preparation and operation of the corridors as part of the stimulus funding application process.
• July 2009: Eight Midwest Governors and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide "a single advocacy voice in support of the region's collective high-speed rail priorities.”
• May 2009: Iowa lawmakers approve $3 million in the IDOT’s transportation budget appropriated for rail-related projects.
• March 2009: The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce launches the Chicago Flyer campaign and actively lobbies for passenger rail service between Iowa City and Chicago. More than 2,000 individuals, businesses and government agencies and 5,700 Facebook friends join the Chicago Flyer coalition.
• February 2009: President Obama signs the Economic Stimulus proposal into law, which includes $9.3 billion for passenger rail, the largest ever funding amount for passenger rail in United States history.
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