Over 90% of the nearly 350 million miles traveled on the average weekday in Illinois occur by car.
With 29 major passenger rail stations, Illinois already possesses the rail infrastructure needed to diversify its transportation network. However, most of the stations are underserved or by trains at inconvenient times.
These stations presently serve 3 million riders a year.
Trains cost travelers between 30 to 75% less, 1/6th that of driving and 1/10th of flying.
Upgraded track is 6 to 7 times cheaper to build than highways. One track carries 3 to 5 times more people than a highway lane, which cost $6 million more per mile to build.
California and New York have invested heavily in their inter-city rail networks.
A Chicago to St. Louis Corridor alone would save 6 & 1/2 million gallons of fuel each year.
Trains emit far fewer total emissions (volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide) than cars and planes.
Congestion costs the Chicago area alone $4.2 billion a year.
Motor vehicle crashed cost $820 per resident for medical expenses, traffic delays, insurance and legal costs. In 2004, 1,341 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in Illinois.
During emergencies and exteme weather conditions, airports become overcrowded, and highways can completely shut down with traffic.
Tracks require only 10% of the land currently used for highways, and are less likely to result in wetland losses and flooding.
Ridership surges dramatically when supplemental service is added at more convenient times. On the west coast, ridership jumped from 100,000 to 900,000 rides per year. When Acela service was introduced in the northeast, ridership rose from 1/2 million to 2.5 million passengers a year.
The total miles traveled in general within Illinois is rising 20X faster than the state's population.
29 Cities in Illinois which would immediately benefit from expanded train travel options:
Alton, Bloomington/Normal, Carbondale, Chicago, Centralia, Champaign-Urbana, De Quoin, Dwight, Effingham, Galesburg, Gilman, Homewood, Joliet, Kankakee, Kewanee, Lincoln, Macomb, Mattoon, Mendota, Haperville, Plano, Pontiac, Princeton, Quincy, Rantoul, Springfield, Summit +
