To Madison To Milwaukee 1:00 Rockford Belvidere Gurnee Travel Time from Union 1:00 Winnebago Boone 20 McHenry Lake Deerfield Ogle DeKalb Kane 47 Elgin Hoffman Estates Schaumburg DuPage Arlington Heights O Hare 0:30 Union McCormick Place Hyde Park CrossRail Chicago Cook Gary Imagine: New, electrified express trains linking O Hare to the Kendall Loop, McCormick Place and the University of Chicago. New, cross-town commuter trains linking the south suburbs to the northwest suburbs. Setting the stage for high-speed rail and more than $16 billion in economic impacts. It begins by expanding Union to facilitate Will transfers throughout the region. Then modernizing and connecting two Metra lines with faster, more efficient electrified trains. Grundy Extensions will link the Northwest Suburbs and Rockford to Champaign. The needed improvements are already being planned separately, but will become very powerful if linked together. LaSalle Livingston Ford CrossRail Chicago, a modern vision for transportation in our region. Iroquois Bourbonnais 1:00 Homewood University Park South Suburban Airport To Champaign
Why CrossRail Chicago? Crosstown Connections Today, thousands of people use Metra and other mass transit to get downtown. But inconvenient connections make crosstown trips difficult. CrossRail Chicago will address this need, creating countless new trip combinations and encouraging thousands more riders to ride trains. Employment Connections CrossRail Chicago will offer an affordable and convenient way for south suburban residents to reach the jobrich suburbs along the I-90 corridor. Getting the people to the jobs is one of the chief objectives of a project to benefit the entire region. Reducing Congestion on our Expressways The Dan Ryan, the Eisenhower, and the Kennedy are the Midwest s most congested freeways. CrossRail Chicago is a cost-effective method for adding capacity in these congested corridors. Annual Average Daily Traffic Counts 25,401 88,900 88,901 196,900 196,901 336,100 0 1.75 3.5 7 Miles To Madison To Milwaukee Rockford Belvidere 20 47 Gurnee Deerfield Hoffman Estates Elgin Schaumburg Arlignton Heights O Hare University of Illinois at Chicago University of Chicago Govenors State Univeristy DePaul University Roosevelt University Homewood University Park Union McCormick Place Hyde Park Gary Linking Our Universities CrossRail Chicago will facilitate a closer working relationship between the University of Illinois campuses in Chicago and Urbana- Champaign, and will reinforce collaboration between the University of Chicago and Governors State University. An efficient and accessible rail system will improve the access of higher education to the Chicago business community and Chicago-area families. South Suburban Airport Bourbonnais To Champaign University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana 2
International Connections Cities and communities throughout the Midwest recognize that access to international markets through O Hare is essential to their economic futures. CrossRail Chicago will link the Loop to O Hare, with express trains from Union speeding Amtrak and Metra riders to the airport, greatly improving connections to international markets. An Upgraded Transit Hub at O Hare International Airport CrossRail Chicago creates the volume of transit passengers needed to bring about a much needed transformation of the O Hare-area transit hub. An Economic Engine for the Region N Existing Metra Service Airport Transit System (ATS) Proposed Direct Metra Connection 1 2 Core Area Rental Car Facility (Under Construction) Parking Terminals 3 ATS Extension Current ATS Terminal 5 Current Bus Parking Current Metra A new study by the Economic Development Research Group estimates that a true high-speed rail network linking Chicago to eight major cities would generate an additional $16 billion annually in business sales for the Chicago Metropolitan Region. CrossRail Chicago provides the foundation for this network. Parking Mannheim Road Interim Metra Canadiant National Balmoral Metra I190 To Chicago And Intersate Highway System Minneapolis-St. Paul Madison Milwaukee Lansing Omaha Des Moines O Hare Chicago Toledo Detroit Cleveland Pittsburgh Springfield Indianapolis Columbus Kansas City Cincinnati Jefferson City St. Louis Travel Time from Chicago Core Express 125 mph+ Regional 90 125 mph Amtrak/Conventional Rail Existing Amtrak 1 hours 2 hours 3 hours 4 hour 3
The Segments CrossRail Chicago s construction could be conducted in a phased, segmented process. Nearly every segment is already included in the region s master plan, GOTO2040, or is under consideration by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Yet each segment becomes more powerful if part of a coordinated plan. To Madison To Milwaukee Gurnee Rockford Marengo Winnebago Belvidere Boone 20 McHenry Lake Deerfield Ogle DeKalb 47 Hoffman Estates Elgin Schaumburg Kane Big Timber DuPage Arlington Heights O Hare Union McCormick Place Hyde Park Cook Gary Homewood Kendall University Park South Suburban Airport Will Bourbonnais Grundy To Champaign LaSalle Livingston Ford Iroquois 4
Phase One Expanding Union Two existing through tracks and unused mail platforms can be reconstructed for electrified trains. Union O Hare Reconstruct Metra s Milwaukee West District and build a short section of new tracks to connect Union to a new station at the airport. Ogilvie Transportation Center Union Through Platforms Built LaSalle St. Millenium Park Van Buren St. 11th St. 16th Street Connector, Union McCormick Place. The true power of CrossRail Chicago comes from linking Union to Metra s Electric and Rock Island corridors. The St. Charles Airline, elevated tracks along 16th Street, can be reconstructed to create this link. New Ramp to St. Charles Airline 21st St. Bridge New 16th Street Flyover McCormick Place New Ramp into McCormick Place I-90 Corridor O Hare Elgin Commuter trains serving northwest suburbs like Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg along Interstate 90 are needed to better connect this powerful economic region. Elgin Rockford Using a Union Pacific right-of-way or building alongside the tollroad are both strong options. I-57 Corridor Chicago University Park The Metra Electric lines can be brought up to modern standards as part of the Regional Transportation Authority s state-of-good-repair mandate. University Park Champaign Partnering with the Canadian National railroad to build new high-speed tracks alongside their mainline will bring the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana within an hour of Chicago, an easy commute. 5
CrossRail London Worldwide Examples CrossRail London London s CrossRail is a 15 billion project to link London s east and west side rail lines. The core of this project is 13 miles of new tunnels under the city. In a city of its size, the end result will be a significant reduction in traffic congestion and travel times for millions. London s Javelins The Javelins are high-speed commuter trains that reach the suburbs in Kent by sharing high-speed tracks with the Europe-bound Eurostars. Seoul, South Korea Korea s high-speed KTX trains from Busan use commuter rail tracks similar to the Metra Electric to access downtown Seoul. Soon, KTX trains will share the commuter rail tracks to reach Incheon International Airport. Spain Spain s high-speed tracks host a variety of trains, including 220-mph long-distance trains, 155-mph commuter trains and Talgo 720 hybrid trains that can travel far beyond the high-speed track. What It Means for the Region Like these examples, we envision a variety of trains utilizing CrossRail Chicago. For example: O Hare Express Trains In addition to speed, they will offer amenities such as wide aisles and luggage racks. Local and Express Commuter Lighter, faster, electrified trains with more frequent service in the core areas of the region. Long-Distance High-Speed Trains CrossRail Chicago will serve as the access point for trains capable of cruising at 220-mph in the countryside. Hybrid trains will allow today s Amtrak routes this improved access as well. 6
Estimated Annual Ridership Past studies have examined each of the proposed segments separately, which fails to provide a clear picture of the power of a coordinated system. Together, these projects will generate more ridership, revenue and benefits than any of them can yield independently. Using existing studies, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association developed ridership estimates to demonstrate the additive effect of each segment. Low Estimate High Estimate I-90 Corridor Loop O Hare: 1,680,000 1,920,000 O Hare Elgin: 3,304,000 4,704,000 Rockford extension: 826,000 1,529,000 I-90 Corridor Total: 5,810,000 8,153,000 I-57 Corridor Metra Electric improvements: 10,000,000 11,000,000 Champaign extension: 1,566,000 2,285,000 I-57 Corridor Total: 11,566,000 13,285,000 16th Street Connector Crosstown commuter rail: 1,461,000 1,956,000 O Hare Champaign: 154,000 212,000 Rockford Champaign: 19,000 40,000 16th Street Connector Total: 1,634,000 2,208,000 Total Ridership 19,010,000 23,646,000 Full build out of a 220-mph Midwest network could potentially add 20 million annual riders to the above estimates, creating a system with 43.6 million riders. Capital Costs The following ballpark estimates are based on studies conducted for the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. (In millions) Union Expansion: $500 Loop O Hare Transfer: $1,300 Phase One Sixteenth Street Connector: $200 O Hare Rockford: $2,000 McCormick Place : $2,800 Champaign: $2,800 Total: $9,600 Sources: Express Airport Train Service Business Plan, September 2006. STAR Line Alternative Analysis, June 2012. County Commuter Rail Feasibility Study, January 2005. Chicago to St. Louis 220 mph High Speed Rail Alternative Corridor Study, September 2010. Northern Illinois Commuter Rail Initiative Commuter Rail Feasibility Study, November 2004 7
Next Steps Coordinate the plans Today, multiple government agencies are planning segments of CrossRail Chicago without any overall coordination. The first, critical step is to get these plans aligned. Leading institutions like CMAP, IDOT or Metra could play the coordinating role. Develop the financing A coordinated program of projects can access a variety of federal, state, local and private funds. Build from the center out Starting from the center maximizes the positive impacts throughout the region. Two Essential Projects Expanding Union The City of Chicago is developing a master plan to add more space for trains and a more efficient and attractive concourse. Two existing through tracks and unused mail platforms can be reconstructed for electrified trains. A Railroad at O Hare While there is a Metra station at O Hare today, it is inconveniently located and difficult to use. The Department of Aviation is building a consolidated rental car facility at the site, which includes provisions for new train and bus stations. In the long-term, a tunnel under the airport to directly connect trains to the terminal will be needed, similar to what is found in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Midwest High Speed Rail Association Reinventing Travel. Reinventing the Midwest. Since 1993, the Midwest Highspeed Rail Association has worked with local governments, federal officials, the railroad industry, and fellow advocacy groups to cultivate the political will and public support needed to drive this process forward. After helping to bring about major victories for high-speed rail in recent years, we aren t slowing down now. 4765 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625 773-334-6758 MidwestHSR.org 8