Rails to the Future

Transportation is a key issue in Crest Hill and Will County. From an economic and business perspective the expansion of rail transit is of greatest concern. Metra service to Joliet and surrounding communities is inferior to the service that is given to the northern and western suburbs. Having grown up in Arlington Heights, I saw first-hand the power of commuter trains to transform a community's core. Three trains each direction weekdays only on the Heritage Corridor is insufficient. The Rock Island line has a more comprehensive schedule, but Joliet is still under served.

The City of Joliet has not done its part to encourage downtown redevelopment that would compliment commuter rail. There are numerous old buildings that could be redeveloped into commercial uses on the first floor and residential above. This is by far a better use that having vacant old department stores and empty storefronts. Joliet has the building stock to retain its historic downtown flavor while developing a vibrant mixed-use area. The other key is to provide enough parking for additional Metra riders to be possible. This can only be accomplished with conveniently located parking garages. This will not be inexpensive, but will be necessary if we want to create a healthy downtown and see new residents moving into something other than cookie cutter developments on the far west side.

Of specific importance to Crest Hill is the STAR line. This would be a line tying Joliet and Crest Hill to the west of northwest suburbs. Such a connection would allow people to work in those area, but live in Will County. This might bring additional development pressures to this area, but it is the responsibility of cities to continue to grow responsibly. The value of alternative transportation would be great. It would be a boon to the communities along the line and would allow people greater choice in where they live without clogging our highways.

My final item on this topic is to encourage people to continue to push for expansion of Amtrak. I know it is a third world rail system that rarely runs on time and is used mostly by students, foreign travelers, and the Amish. However, rail should be used more frequently for mid-distance trips instead of flying. As more people use rail and more importance is placed on developing it, the level of service will improve. And if high speed technology is put into place any trip under 600 miles will be faster by rail than by air. This is because unlike the airport, when you ride the train you do not wait in long security lines, you do not have to arrive hours ahead of time, you can carry on all the luggage you physically are able to so checking baggage and claiming it at the other end are eliminated, and every train station I has been more easily accessible than even the smallest most laid back of airports. I could go on about the wonderful things I have seen from the windows of trains and the fascinating people I have met on board, but I feel the financial and practical sides of it are more important to this nation. In the mean time though, give Amtrak a shot, you might get to where you are going a couple hours late, but you can eat well, sleep well, and have some fun doing it. And maybe you will come away like me, dreaming of the day when you can zip across America at 200 mph on a conveniently scheduled train instead of flying.