Iowa governor Branstad gave back $53 million in federal money to extend the corridor to Iowa City (with a vision of eventually running to Des Moines and Omaha) because he and the legislature wouldn't come up with the $20 million in matching funds. This was about the same time that Walker sent funds back for Milwaukee-Madison and Kasich sent back the money intended for 3-C.
Rauner barely kept the idea of Quad Cities service alive so Illinois didn't have to give back its federal dollars. Rockford was always intended to be funded fully by the state, and once Quinn lost, it was as good as dead.
One item Rauner starved for funds, and I hear no news of whether the General Assembly allotted any money for, is the Tier II EIS for Chicago to Joliet on the Lincoln Service.
But this whole package brings up some intriguing possibilities.
In March, Landmark Development announced plans to build a series of high-rises over the Metra Electric tracks, called One Central, from Roosevelt Rd. to McCormick Place. The centerpiece of the plan is a $3.8 billion transit center, located at the Metra Electric 18th Street station, and its supporting infrastructure. Landmark envisioned using the St. Charles Air Line to send some Metra BNSF trains to the transit center, as well as extending the CTA Orange Line there, and utilizing the McCormick Place Busway for part of a downtown circulator known as The Chi Line.
I didn't give the project much thought, as it looked like just another exercise that would amount to nothing. Building over the Metra Electric in the same location was proposed by Forest City in the mid-2000s. But the new funding bill authorizes the state to work with the developer to secure federal grants. If those grants are secured, the state would enter into a public-private partnership on the transit center. Landmark, with federal assistance, would front the $3.8 billion to build the transit center. The state would use sales taxes generated from the project to pay Landmark back. After 20 years, the state would own the transit center outright.
I would hope that this might pass, as it might actually get help from other parties that would benefit from the investment.
To me, re-directing only some BNSF trains makes no sense. Better to invest in the 16th Street Connector, to connect the Union Station South tracks to the Air Line. In addition to benefiting One Central, it would provide a link to McCormick Place.
Another megadevelopment that recently received city approval and a sizable amount of TIF money is Related Midwest's The 78. The property is bounded by Roosevelt Rd. to the north, 16th Street to the south, Clark Street to the east and the south branch of the Chicago River to the west. The 16th Street Connector would run along the southern edge of the property and a station along the Connector would provide potential residents and employees easy access to the site. Part of the TIF is already slated to be used to build a new station on the CTA Red Line at 15th Street.
Yet another megadevelopment, The Burnham Lakefront (formally Michael Reese Hospital), lies immediately south of McCormick Place. The property is bounded by 25th Street/Stevenson Expressway to the north, 31st Street to the south, MLKing Drive to the west and Lake Shore Drive to the east. A connection from Union Station would provide the same advantages that One Central and McCormick Place would enjoy. Plus, the new funding bill finally authorizes a massive casino within the city (4000 gaming seats). The prime candidate to land the casino is Burnham Lakefront.
Constructing the 16th Street Connector could also advance the cause of building an O'Hare Express, which would require cleaning up A-2, A-5, and building a series of grade separated crossings. It would provide a one seat ride from O'Hare to Union Station to McCormick Place, something the city has wanted for a long time. It certainly appears as if Mr. Musk's idea of high-speed butter dishes rolling in tunnels between Block 37 and O'Hare is fading fast.
For Amtrak, the 16th Street Connector would mean no more back-up maneuvers to get onto the Metra Electric/IC tracks. One of the possible routes for the South of the Lake project included the Connector. Plus, if configured correctly, the Connector could finally put Lincoln Service trains onto the Metra Rock Island District tracks to Joliet.
Connecting just the Orange Line to One Central also makes no sense. While probably more expensive and complicated, it would make more sense to try and build a connection that would allow CTA routes that currently terminate in the Loop (like the Purple and Brown Lines) to continue onto the Air Line to points along the South Lakefront.
