Peoria Standard

On December 7, 2023, the city of Peoria, Illinois, was proud to announce that it had been selected for the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Corridor Identification Program. Mayor Ali, along with former United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, made the exciting announcement during a press conference.

The Corridor Identification and Development Program, established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to develop passenger rail routes. As part of this program, Peoria will receive $500,000 to fund Step 1 of the Service Development Plan. This plan will determine the engineering and cost requirements for bringing Amtrak passenger rail to and from Peoria in the future.

Mayor Ali expressed his enthusiasm for this new development, stating, "This effort started as a local project that grew into a regional project that became a state project and is now a federal project. This level of support and collaboration will help us achieve our goal of bringing Amtrak passenger rail to and from Peoria in the coming years. I'm very excited about this new development."

The proposed route will begin in Peoria and run through LaSalle-Peru, Utica, Ottawa, Morris, and Joliet before finally ending at Chicago's Union Station. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood emphasized the significance of this corridor designation for Peoria, stating, "The FRA Corridor Designation for Peoria, plus $500,000, will continue the momentum to bring passenger rail service to and from Peoria and Chicago."

The importance of expanding passenger service in Illinois was also highlighted by Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman, who said, "Illinois is the undisputed transportation hub of North America, with passenger rail at the heart of a vast multimodal system that moves people safely and reliably between our state's great cities and institutions. We look forward to working with local stakeholders and continuing to explore the possibilities as efforts to expand passenger service in Illinois advance another step."

The public is encouraged to learn more about the Passenger Rail project on the city of Peoria's website. Additionally, the press conference announcing the Corridor Identification Program can be viewed on the city of Peoria's YouTube channel.

This exciting news marks a significant step forward for the city of Peoria and its transportation infrastructure. With the support of the FRA's Corridor Identification Program and the allocated funds, Peoria is well on its way to realizing its goal of bringing Amtrak passenger rail service to the city in the near future.

To find out more, go to this link: https://www.peoriagov.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=543