A coordinated effort among Midwestern States and the City of Chicago to connect our entire region by high-speed and inter-city rail

Members

IllinoisIndianaIowaMichiganMinnesota

MissouriOhioWisconsinCity of Chicago

Mission• To coordinate the member applications for federal

funding opportunities including funding available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)

• To provide guidance, leadership and a single advocacy voice in support of the region’s long-range high-speed rail initiatives

• To provide a single point of contact regarding high speed rail between members and the U.S. Department of Transportation

Benefits to Working as One RegionCreates momentum for expansion of high-speed

rail in the Midwest

Promotes unified communication and advocacy messages to the Federal Government

Improves efficiency by avoiding duplication of effort

Enhances chances for funding and operational success

Importance of High-Speed Rail to the Midwest Region

Jumpstarts Economic RecoveryEnhances MobilityEncourages Livable CommunitiesPromotes Energy IndependenceImproves Environmental Quality

Economic RecoveryHigh-Speed Rail is Main Street’s Bailout!

• The town provides a reason for people to take the train

• The train brings people, jobs and money to town

Town and Train’s Symbiotic Relationship

Economic RecoveryReviving Downtowns

Since the 1960s, a pattern of sprawl has decimated many downtowns and main streets

High-speed rail can be the catalyst for economically sustainable development downtown

Economic Recovery

New construction and operations jobs

New manufacturing jobs for America’s manufacturing capital

Mobility

High-speed rail, will take customers from downtown-to-downtown on fast, reliable, and frequent trains

How will they get to where they need to go once they are here?

Walking

Biking

Bus/Street Car

Light/Heavy Rail

Car Sharing

Mobility

LivabilityReducing Traffic and Congestion

“Stuck in traffic” is a top quality of life complaint

High-speed rail will shift development patterns to reduce congestion

LivabilityTransit-Oriented Development

Mixed-use development provides easy access to jobs, schools, stores, banks, etc.

High density development close to the station provides affordable housing/transportation mix

Easy access to reliable transportation choices

Make regular trips without using a car

Wide sidewalks and boulevards designed to scale make neighborhoods safer and easier for pedestrians to navigate.

Energy IndependenceEnergy-Efficient Towns Built on a Human Scale

Trains use 3 times less energy than cars and 6 times less energy than planes

Development around train stations designed to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips

Environmental BenefitsDevelopment to Reduced CO2 Emissions

Reduced emissions as many car trips convert to train trips

Reduction of pollution associated with sprawl

CO2 Emissions per Household

Environmental Benefits

Reduced storm water runoff means a cleaner water supply for the whole region

Preservation of agricultural and wilderness land

Less invasion on native species

Key Stakeholders for SuccessFederal

State and Local

OrganizationsCongressional Leadership

Midwest Congressional Delegation

FRA

US HUD

US EPA

Governors and state legislature

Local government officials

State DOTs

Metropolitan and Regional Planning Organizations

Local and regional economic development offices

Freight Railroads and AMTRAK

Media

Organized Labor

Environmental Groups

Midwest colleges and universities

Chambers of commerce

Tourism boards

…and most importantly

The Public

Now is the time for SuccessPresident Obama has called

for high-speed rail in the US

The Midwest has spent over a decade planning and implementing rail improvements

We are ready to build a network that will be a model of success for the rest of the nation