Public hearings scheduled for Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail Tier 1 study

[August 03, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration are hosting a series of public hearings to seek comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or DEIS, that has been prepared for the Tier 1 environmental statement on high-speed rail from Chicago to St. Louis.

The draft statement outlines the environmental effects of the alternatives that have been retained for further study. Numerous alternatives for accommodating higher speeds and additional round trips were studied in detail and narrowed down, based on a set of evaluation criteria that included residential and commercial effects, travel time reductions, safety, and environmental effects. The alternatives include a full build-out, which is adding a second track, and other improvements. The current Chicago to St. Louis corridor operates on a single track that is shared by both traditional freight and Amtrak passenger rail service.

The public hearings are the last public events for the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. At the hearings, citizens will be able to comment on the draft statement, which can be viewed online prior to the hearings: http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/freight/
fp_Chicago_to_StLouis_HSR_Corridor.shtml

Citizens are invited to attend a public hearing at any time between 4 and 7 p.m. on the following dates at the locations listed:

• Aug. 8, Joliet -- Jacob Henry Mansion, Victorian Ballroom, 15 S. Richards St., Joliet, IL 60433

• Aug. 9, Chicago -- Chicago Union Station, The Union Gallery, 500 W. Jackson St., Chicago, IL 60661

• Aug. 14, Bloomington -- Marriott Hotel, Ballroom, 201 Broadway St., Normal, IL 61761

• Aug. 15, Springfield -- President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Ballroom, 701 E. Adams St., Springfield, IL 62701

• Aug. 16, Alton -- Holiday Inn, Ballroom, 3800 Homer Adams Parkway, Alton, IL 62002

The hearings will be accessible to people with disabilities. Anyone needing special assistance should contact Mandi Voegele of Vector Communications Corp. at 314-621-5566. People planning to attend who will need a sign language interpreter or other similar accommodations can contact that number through TTY/TTD relay number 800-526-0844 or 711; TTY users in Spanish can use the 800-501-0864 relay or 711; and for Telebraille, use 877-526-6670. Calls for those arrangements should be made at least five days prior to the hearing.

[Text from Illinois High-Speed Rail file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]