Public hearings scheduled for Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail
Tier 1 study
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[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.
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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:
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Aug. 8, Joliet
--
Jacob Henry Mansion, Victorian Ballroom, 15 S. Richards St.,
Joliet, IL 60433
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Aug. 9, Chicago
--
Chicago Union Station, The Union Gallery, 500 W. Jackson St.,
Chicago, IL 60661
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Aug. 14,
Bloomington -- Marriott Hotel, Ballroom, 201 Broadway St.,
Normal, IL 61761
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Aug. 15,
Springfield -- President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Ballroom, 701 E.
Adams St., Springfield, IL 62701
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Aug. 16, Alton -- Holiday Inn,
Ballroom, 3800 Homer Adams Parkway, Alton, IL 62002
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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]
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