Town of Normal, Ill. and Amtrak Break Ground for Multimodal Transportation Center
New station for Amtrak passengers and local transit users;
Ridership on the corridor is up 50,000 from last year, 11 percent growth
NORMAL, Ill. – Federal and state officials joined representatives of the Town of Normal and Amtrak today to ceremonially break ground for a Multimodal Transportation Center that will serve as a station for Amtrak rail and motorcoach passengers, local transit buses and will include a multi-level parking structure.
In February 2010, Normal received a $22 million Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). With this grant in place, the estimated $47 million multimodal center project was completely funded. Monies were also obtained from Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grants, and bonds issued by Normal. A rendering of the station is attached.
"The Town is very proud of the fact that this project is the very first to begin actual construction, of all of the projects nationally that received U.S. Department of Transportation funding through the TIGER Program," said Mayor Chris Koos. The building will be on a traffic circle that is the new focal point of Uptown Normal.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff and Cong. Debbie Halvorson, along with Mayor Koos and Amtrak Board Chairman Tom Carper, participated in the ceremony.
"Stations are one of my great interests – and as a former mayor – I know they are engines of economic development," said Carper, chairman of the Amtrak board of directors. "We look forward to working with Illinois to realize the economic potential of this rail corridor and further support a growing market for Amtrak."
"With the construction of this multi-modal center, funded with more than $10 million in federal earmarks and a grant through the ARRA, Normal is poised to become a showcase community for the potential of high-speed rail in America," said Sen. Durbin. "Those federal dollars will create hundreds of jobs in the region and generate millions of dollars in economic activity benefiting the local community.
"The center will serve as a transportation hub in the heart of Illinois, connecting major cities in the area with schools and businesses across the Midwest," said Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee who secured more than $10.6 million for the project during the course of six years.
About the Project
This 68,000 square foot facility with a train platform compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act will replace the Amtrak station in Normal, directly opposite of this project along the Union Pacific Railroad. Built in 1990 on the Town Hall parking lot, the small station is overwhelmed by increasing Amtrak ridership. With more than 192,000 passengers last year – and growing – the station in Normal also serves neighboring Bloomington and is the busiest in Downstate Illinois.
The new transportation center will also feature retail and municipal office space, a community room and a 280-car parking garage. The Town anticipates the building will achieve a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.
For more about the Town of Normal, this project and the rich railroad history of the region, visit the Amtrak GreatAmericanStations.com website.
Amtrak Service and Ridership
More than a half-million Amtrak passengers have ridden the five daily Lincoln Service/Texas Eagle trains this fiscal year (530,648, Oct. 2009-July 2010) on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor, an increase of 11 percent. The Illinois Department of Transportation was awarded $1.2 billion in ARRA funds for high-speed trains on this corridor and was one of only three states to receive an award of more than $1 billion. When complete in 2012, this facility will be opened in advance of 110 mph (177 kph) Amtrak service on the route, with trains making trips to Chicago in about two hours and to St. Louis in less than two-and-half-hours.
In addition to ten daily Amtrak trains, Normal is also served by Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches operated by Burlington Trailways as far east as Indianapolis, via Champaign-Urbana and as far west as the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities, via Peoria.
About Amtrak
As the nation’s intercity passenger rail operator, Amtrak connects America in safer, greener and healthier ways. Last fiscal year (FY 2009), the railroad carried 27.2 million passengers, making it the second-best year in the company’s history. With 21,000 route miles in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces, Amtrak operates more than 300 trains each day—at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph)—to more than 500 destinations. Amtrak also is the partner of choice for state-supported corridor services in 15 states and for several commuter rail agencies. Visit Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information.
