YORKVILLE, Ill. — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposal for a six-year, $41.5-billion infrastructure program in the state includes $100 million for the expansion of Metra service into Kendall County, the Kendall County Record reports.
A total of $3.4 billion in the plan is for transit projects, the Chicago Tribune reported earlier this week, with $2.9 of that earmarked for Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority, the parent organization of Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and Pace bus service. [See “Report: Illinois governor’s infrastructure plan to include $2.9 billion for Metra parent,” Trains News Wire, May 19, 2019.]
Metra approved a $4.7 million engineering study for the expansion of service into Kendall County just last week. [See “Metra board OKs engineering study for extension of BNSF service,” Trains News Wire, May 20, 2019.] Previously earmarked federal funds will pay for that study, but funding for the capital and operating costs have been the long-standing barrier to any extension of service.
Oh btw, STOP buying Locomotives!
Buy more Bilevels and catch up on maintenance on Locomotives, etc before even thinking of extending service, Metra barely has equipment to fulfill their current service.