Legislation to create Front Range Passenger Rail District passes Colorado House
The effort to create a special district to help fund proposed passenger rail service along Colorado’s Front Range neared success on Thursday as the state’s House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday. Colorado Public Radio reports the state Senate has already approved its version of the legislation; once the two versions are reconciled, the bill will go to Gov. Jared Polis, who has indicated his support. The legislation gives the district, which includes counties paralleling Interstate 25 from the Wyoming to New Mexico state lines, the right to ask voters to approve a sales tax of up to eight-tenths of a percent, as well as to collect fares, use eminent domain, and other related powers. The bill has advanced despite opposition in some counties that would be included in the district [see “Digest: Officials in Colorado county say they oppose …,” Trains News Wire, May 13, 2021].
Tank car fumes lead to shelter-in-place order in Wood River, Ill.
A shelter-in-place order has been lifted as of 6 a.m. today in Wood River, Ill., after four over-pressurized tank cars began venting sulfuric acid vapor on Wednesday afternoon. KMOV-TV reports Norfolk Southern was notified of the problem at a Phillips 66 refinery and worked with hazmat crews and local first responders to monitor the situation, which saw one worker overcome by fumes. The worker was treated and released at a local hospital. The shelter-in-place order was issued at 4:30 a.m. The Alton Telegraph reports a Norfolk Southern spokesman said crews sprayed the cars with water to dissipate the fumes, and that there was no release or leak of liquids or solids from the tank cars. More than 430 homes and businesses were covered by the shelter-in-place order. Wood River is northeast of St. Louis, just across the Mississippi River.
Racine city council seeks revival of commuter rail plan
City council members in Racine, Wis., are calling for revival of a long-dead plan to create a Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line, citing the potential availability of infrastructure funds from President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan. The Racine Journal-Times reports all 15 of the city’s aldermen asked to be included as co-sponsors of a resolution supporting the project, which dates to the 1990s and has failed in previous incarnations over inability to obtain state funding. The last effort ended in 2011 when the state legislature repealed legislation creating a transit agency to study the project, but its website remains archived online.
KRM died because it never had any viability and still doesn’t.
Extend the Racine city bus service to Amtrak Sturtevant (which is in Racine County) — problem solved.
Racine city bus service for years has been going to the Amtrak station in Sturtevant. But fantastic news to revive the KRM.