ChicagoMetra Link-Ould helpStreator

By Greg Stanmar

STREATOR – City and tourism officials here are hopeful a proposed commuter line connecting LaSalle County with Chicago will survive feasibility studies to become reality.

Congress recently appropriated $250,000 to pay for the second phase of a feasibility study of the Illinois Valley Commuter Rail Service.

The plan would extend the Metra line now ending in Joliet to either Utica or LaSalle-Peru, with up to three trains daily.

“We’re part of the Illinois Valley, of course, and it would be a major convenience for residents in this community in terms of access into the metropolitan area and all the stops in between,” said Streator City Manager Paul Nicholson.

It would cut in half the time it now takes to get to a rail station in Dwight or Pontiac, he said. An added benefit in the proposal is for a commuter system “that offers more flexibility in terms of scheduling than Amtrak,” he said.

“It gives access to jobs that otherwise people may not now be able to do, given the cost of fuel,” he said.

A commuter schedule would make it possible to work in the Chicago area, something difficult to do with Amtrak, he said.

“It would be a godsend,” said Nicholson. He said in his previous jobs in the Chicago area, he used commuter service constantly. “It beats driving all to heck.”

Because he also worked in Kankakee, where a commuter service is also being studied, Nicholson said he is familiar with the long process and potential benefits of eventually getting such a system.

“We get requests all the time about what kind of train service we have for different events,” said Ed Brozak, head of Streator’s tourism commission. “Right now it’s pretty poor and linking Chicago with the Illinois Valley area would be a tremendous benefit for us.”

Nicholson said Streator officials have not been approached directly about contributing to the rail service effort since the city does not sit on the proposed line.

Ottawa Mayor Bob Eschbach, however, is leading the effort for the service. He said now that the money is in hand the committee spearheading the effort will begin hiring consultants this summer to further determine feasibility.

Any service could take up to 10 years to institute, he cautioned.

Streator, once hosting numerous passenger trains heading to Chicago, lost its last passenger rail service several years ago when Amtrak shifted its route to Mendota. People wanting train service now must go into Dwight, 24 miles; or Pontiac, 27 miles; versus 16 miles for Ottawa.

(c) 2008 Pantagraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.