Another Rail Passenger Study for Peoria?
The politicians are jumping on the passenger rail bandwagon again . PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Peoria representatives are once again trying to bring the downtown train to Peoria. State leaders said, for too long, the city has been left behind when it comes to passenger rail. (I'm scratching my head on the term "downtown train." Never heard of one.) What stood out for me in this article was how much Ray LaHood has changed his tune since his days in the U. S. Congress. When you look at a map of Illinois there’s no reason why Peoria does not have rail service,” Ray LaHood, former Illinois congressman and U.S. Transportation Secretary said. “It’s the second-largest metropolitan area in Illinois. Remember back in 2007 how LaHood suggested to WCBU radio that Amtrak would never come here again and that bus connections to passenger services at Galesburg and Normal were satisfactory? His history is fuzzy as well... LaHood said it’s probably been about 50 years since the last time pas...