You've got to start somewhere. For high-speed rail in the U.S., that somewhere very well may just be a Chicago-to-St. Louis route that hangs in the balance.
As Streetsblog USA detailed, supporters of the project believe its fate could determine whether the transportation option takes off not just in the Midwest, but also throughout the country.
Rick Harnish, the executive director of the High-Speed Rail Alliance, explained that while the route might not be the perfect pick to start with, it has a critical advantage. Since East St. Louis and Chicago are in the same state, it avoids some of the pitfalls of interstate projects.
"It's the test case that gets the other states around to start going," Harnish said, per Streetsblog.
Rail advocates, though, have limited time to extend the Illinois High-Speed Rail Commission before its scheduled expiration in 2027. That could be a critical miss in setting the stage for the types of routes Harnish would really like to see, like Chicago to Indianapolis. A bill on the table could extend the project through 2030.
Despite the fact that high-speed trains have proved highly effective in various regions globally, they take a backseat to car travel in America.
That isn't to say there isn't high-speed rail domestically, but the successes have been mostly limited to California, Florida, and a couple of Northeastern states. Success in the Midwest could open the floodgates, especially with Chicago as the main attraction and destinations in every direction.
One thing that Harnish also wants to establish is the sort of frequent service that exists in Japan. After all, what's the point of these new routes and technology if they don't capitalize on their potential?
As it stands, Harnish noted that what's holding back these projects isn't Midwestern sensibilities but a nationwide political pattern that favors investing in car travel and does not consider trains as part of regular travel.
That is despite high-speed rail's advantages, including far less pollution than driving, reduced travel times, and high marks from travelers. It's also not like most residents feel investment in roads is paying off in better travel experiences. In Harnish's eyes, it's past time high-speed rail got its money and its shot.
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"This highway program that spends a lot of money on not-so-productive things," he pointed out to Streetsblog. "Why don't we have high-speed rail yet?"
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