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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly are
3continuously looking for ways to improve the quality of mass
4transit and help its citizens move about the State more
5efficiently; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Establishing an East-West passenger rail corridor
7in the State of Illinois would improve access to nearly a dozen
8universities and community colleges and nearly a half-dozen
9private colleges; and
 
10    WHEREAS, A passenger rail connection between the Quad
11Cities campus of Western Illinois University and the Macomb
12campus would greatly improve the efficiency of intercampus
13service by staff and access by students; and
 
14    WHEREAS, An East-West passenger rail corridor would
15provide citizens across Illinois better, quicker, and easier
16access to the high-speed railroad corridor from Chicago to St.
17Louis; and
 
18    WHEREAS, An East-West passenger rail corridor from the
19Moline/Rock Island area to Danville, via Galesburg, Peoria,
20Bloomington-Normal, and Champaign-Urbana, could be constructed
21using existing railroad lines; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, An East-West passenger rail corridor would
2contribute to further economic development including increased
3mobility for workers across the State; and
 
4    WHEREAS, An East-West passenger rail corridor would help
5reduce highway congestion, improve quality of life, and reduce
6air pollution; and
 
7    WHEREAS, An East-West passenger rail corridor is in the
8best interest of national security, should large numbers of
9people need to be moved quickly due to a natural disaster or an
10act of aggression; rail service would be the most reliable,
11available, and efficient means of transport; and
 
12    WHEREAS, An East-West passenger rail corridor from
13Moline/Rock Island to Danville would provide a connection
14between all 3 existing North-South railroad corridors;
15therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
18SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we support the development of an
19East-West passenger rail corridor in the State; and be it
20further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of
3Transportation, Ann L. Schneider.