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3. What's at stake if we don't make the improvements? 6. Who are the CREATE partners? 8. How were the CREATE projects selected? 9. What is the timeline for CREATE? 10. How will the public benefit from CREATE? 11. How will CREATE improve public safety? 12. How will air quality be improved and noise levels be reduced? 13. How will commuters benefit? 14. How will CREATE benefit workers and the economy? 15. How will CREATE increase space near the lakefront? 16. How will CREATE be funded? 18. Can I offer comments or make suggestions without attending a public hearing? 19. How can I find out if there's a CREATE project planned for my community?
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) is a first-of-its-kind partnership between the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Metra and the nation's freight railroads. A project of national significance, CREATE will invest $1.5 billion in critically needed rail infrastructure improvements. CREATE will improve the quality of life of Chicago-area residents and increase the efficiency of freight and passenger rail service throughout the region. Over the next 20 years, demand for freight rail service in Chicago is expected to nearly double. Railroad infrastructure in the Chicago area needs updating to meet that demand efficiently and allow Illinois businesses to take advantage of the resulting economic opportunities. In meeting new demand for freight rail services, CREATE will enhance the overall quality of life in Chicago-area communities by reducing congestion on area roadways, improving air quality, increasing public safety, limiting noise due to slow-moving and idling trains and creating jobs. What's at stake if we don't make the improvements? If rail capacity and infrastructure issues are not addressed, studies show the Chicago region will not sustain 17,000 jobs and $2 billion in annual economic production within two decades. CREATE will protect Illinois jobs, improve our quality of life and ensure businesses here and throughout the nation continue to have access to efficient, affordable rail shipping services. Recognizing the growing urgency of the region's rail capacity needs, Mayor Richard M. Daley called on the federal Surface Transportation Board to convene a task force to tackle the problem. The resulting task force –- made up of representatives from the railroad industry, State of Illinois and City of Chicago –- drafted the plan now called CREATE. CREATE represents the first time state and local governments have partnered with the railroad industry to solve the problem of auto and rail congestion on such a large scale. CREATE also is the first project on which so many competing railroads have come together as partners to increase the efficiency of an urban rail network. Six of the seven major railroads operating in North America pass through Chicago. All six of those railroads are partners in the CREATE Program. CREATE is a public-private partnership between the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Metra and the nation's freight railroads. Chicago is the only place in North America where six of the seven major railroads converge. All six are partners in CREATE: BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CN, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Union Pacific Railroad. CREATE will invest $1.5 billion in critically needed capital projects to improve the quality of life for Chicago-area residents and increase the efficiency of the region's rail infrastructure. The work will reduce train delays and congestion throughout the Chicago area by increasing the efficiency of rail traffic on five rail corridors. The work includes:
How were the CREATE projects selected? Selecting the improvements for CREATE was a collaborative process between the freight railroads, State of Illinois Department of Transportation, City of Chicago Department of Transportation, Metra and Amtrak. Recomendations were developed for three types of projects through different processes. The Illinois Commerce Commission and Chicago Area Transportation Study helped to identify the most congested railroad grade crossings, where trains cross the roads and traffic must periodically wait for trains to pass. The process of identifying railroad infastructure projects started with the creation of computer models to measure existing rail bottlenecks in the region. Each railroad then submitted recommendations for improvements. Additional recommendations came from the State and City. A working group made up of representatives of all the CREATE partners refined the recommendations into the CREATE Program, ensuring that the concerns of all parties were taken into consideration. Viaduct improvements are being identified and prioritized based on an ongoing survey of viaduct conditions. What is the timeline for CREATE? All of the CREATE partners are committed to completing all 78 projects in the CREATE Program as quickly as possible. With the resources now available, 32 projects will be in design or construction by 2009. How will the public benefit from CREATE? For area residents, CREATE means reduced traffic congestion, shorter commuting times, better air quality, increased public safety and restored green space near the lakefront. For Illinois workers and businesses, it means more jobs and economic opportunity. How will CREATE improve public safety? New overpasses or underpasses will eliminate accidents and injuries at 25 locations where trains currently cross roadways at street level. The new overpasses or underpasses also will provide new, more direct routes for police and fire emergency vehicles in those neighborhoods. How will air quality be improved and noise levels be reduced? Emissions from autos, trucks and trains will be greatly reduced as trains move through the Chicago region more efficiently and motorists spend less time waiting for trains to pass at grade crossings. Likewise, trains will spend less time stopped in or crawling through residential neighborhoods, reducing the noise and pollution from idling or slow-moving trains. New overpasses, underpasses and other improvements will save Chicago-area motorists a collective average of 3,000 hours a day currently spent waiting for trains to pass at grade crossings. Travel times for Metra commuters will improve and schedules will become more reliable. Capacity on Metra's SouthWest and Heritage lines will increase. CREATE also will permit the increased use of LaSalle Street Station, freeing capacity at Union Station. How will CREATE benefit workers and the economy? Over the long term, CREATE will spark job growth and help businesses become more efficient and competitive by decreasing shipping times and improving the reliability of delivery times. Nationally, shippers will save an estimated $40 million annually in reduced inventory costs. By keeping the Chicago rail network competitive with other shipping options, CREATE will encourage economic development and job growth in Illinois and throughout the nation. How will CREATE increase space near the lakefront? CREATE will eliminate the St. Charles Airline rail route, which carries freight train traffic between 16th and 76th streets on Chicago's South Side. The line runs along the lakefront for about five miles. The land occupied by the rail line will be redeveloped for multiple uses, including new public green space and a trail linking the lakefront to the Chicago River just south of downtown. Eliminating the rail line will also enhance public safety at Ping Tom Park in Chinatown by removing freight traffic from the tracks that pass in front of the park's entrance. Private and public contributions will fund the CREATE Program. The six railroad partners and Metra will provide $232 million, an amount equal to the potential economic benefits of the improvements to the rail industry. The remaining funds will come from federal, state and local governments. As of July 2007, the railroads have contributed $100 million, the City of Chicago has committed $30 million and $100 million in Federal earmarks has been secured via the 2005-2009 Federal Transportation Reauthorization, The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). CREATE is seeking $100 million in funding from the State of Illinois U.S. Senators Richard Durbin and Barack Obama and U.S. Representatives Daniel Lipinski and Dennis Hastert are among many in the Illinois congressional delegation seeking funding at the federal level. As the CREATE projects are designed and approved, will the public have an opportunity to participate in the process? Yes. In fact, the public will be strongly encouraged to participate in the process. As individual projects enter the design and approval phase, public hearings and meetings will be scheduled to gather input from residents, businesses and neighborhood groups in the various communities. Public input will be critical to the success of individual projects and the CREATE program as a whole. To learn about upcoming meetings and hearings, visit the CREATE News and Events page. Can I offer comments or make suggestions without attending a public hearing? Yes. CREATE welcomes all suggestions, questions and comments. You can talk to a CREATE representative by calling 312-744-2732 or e-mail us. How can I find out if there's a CREATE project planned for my community? Visit the CREATE Projects Descriptions on this web site (link), where you'll find a map of the five CREATE corridors and descriptions of individual projects. Federal Legislators U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin U.S. Sen. Barack Obama U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski State Legislators Senator Kirk Dillard (R-24 th District) Senator Susan Garrett (D - 29 th District) Senator Christine Radogno (R - 41st Districct) Senator Dale Risinger (R-37 th District) Representative Maria Berrios (D-39 th District) Representative Rich Bradley (D-40 th District) Representative Dan Burke (D-23 rd District) Representative John D’Amico (D-13 th District) Representative Mary Flowers (D-31 st District) Representative John Fritchey (D-11 th District) Representative Julie Hamos (D –- 18 th District) Representative Carolyn Krause (R-66 th District) Representative Lou Lang (D-16 th District) Representative Linda Chapa LaVia (D-83 rd District) Representative Patricia Reid Lindner (R - 50 th District) Representative Eileen Lyons (R-82 nd District) Representative Joseph Lyons (D - 19th District) Representative Karen May (D - 58 th District) Representative Susana Mendoza (D - 1 st District) Representative Rosemary Mulligan (R - 65 th District) Representative Elaine Nekritz (D - 57 th District) Representative Harry Osterman (D-14 th District) Representative Angelo “"Skip"”Saviano (R - 77 th District) Representative Tim Schmitz (R - 49 th District) Representative Michael Tryon (R - 64 th District) Representative Arthur Turner (D- 9 th District) Representative Karen Yarbrough (D-7 th District) Mayor Michael Smith, New Lenox Mayor Donald Peloquin, Blue Island President Al Larson, Village of Schaumburg Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Northwest Municipal Conference Chambers of CommerceIllinois Chamber of Commerce Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Southland Chamber of Commerce Key Trade and Membership OrganizationsChicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Consulting Engineers Council of Illinois Environmental Law & Policy Center Federation of Women Contractors Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association Metropolitan Planning Council Metropolis 2020 Midwest High Speed Rail Coalition Union League Club United Transportation Union – Illinois Legislative Board World Business Chicago Businesses and Organizations Accurate Steel Installers, Inc. Aldridge Electric Block Heavy & Highway Products Bollinger, Lach & Associates Bowman, Barrett & Associates Inc. Bridge Technology Incorporated Cambridge Systematics, Inc Canino Electric Co. Carr Lumber & Manufacturing (Randy Carr) Central Blacktop Company Clark Dietz, Inc. DLK Civic Design Edwards & Kelcey Gallagher Asphalt Harry O Hefter - Associates, Inc.Infrastructure Engineering Inc. Jade Carpentry Contractors Inc. K-Five Construction Corp Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc. Law Office of Elias Gordan Maintenance Coatings Co. Marsh Inc. Metro Commuter Newspaper Molter Corp Packer Technologies International, Inc. Patrick Engineering Perdel Contracting Corporation Roughneck Concrete Drilling & Sawing Co. Royal Crane Service Schoenbeck Corporation TranSystems Corporation UTS Global, Inc. |
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