About the Project
On April 16, 2009, President Obama announced his "Vision for High Speed Rail". This vision includes the development of high-speed train lines in at least 10 regions across the country, including the Midwest region with a major hub network centered on Chicago. To "jump start" the implementation of high-speed and intercity passenger rail, $8 billion to be spent over two years has been included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (stimulus package) and an additional $1 billion a year being budgeted over the next five years.
FRA ARRA Application Process
On June 23, 2009, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released guidance on implementing the vision for developing high speed and intercity rail projects under the ARRA. This guidance included the establishment of four funding "tracks" for which applications for ARRA funding by States could be submitted. These funding tracks included:
- Track 1: Final design and construction of "ready to go" projects that should be completed within two years. Eligible projects include infrastructure, facilities, and equipment, and the projects must have independent utility. The federal funding share can be up to 100%, but the evaluation criteria for project selection include non-federal funding support.
- Track 2: Development of a set of inter-related projects that collectively will result in the implementation of new high speed rail corridors, new intercity passenger rail services, or substantial upgrades to existing corridor services. Not all of the projects need to be "ready to go". If approved, the federal government will commit to funding the entire program.
- Track 3: Service planning activities for establishing a pipeline of "ready to go" projects. This track provides an opportunity to complete the prerequisite planning, design, and environmental work to submit applications under Tracks 1 and 2.
- Track 4: An alternative to Track 1 for applicants providing at least a 50% share of non-federal financing for the project. This track offers a simplified grant agreement process and up to five years to complete the project.
The FRA ARRA application process began with the pre-applications that were due July 10, 2009. The FRA considered the pre-applications as an important requirement of the application submission and decision-making process. Track 1, 3, and 4 applications were due August 24, 2009. Track 2 applications are due October 2, 2009. The applications will be individually reviewed and assessed by the FRA against evaluation criteria in three categories: public return on investment, project success factors, and other attributes (such as timeliness of project completion).
Illinois Track 2 Applications
In response to the FRA guidance, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is preparing an application for funding under FRA's "Track 2" High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program for the Chicago - St. Louis and Chicago - Dubuque corridors. The FRA requires a corridor-wide National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study when submitting a Track 2 application. The FRA's guidance encourages agencies to tier their environmental reviews. Using this approach, broader programs are covered under a Tier 1 NEPA document, such as a corridor-wide Environmental Assessment (EA). In a Tier 2 NEPA document, site-specific projects or actions are addressed in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), EA, or categorical exclusion (CE) document.
To support the Track 2 application for the Chicago - St. Louis and Chicago - Dubuque corridors, IDOT has prepared a Tier 1 corridor-wide EA for each corridor. The purpose of this Tier 1 document is to document potential environmental impacts at the corridor or program level. Any project specific issues, such as the environmental impacts associated with specific improvements, will be addressed in a Tier 2 NEPA document.
View additional informaiton about the Chicago-St. Louis corridor.