ME: Why not extend Metra Electric to Kankakee?

Peotone is on the docket for expansion concurrent with any airports installed there. However, I doubt Kankakee gets much - it was rated the worst place to raise a family by some magazine like Time or US News, and as such I can't imagine much growth there - those people are probably moving to Dyer or Naperville.

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They could save money if they want to extend to Kankakee by electrifying the extension with 25kv60hz AC and ordering or rebuilding multisystem MU's for the new service. The reduced number of substations would greatly reduce the cost of electrifying the new extension and multisystem MU's are proven technology, MTA Metro-North runs its M-2s, -4s, and -6s which run off 12.5kv60hz AC from overhead wire and 750v. DC powered third rail. This would greatly reduce the cost of electrification, and pave the way for AC conversion eventually of the current ME service and NICTD.

Peotone airport was a completed project in 1995...no wait 97..no wait 01 no wait.....****!!! no more money. The state of Illinois has 2 employees assigned to the project right now. Reality check, not gonna happen anytime soon, The project is getting booted from their office and moving to a seized farm. WHY? because, theres not enough potential in the "third airport" for the state to pay rent. Fact is, The south burbs are gonna get nothing more than another Howell.

So What's this have to do with Metra? There is no reason to extend the Electric district when major development is not in the forseeable future. Also keep in mind that unlike the East coast, where the state bites the cost, RTA is funded by both the State as well as the counties it serves. Thats why the extention to Milwalkee is causing such a bruhaha. We pay RTA taxes on everything, gas, food, name it. (The joys of Cook County) It's not going to go over well with the taxpayers when Money being brought in from Cook, Will, Lake, DuPage, Kane and McHenry gets spent out in boofoo Kankakee. It all comes down to the mighty dollar (in a state with no money!!) Kankakee is a dump and already served by Amtrak.

As for "ordering or rebuilding multisystem MU's for the new service, We could hardly afford 26 new cars a year ago.

The shared county-state thing exists in the East too. There is an MTA tax paid for by residents of NY, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, and Orange Counties. BTW, what is the slaes tax in Illinois? If it is sufficiently low, it could be increased to increas RTA funding.

Here's all you really need to know: Of all the cities/townships within a 100 mile radius of Chicago, it's pretty telling that, according to 2000 Illinois Census figures, Kankakee residents had among the lowest numbers of people commuting to/from downtown Chicago. Even small towns like Walworth, WI (which lost its commuter service more than 20 years ago) still had more residents commuting to Chicago than Kankakee. With that in mind, unless the Will county population boom spreads significantly into Kankakee county, I don't envision Kankakee voters urging legislation for their county to be included in the RTA's service area. Factor in the steady loss of manufacturing jobs contributing to a slowly declining population, and it's plain to see that the demand simply is not there...

Right now the major expansions could be grouped into three areas:
1. North - this Milwaukee expansion that I know nothing about, and as such cannot lend insight.
2. West - As we all know, the suburbs are experiancing exponential growth between Plainfield and Barrington, and they are continually going west. See the CNW-W extension to Elburn. This will probably be expanded in another ten years because of the rapid growth.
3. NW Indiana - Dyer, Valpo, Merrilville are all growing, and the NICTD services are likely to be expanded because current NICTD trains on the South Shore are packed.

Note there is no remarks about SES - it's serving mostly NW Indiana patrons that drive over the border. Right now, anybody living in the Heights or Steger just drive the five minutes to Olympia Fields to catch an ME train.

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone: I have thought about this topic for some time: I realize that Metra is considering an extension S of University Park to Monee or Peotone. Why not go to Kankakee? I realize this would be a county outside Metra's service area but can any political problems be worked out? Can the Kankakee area-about 50,000 or so people-I do not have exact population stats-support such a service? I tried to find out the exact distance between University Park and Kankakee-is it about 30 miles? All thoughts and views will be appreciated! Thanks all in advance- MACTRAXX

You couldn't give away tickets for trips out to Kankakee, let alone expect people to pay for tickets. That awesome Zone M Monthly would run $197.10!