Public invited to provide input on Hiawatha service improvement proposals

Community members have an opportunity to review the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed service and track improvements on Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service which operates between Milwaukee and Chicago. A public hearing is being held on Thursday, October 27, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The proposed improvements would increase Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago to 10 round trips daily, up from the current seven weekday and Saturday round trips and six round trips on Sunday. Infrastructure improvements will be needed on the main tracks, side tracks and train signals, to support the additional trips.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and Illinois Department of Transportation, in partnership with Amtrak, and in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration, prepared the EA.

The meeting will be an open-style public meeting with a court reporter available to record comments. Exhibits will be on display and an audio-visual presentation will be shown continuously during the meeting. Project team members will be available to discuss the project and answer questions. The meeting facility is wheelchair and transit accessible. Any person planning to attend the public hearing who requires an interpreter or American Sign Language interpreter should notify WisDOT three business days before the meeting date by emailing DOTChicagoMilwaukeePassengerRailEA@dot.wi.gov or calling the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System (dial 711).

Environmental Assessment (EA) is available for review online and at several locations

The EA may be reviewed on the project website at Chi-MilwRailStudy.wi.gov. Copies of the EA also may be reviewed at:

• WisDOT Central Office Library, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Madison;
• Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau – 1 East Main Street, Madison
• Wisconsin Historical Society Library – Government Information and Records Collection, 816 State Street, Madison
• Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, W239 N1812 Rockwood Drive, Waukesha
• Milwaukee Public Library – Hearing Shelf, 814 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee
• Racine Public Library – Reference Desk, 75 Seventh Street, Racine
• Kenosha Public Library – Reference Services Desk, 812 56th Street, Kenosha

Input encouraged

In addition to the meetings listed above, comments or questions about the study can be submitted by:

• Email: DOTChicagoMilwaukeePassengerRailEA@dot.wi.gov
• Mail: Arun Rao, Passenger Rail manager, WisDOT, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue Rm 701, Madison, WI 53707
• Phone: (608) 261-6123

Comments received by Tuesday, November 15, 2016 will become part of the official record.

Two public meetings also are being held in Illinois to review the EA. The first meeting will be held in Chicago on Tuesday, November 1, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Union Station, 500 W. Jackson Boulevard and the second meeting will be held in Glenview on Wednesday, November 2, 5 to 8 p.m., at the Park Center, 2400 Chestnut Avenue.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.