A coordinated effort among Midwestern States and the City of Chicago to connect our entire region by high-speed and inter-city rail

Members Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Minnesota Missouri Ohio Wisconsin City of Chicago

Mission To coordinate the member applications for federal funding opportunities including funding available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) To provide guidance, leadership and a single advocacy voice in support of the region’s long-range high-speed rail initiatives To provide a single point of contact regarding high speed rail between members and the U.S. Department of Transportation

Benefits to Working as One Region Creates momentum for expansion of high-speed rail in the Midwest Promotes unified communication and advocacy messages to the Federal Government Improves efficiency by avoiding duplication of effort Enhances chances for funding and operational success

Importance of High-Speed Rail to the Midwest Region Jumpstarts Economic Recovery Enhances Mobility Encourages Livable Communities Promotes Energy Independence Improves Environmental Quality

Economic Recovery High-Speed Rail is Main Street’s Bailout! The town provides a reason for people to take the train The train brings people, jobs and money to town Town and Train’s Symbiotic Relationship

Economic Recovery Reviving Downtowns Since the 1960s, a pattern of sprawl has decimated many downtowns and main streets High-speed rail can be the catalyst for economically sustainable development downtown

Economic Recovery New construction and operations jobs New manufacturing jobs for America’s manufacturing capital

Mobility High-speed rail, will take customers from downtown-to-downtown on fast, reliable, and frequent trains How will they get to where they need to go once they are here?

Walking Biking Bus/Street Car Light/Heavy Rail Car Sharing Mobility

Livability Reducing Traffic and Congestion “Stuck in traffic” is a top quality of life complaint High-speed rail will shift development patterns to reduce congestion

Livability Transit-Oriented Development Mixed-use development provides easy access to jobs, schools, stores, banks, etc. High density development close to the station provides affordable housing/transportation mix Easy access to reliable transportation choices Make regular trips without using a car Wide sidewalks and boulevards designed to scale make neighborhoods safer and easier for pedestrians to navigate.

Energy Independence Energy-Efficient Towns Built on a Human Scale Trains use 3 times less energy than cars and 6 times less energy than planes Development around train stations designed to reduce the number of single- occupancy vehicle trips

Environmental Benefits Development to Reduced CO2 Emissions Reduced emissions as many car trips convert to train trips Reduction of pollution associated with sprawl CO2 Emissions per Household

Environmental Benefits Reduced storm water runoff means a cleaner water supply for the whole region Preservation of agricultural and wilderness land Less invasion on native species

Key Stakeholders for Success Federal State and Local Organizations Congressional Leadership Midwest Congressional Delegation FRA US HUD US EPA Governors and state legislature Local government officials State DOTs Metropolitan and Regional Planning Organizations Local and regional economic development offices Freight Railroads and AMTRAK Media Organized Labor Environmental Groups Midwest colleges and universities Chambers of commerce Tourism boards …and most importantly The Public

Now is the time for Success President Obama has called for high-speed rail in the US The Midwest has spent over a decade planning and implementing rail improvements We are ready to build a network that will be a model of success for the rest of the nation