Amtrak

While taking a bike on Amtrak's Empire Builder route is easy, doing it efficiently, with a minimum of stress, is not super-intuitive, so here are some tips.

Para elevar las voces y el trabajo de estos profesionales de Chicago, entrevistaré a personas que están mejorando nuestra ciudad y aportando diversas perspectivas a las cuestiones del transporte.

In order to elevate the voices and work of Latine Chicago transportation professionals, Streetsblog will interview people who are bettering our city and bringing diverse perspectives to transportation issues.

On August 12, Governor JB Pritzker announced the Illinois Department of Transportation's new multiyear plan, a blueprint for spending $34.6 billion on transportation infrastructure over the next six years.

On Thursday, July 8, Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined federal elected officials Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (IL-4) alongside state transportation officials in asking for federal funds for improvements to Chicago's Union Station and nearby tracks that would make the station a more comfortable and spacious place for passengers and reduce delays on certain Amtrak routes. 

Amtrak wants to make riding across the United States cheaper, more comfortable, and easier this year, as more and more people get vaccinated and it becomes safer to travel.

I was fairly comfortable using Amtrak for this journey, so as long as we don't see another major spike in cases, I'll probably make more such trips this year as a safer alternative to flying.

The plan for a second daily Amtrak Empire Builder Line run between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul is moving forward thanks to the award of a $31.8 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration.

IDOT confirmed that negotiations are underway for 2 daily roundtrips to the Quad Cities; environmental work is needed for the Rockford route.