2. Overview
• The nation’s railroads converge in Chicago.
• As more people ship and travel by rail, the region’s tracks and
roads are close to choking.
• CREATE will reduce rail and road congestion by improving rail
property, bridges, intersections, and signals.
• CREATE is a partnership of private railroads and various
federal, state, and local government agencies.
• CREATE offers substantial benefits to the public in such areas
as economic development, agriculture, air quality, and
passenger rail.
6. Key points about CREATE:
1. CREATE = “Chicago Region Environmental &
Transportation Efficiency” Program.
2. A partnership of commercial railroads, Amtrak, the
City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the United
States Government.
3. Significant public benefits. . . .
9. On any given day…
• 1,200 passenger and freight trains pass
through Illinois’ 150 year old rail system…
• 37,500 rail cars traverse the region on
2,800 miles of track.
• 1/3 of U.S. rail freight is shipped through
the Chicago region.
10. The Nation’s Freight
Converges In Illinois
• It takes 36 hours to ship from Los Angeles
to Chicago, a distance of 2,000 miles.
• Yet it takes more than 36 hours to ship
through Chicago, where freight usually
travels no faster than 9 m.p.h.
12. Why does rail congestion matter
to Illinois?
• End users (such as big-box retailers):
– Must be able to receive and distribute their
goods in a predictably and timely manner.
• Farmers and manufacturers:
– Must be able to ship their goods on a timely
basis.
13. • For 3rd
-party logistic companies and
distributors like UPS:
– Bottom line depends on rail efficiency and
timeliness.
– They can operate facilities only next to timely
and reliable rail service.
Why does this matter to Illinois?
14. Illinois position as the nation’s rail and &
distribution hub depends on CREATE…
• Competition for 3rd
-party logistics is
emerging from Memphis and St. Louis…
15. What do we stand to lose?
• If the bottlenecks in freight and passenger
rail are not eliminated, Illinois is projected
to lose:
–17,000 jobs by 2020.*
–$2 billion in annual economic production
by 2020.*
*SOURCE: Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, Regional Economics Applications Laboratory,
University of Illinois, 2001.
16. With public support, CREATE will:
• Remove rail bottlenecks.
• Promote agriculture and economic development,
especially in those sectors that depend on rail.
• Improve passenger-rail service.
• Clean up our air.
• Eliminate traffic congestion at crossings.
• Reduce traffic accidents associated with rail.
17. With public support, CREATE will:
• Yield 6,000 to 13,000 new jobs.*
• Preserve 80,000 jobs in the regional
economy.*
*SOURCE: Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, Regional Economics Applications Laboratory,
University of Illinois, 2001.
18. CREATE Will Clean the Air:
• In the first year alone, CREATE will eliminate 1400 tons of nitrogen oxide,
400 tons of carbon monoxide, 100 tons of volatile organic compounds, and
51 tons of particulates
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Ton Reduction
1400
400
100 51
NOx
CO
VOCs
Particulates
19. • 16 CREATE projects
will benefit Amtrak.
• 12 CREATE projects
will benefit METRA.
CREATE Will
Passenger Rail
Speed Up
20. CREATE Will Bring
To Agriculture
Efficiency
• CREATE will help farmers get fertilizer on time.
• CREATE will make sure that grain moves
predictably, yielding cost savings to farmers and
distributors.
• Illinois agriculture will remain competitive -
domestically and abroad.
• That’s why CREATE is endorsed by:
– Illinois Corn Growers Association
– Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
21. A little background on Illinois’ railroads:
*SOURCE: Illinois Railroad Association
• In 2007, the five largest railroads
operating in Illinois contributed…
• $76 million in IL state taxes
22. In Illinois, the railroads employ:
*SOURCE: Association of American Railroads (excludes Amtrak and Metra figures)
33
%
2%
12
%
53
% African
American
Asian
Hispanic
25. CREATE Funding
• CREATE has received financial commitments
from:
– The region’s railroads
– The federal government
– The State of Illinois’ capital plan
– The City of Chicago
– Additional federal/state capital funds associated
with high-speed and passenger rail.
26. Want more information?
Please Visit:
WWW.CREATEPROGRAM.ORG
Josephclarylaw@gmail.comJosephclarylaw@gmail.com
312-371-2444312-371-2444
