PIRG report shows economic benefits of high-speed rail to Midwest; MPC analysis complements report
Illinois PIRG released a new report today, Connecting the Midwest, that puts clear numbers and a clear vision on how high-speed rail will boost the Midwest economy, reduce highway and airport congestion, reduce dependence on oil, and protect the environment. The report, including a summary of key findings, is available on PIRG’s web site.
At the news conference to announce the report, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) Vice President Peter Skosey reinforced PIRG’s message, citing a recent MPC analysis of the tourism benefits expected to be generated by the $1.2 billion investment to improve the current Chicago-to-St. Louis rail corridor. Projections show that over the next 10 years, about 800,000 new tourists will visit Chicago because of the rail improvements, providing a major boost to the local economy. Read the complete analysis, the Tourism Benefits of Higher Speed Rail.
This video of Peter Skosey was taken at the PIRG news conference, Monday, Sept. 20, 2010, at Union Station in Chicago. Vew videos of other speakers at this news conference: