Homewood, IL - Metra Train Station Renovation

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Homewood Residents Help Needed: Homewood Train Station Renovation Funding in Jeopardy

As most residents and commuters are aware, the Homewood Train Station has been in a severe state of disrepair for several years. It is not handicap accessible and water infiltrates the pedestrian tunnel when it rains. A full renovation would address these issues, as well as enhance rider access to the adjoining Pace Bus terminal and Amtrak station. The renovation will also rejuvenate our downtown while providing a welcoming, fully-accessible station for all transit riders.

The Village submitted this renovation project to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to be considered for funding under the Surface Transportation Program Shared Fund Program (STP).

The STP Project Selection Committee and all municipalities eligible for this funding agreed to a program methodology matrix to appropriately evaluate and score all submitted projects. A determination was made that all approved projects would be fully funded, meaning no partial funding would be permitted. This methodology was agreed to by CMAP officials.

It has come to the Village’s attention that the City of Chicago is challenging this methodology and is urging CMAP officials to reconsider the partial funding of submitted projects. If CMAP officials change the methodology to allow projects to be partially funded, Homewood’s Train Station Renovation slated for funding will be delayed or unfunded.

The Village needs your help! If you would like to see the Homewood Train Station renovated for any of the reasons listed above, we are asking you to make your voices heard. The Village of Homewood is urging everyone to send the letter below (simply copy and paste into your email) to help encourage CMAP officials to keep the original, agreed upon methodology. Your help could solidify the Village’s chances to secure the funding that we have earned.

For more details, please scroll down.

Please send to:

CMAP: transportation@cmap.illinois.gov

CMAP

ATTN: Transportation Program Public Comment

233 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 800

Chicago IL 60606

CMAP Officials:

I am extremely pleased to see the Homewood Train Station Renovation as a project on the proposed Surface Transportation Program (STP). Located in the heart of downtown Homewood, this station has been in a state of disrepair for several years. It is not handicap accessible and water infiltrates the pedestrian tunnel whenever it rains. A renovation would address these issues, as well as enhance rider access to the adjoining Pace Bus terminal and Amtrak station. The renovation will rejuvenate downtown Homewood while providing a welcoming, fully-accessible station for all transit riders.

The STP Project Selection Committee adopted a technical methodology to evaluate and score projects and a determination was made that projects would not be partially funded. This policy was agreed to by CMAP officials and should be adhered to. However, the City of Chicago has requested a change to the policy to allow for partial funding. Changing the criteria after being mutually agreed to is unfair to all project applicants. Our project and others slated for funding would be delayed or unfunded if projects were allowed to be partially funded.

For these reasons, I am opposed to the proposed change in policy for funding projects. Please do not allow partial funding.

Thank you,

SIGN YOUR NAME

The Details:

Funding became available for regional municipalities (including Chicago) situated in the CMAP boundary [CMAP Map]
A new STP Project Selection Committee was established to develop the funding criteria for projects submitted for funding
Project selection is a region-wide competitive process also overseen by the STP Project Selection Committee.
By applying the program methodology matrix adopted by the STP Project Selection Committee to evaluate and score projects based on their readiness, regional transportation impact, and support of regional planning factors, funds were programmed for the highest scoring projects by the phase and fiscal year requested within the fiscal constraints of each program year. If a request could not be fully accommodated, funds were either programmed in a later year or the project was not recommended for funding.
- There are limited funds available each year ($40M). To make the largest impact on projects throughout the region using limited dollars if a project cost was SO large that by funding it, would wipe out the available funds, the project would either be funded in a later year, or the project was not recommended for funding.
Homewood submitted the Train Station Renovation project for funding requesting approximately $9.2M
Utilizing the STP Project Selection Committees’ criteria, Homewood’s Train Station Renovation Project scored well and was recommended to be fully funded at $9.2M
Three of the Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) large-cost projects were not funded, so CDOT objected to the final list and requested the STP Project Selection Committee change its evaluation methodology and PARTIALLY fund projects by rank.
- Homewood’s project is ranked 7^th on the list
- Chicago has three projects: Two (2) CDOT projects are ranked 3^rd and CDOT has another project ranked 4^th and another project ranked 5^th
- Chicago’s four (4) ranked projects, if funded in FY2020, total $133,950,000; well above the $40M available.
Because of the costs of Chicago’s projects, there is no reasonable scenario where there will be remaining funding to fund Homewood’s project during the 2020 through 2024 timeframe.