Politics & Government

Hultgren Committee Appointments Could Mean Progress on Metra Stop

Congressman visits Oswego Park-n-Ride facility to survey land for possible commuter train stop.

The appointment of 14th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren to the House Transportation Committee and a rail subcommittee could mean real progress in Oswego's efforts to build a Metra commuter rail station in the village.

Hultgren appeared with Oswego Village President Brian LeClercq at the village's Park-n-Ride facility near Orchard and Mill roads Tuesday to get a firsthand look at the land that could eventually be used for the station and parking lot.

"I've driven by the area dozens of time but I've never stopped to look," Hultgren said. "This is something I needed to see."

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A Metra commuter stop for Oswego is an issue that's been discussed for years and was first proposed at the federal level by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Before leaving office, Hastert had secured $75 million in the federal transportation bill to be set aside for expanding Metra commuter rail service into Kendall County.

 The Illinois General Assembly would have to provide matching funds to unlock these federal dollars.

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LeClercq said even though the project has seemed stalled at times, Hultgren's appointments could be a boon.

"I feel better that there is someone serving on the right committee." LeClercq said. "I have some confidence that this will move forward."

Hultgren acknowledged securing funding for the project could be more of a challenge now that the method of getting local projects through Congress has changed.

"This is not the earmark era anymore," Hultgren said. "This project is not a slam dunk at all, and it's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of cooperation to get it done ... But it's important and just something is difficult doesn't mean it's not worth doing."

Federal funding won't be the only complication. Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile said several hurdles must be overcome for Metra service to hit Oswego.

 Oswego lies in Kendall County, putting it outside of Metra's current six-county service area, Reile said. Then there's the fact that the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line is heavily trafficked by freight trains, something that could complicate scheduling.

Metra also must determine whether the level of ridership generated by Oswego service would be worth the expense.

As for the next step in the process, Hultgren said he hopes to get the project included in the 2011 Surface Transportation Authorization Bill, which could be voted on in the next six months. For his part, LeClercq said he plans to contact Hultgren's staff in the coming weeks to determine a project timeline.


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