William A. Draves, co-chair of the St. Croix Valley Rail Group (and charter member of River Falls Rotary), reported on the work his organization has done to expand train service to the area. Bill told the club that train service positions cities for prosperity by making them a transportation hub. Trains are increasingly popular; by way of example, Bill said that It now takes a month to reserve a spot on the sleeper train to the west coast. Amtrak and WisDOT have train plans that are synchronized.
Milwaukee currently has 7 trains to Chicago daily. In the near future the number will increase to 10 per day. There are plans for a train from Chicago to Green Bay, and Bill noted that Packers management supports this new passenger line. Next year there will also be a second train from St. Paul to Chicago. When that second train fills up, they will put in a third train, which will run through Eau Claire with a stop in Hudson/River Falls.
Two organizations, Wisconsin West Central Rail Coalition and Chippewa St. Croix Rail Commission can apply for grants from the federal government. Beth Schommer, UWRF Chief of Staff, is an ex-officio member of the latter group. The project needs more involvement from the city of River Falls and Pierce County. Mr. Draves urged us to encourage River Falls leaders to support train service.
In response to a question about speed, Mr. Draves said the train line proposed to go through Hudson/River Falls will reach 79 miles per hour. He thinks Hudson to St. Paul might cost $7.50 and it will not be wasted time because you can work while riding the train. He also suggested that UWRF families in the Twin Cities are could benefit economically because students and families will be able to avoid the inefficient costs of student cars that sit for days and weeks.
There will be a public train update on ZOOM on Wednesday, September 28 at 4 p.m. Contact draves@lern.org regarding this meeting.
About the Speaker: William A. Draves is a futurist, author, educator and 25 year resident of River Falls. He is a co-chair of the St. Croix Valley Rail Group, a citizens group supporting passenger trains. Bill was a charter member of the Rotary Club of River Falls. Please welcome him back.