PEORIA -- Open the champagne! The U.S. Surface Transport Board on April 16 ruled that the defunct Kellar rail line that runs through Peoria can be turned into a recreational trail!
This is huge news -- and culminates years of work by trail advocates.
It's a 'don't-ask, don't-tell' moment. Don't ask how this happened. You don't want to know.
Just celebrate the moment that it finally occurred, with little thanks to the city of Peoria, which dropped the ball on this effort.
Private developers then picked up the ball and scored a touchdown in persuading Pioneer Rail and Central Illinois Rail to finally agree to seek abandonment of the line.
No doubt there will be a news conference and party soon.
The ruling, linked here, is fairly incomprehensible, but it's ultimate meaning is clear. We'll soon be biking and walking on this trail. Yea!
-- Elaine Hopkins
"Don't ask how this happened. You don't want to know."
This is astonishing coming from a professional reporter. I always thought the press was supposed to uncover the furtive dealings of government, not conspire to conceal them.
Posted by: C. J. Summers | April 18, 2010 at 10:03 PM
I don't know the details of what happened. I suspect a payoff was made to the rail lines by developers, as you also hinted in your recent post on the trail. Not illegal but distasteful. But this is USA 2010 -- bribes in all forms seems to be standard operating procedure everywhere.
That comment was my lame attempt to be funny.
Posted by: Elaine Hopkins | April 19, 2010 at 10:03 AM