We support this because:

• The DIRECT ROUTE  represents THE LEAST COST AND MOST EFFICIENT USE OF OUR STATE AND FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS. The Amtrak study found that the CN Route through northern DeKalb County and northwestern Kane County substantially less expensive on capital cost, substantially cheaper than all other alternates for operating cost, ridership was the highest, the CN route offers faster service, and will be much easier to implement with only one carrier.

• Only the DIRECT ROUTE   through northern DeKalb County and northwestern Kane County can effectively service the needs of 25,000 students at Northern Illinois University.

• Only the DIRECT ROUTE  provides a Genoa Station which is a better spacing from Rockford and would serve DeKalb County, with about double the population of Boone County, and only the DIRECT ROUTE  would expand coverage by servicing DeKalb County and Western Kane County, and thereby open a much larger ridership pool adding over 80,000 people to make the Amtrak route successful.

• Rockford will receive service and two proposed stations from the DIRECT ROUTE ,  the Belvidere City limits are only about 4 miles from the Rockford east side station at Perryville Road, and all of Belvidere is serviced by the Rockford station.