ILLUSTRATION BY KIRK LYTTLE/MCT With about $4 billion in transportation and other projects planned for Springfield in the coming years, groups in Springfield are already working to ensure a fair share of the jobs generated go to minorities. The Faith Coalition for the Common Good and Bridging the Gap, both based in Springfield, are helping […]
rail
Posted inNews
Engineered to succeed
What does the future hold for Springfield? That depends largely on what happens with the proposal to consolidate rail traffic on the 10th Street rail corridor. If the project withers without funding, downtown Springfield may be doomed to choke on a twofold increase in trains hemming in the city’s core. Relocating the Third Street rail […]
Posted inNews
Springfield goes to Washington
As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., debate a far-reaching transportation funding measure that could mean jobs for Springfield, government and religious leaders here are making their voices heard in the nation’s capital. The U.S. House will likely vote on a five-year transportation bill this month, which could increase the number of transportation-related jobs for minorities and […]
Posted inNews
Study recommends 10th Street rail
Springfield’s long-awaited railroad consolidation study calls 10th Street the best option, but the project’s fate remains murky as the federal government examines a new alternative and the availability of funding. Prepared by Hanson Professional Services of Springfield with a summary released by the City of Springfield on its website last week, the consolidation study analyzed […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Durbin on the rail
Something about the Springfield rail consolidation seems to have spooked Sen. Dick Durbin, our senior Illinois senator in Washington. Maybe it was the State Journal-Register article today that has Springfield Mayor Mike Houston and Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter disagreeing with the “official” federal estimates of the project’s cost. Whatever the cause, Durbin […]
Posted inNews
Will the next mayor please step forward?
Every candidate has ideas for what they will do when they are elected mayor. Spend more wisely, they say. Encourage business growth, develop the medical district and bring in more tourists. Get rid of unneeded political hires and look for inefficiencies in city government. These are positive ideas, but they are hardly visionary, and every […]
Posted inNews
Group wants local rail jobs
A Springfield-based community group is hoping to make the contentious arrival of high-speed rail into a blessing by making sure 30 percent of the jobs from the project go to local disadvantaged workers. The Faith Coalition for the Common Good hosted a public meeting Aug. 19 at Union Baptist Church to discuss the coming project’s […]
