[meisterbrewer]

I ride this route every day, from Waukegan, Il, to Chicago, Il, and back again. There are roughly 30 trains each way every day, and they are usually packed.

http://metrarail.com/Sched/cnw_n/cnwn_wki.html

The Metra system is one of the most successful extended mass transit systems in the US, if not in the world. This is not AMTRAK, and has nothing to do with it.

Why shouldn't they extend the route? It would certainly be just as successful, if not more so. I bet a bunch of people would use the Metra instead of driving if they were given the opportunity.

[steveegg]

Question; how few people are on the train when you get on in Waukegan?

[republicandiva]

Have to disagree totally! Your Waukegan to Chicago run has a high population density. That doesn't exist in the Kenosha to Milwaukee extension planned. Having worked in downtown Milwaukee for about 10 years, I would never have taken Metra simply because the station is too far, additional expense for taxi service, parking and travel to Milwaukee from this area is just WAY TOO EASY AND INEXPENSIVE.

Almost everyone I know that works in Milwaukee has no intention of ever using it. Why take Metra when it's LESS CONVENIENT AND MORE COSTLY than the alternative?

Something else that needs to be considered - many of those pushing this extension are doing so claiming it will eliminate the need to expand I-94. You may also be interested to know that the Thoreau Institue has done ongoing studies on cost of mass transit vs. hwy construction, although the latest numbers I saw were a few years old, cost per mile used of highways was running at $0.001/mile, while transit was at $0.47/mile..IOW 470 times the cost to the taxpayer. We are realistically looking at providing service to a very small percentage of the commuter population, yet at a very expensive pricetag to the taxpayer. AND, they have yet to figure out how they're going to pay for this with millions of dollars in revenue sharing cuts anticipated.