The Iowa Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation, will be hosting both in-person, and online, self-directed open house meetings May 1st through May 12th, 2012, for the Chicago to Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study. 

The open house meetings are intended to illustrate various route alternatives, explain the process used to evaluate the route alternatives, discuss results of the alternatives analysis, and gain public input on the route alternatives. The online, self-directed open house meeting and route alternatives analysis report will be available May 1st through May 12th on the study’s website at www.iowadot.gov/chicagotoomaha/.

 In-person open house meetings will be held:

In Des Moines, on Wed., May 2nd, from 4-7pm,  at the State Historical Society of Iowa Building Atrium, 600 E. Locust St.

And, in Council Bluffs, on Thu., May 3rd, frm 4-7 p.m., at the Mid-America Center, Rooms E/F, One Arena Way

Tamara Nicholson, director of the Iowa DOT’s Office of Rail Transportation says “Findings from the route alternatives analysis will be presented at in-person and online public meetings. Each meeting will contain the same information.”  The route alternatives analysis report will be available on the study’s website. Comments on the document can be provided on the website or at any of the in-person open house meetings. All comments on route alternatives and the alternatives analysis report, submitted online, by mail, phone message or in person will be accepted until May 21, 2012. For those without Internet access, all meeting materials, including a comment form, may be requested by calling the study’s toll-free line at 800-488-7119. Comments are also being accepted by calling this number.