Transportation

A new Pontiac Rail Station has opened to Amtrak service. State Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said this is the latest of several station improvements on the Chicago to Saint Louis Corridor that will improve performance on the high speed rail corridor.   

“After years of construction along one of the busiest passenger rail corridors in the country, the benefits are beginning to show with beautiful new stations in our state’s great communities,” Secretary Blankenhorn said.

Illinois is observing its first-ever Distracted Driving Awareness Week The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and Triple-A created the initiative.

More than 300 law enforcement agencies in the state will focus on violations for distracted driving, including the Town of Normal.

McLean County and state and federal elected leaders hope a bike trail will eventually extend from the northern border to the south end of McLean County.

On Wednesday they dedicated a new eight mile stretch of the Constitution Trail extending along Route 66 from Normal to Towanda. U.S. Representative Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap) said he is sponsoring a bill to make Route 66 a national historic trail.

There's debate on the McLean County Board over how much priority to give improvements at an east side intersection.

County Board members agreed on more discussion for the $1.6 million project at Towanda Barnes and Ireland Grove roads.

Connect Transit in Bloomington Normal is facing a problem, an aging fleet of busses and capital money tied up in operations because the state isn't paying its share. Isaac Thorne is the Interim General Manager for the bus system.

"The majority of our busses are 2004, 2005 busses. And we have eight 1998s. We hope we can replace six in 2018 which would bring us down to needing seventeen," said Thorne.

The McLean County Coroner is continuing its investigation into a pedestrian death on Veterans Parkway.

Coroner Kathy Davis identified the man as 50-year-old Jeffery A. Darr. A preliminary autopsy indicates Darr died from injuries after being struck by a sport utility vehicle on Veterans Parkway, south of Shepard Road in Normal.

Darr was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:19 PM Friday. The Normal Police Department is also investigating the crash. Toxicology results are pending. 

Governor Bruce Rauner was in the Chicago suburbs Monday pushing to add toll-lanes to Interstate 55. He also took the opportunity to attack Illinois Democrats.

The Connect Transit Board has completed the hire of an Interim Director.

Former Chief Operating Officer Isaac Thorne will take over for Andrew Johnson until a permanent replacement can be chosen.

Bloomington-Normal's bus system has named an interim General Manager by promoting from within.

Chief Operating Officer Isaac Thorne will take over for General Manager Andrew Johnson. Johnson is leaving for a new job with the bus system in Champaign-Urbana.

State Farm Insurance had an operating loss of $1.2 Billion last year.

But, net income was $400 million in the black according to annual company financial results.

More than 100,000 Illinois drivers have been convicted for illegally using their cell phones in two years. The 2014 law says drivers can use cell phones only with a hands-free device.

Dave Druker is a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office.

A naval aviator’s attack on Japanese bombers that gave Chicago’s O’Hare Airport its name took place 75 years ago.

On February 20th, 1942, Japanese bombers attacked the U-S-S Lexington, an aircraft carrier headed towards New Guinea.

Illinois Wesleyan University students are now able to ride Connect Transit buses free.

The Student Senate and Connect Transit have a pilot program offering universal access, much as ISU students have.

An 80-year old man has died in a crash at Veterans Parkway and Fort Jesse Road in Normal this morning.

McLean County Coroner Kathy Davis identified the victim as 80-year-old Wayne L. Miller of El Paso. Police Chief Rick Bleichner said three vehicles were involved about 9:30 a.m.

The number of passengers through the Peoria International Airport dropped slightly last year.

The General Wayne A. Downing Airport reports more than 623,000 passengers used the airport in 2016, a drop of about three percent from the record set in 2015.

Normal residents will see Division Street reconstruction in the Spring. The Town Council has approved a $190,557 contract for Roe Construction to repair the road and sidewalk on Division Street between Lee and Adelaide streets. 

Town of Normal staff are asking the Council to approve sidewalk and road construction along a stretch of Division Street. 

The Council will vote this evening on a $190,557 contract with Rowe Construction Company for Division Street roadway and sidewalk construction across the Main Street corridor. 

For Kelly Garrett of Bloomington, her father's first plane ride at the age of 89 was a great experience. The second, not so much.

State Farm Insurance has now raised its auto rates in Illinois more than in any time in the last fourteen years.

Other insurers have also been increasing premiums charged to customers.

GOP Congressman Rodney Davis said he looks forward to the Republican Congress led repeal of Obamacare. Davis represents a part of Bloomington-Normal in the House.

Davis said he favors the road map put forward by House Speaker Paul Ryan which would continue a prohibition on denial of insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions after a single new enrollment period.

"We can also address some of the problems that were in place before Obamacare was shoved onto families in this country with promises that were never meant to be kept," said Davis

Illinois’ constitution has been amended for the 14th time since it was adopted in 1970.

Voters overwhelmingly approved what’s known as a “lockbox” for transportation dollars.

A well-funded alliance of business and labor organizations waged a campaign for the amendment, after lawmakers skimmed millions from Illinois’ road fund to pay for other needs.

Mike Sturino is the CEO of The Illinois Road and Transportation Builders.