Giving Center

Ride the Rail: Passenger Train Dubuque to Chicago Non-Endowed Fund

At a Glance

Put 80% of Midwesterners 25 miles from RR station
50% of Midwesterners served by hi-speed rail
43 million people within 3 hrs of Chicago

Main Tabs

About Us

Our Vision for Midwest Rail

The U.S. Department of Transportation laid out a groundbreaking vision for high speed rail linking cities across the nation with fast, reliable train service. The goal: A rail renaissance connecting 80 percent of Americans to ultra-modern rail transportation.

Mission

Dedicated to the establishment of passenger rail service between Dubuque and Chicago.

The reinstatement of passenger rail service from Chicago to Dubuque is one of the community’s visionary priorities. Significant efforts by the Ride the Rail, Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, Dubuque Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, East Central Intergovernmental Agency, and the City of Dubuque and surrounding area communities are taking place to make sure that passenger rail returns to our community.

Dubuque had passenger rail service for 130 years from the 1850’s until it was discontinued as recently as 1981. Passenger train service has a long history in the area beginning in the 1850’s when railroad fever took hold in Iowa. For the next 130 years, passengers could ride the train into and out of Dubuque for business and pleasure.

Passenger rail is a critical part of Dubuque’s economic development, education, and tourism effort. With gas prices quite volatile and access to the community in high demand, passenger rail will fill a much-needed transportation venue and be beneficial to the business, educational and tourism that Dubuque and the area offers to both citizens and visitors.

Basic Information

Website:

http://www.ridetherail.or…

Email:

ridetheraildbq@gmail.com

Phone:

563-451-9724

Address:

PO Box 213

Dubuque, IA 52004

Director:

David Solberg

Director Email:

ridetheraildbq@gmail.com

Success Story

Passenger rail is a critical part of Dubuque’s economic development, education, and tourism industry. With more than 5 million visitors annually to the Tri-State Region, rail is a viable form of affordable, business and leisure transportation, an added attraction of the Mississippi River in Dubuque and beyond.

Ride the Rail advocates respond to a community visioning process wherein passenger rail service was identified as a top 10 priority for economic and social benefit of the greater Dubuque area. Through the formation of Ride the Rail, a dedicated group of community minded volunteers, works tirelessly to see this priority to completion.

In cooperation with the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau, East Central Intergovernmental Agency, along with the City of Dubuque, all are making every effort to see this priority become a reality.

The significant demand created for service between Dubuque and Chicago, visitor traffic, students to the area Colleges and Universities, area business and industry will utilize this mode of economical, sustainable, ecologically friendly, comfortable and relaxing transportation.

Fund Details

Fund Name:

Ride the Rail: Passenger Train Dubuque to Chicago Non-endowed Fund

Type of Fund:

Non-Endowed, Field of Interest

Learn more about Fund Types

Staff Contact:

Wendy Sweeney

Email Wendy Sweeney