Get Involved

Help Stop the Amtrak Facility at Canal Street

You don’t need to be an expert on railroads, environmental law or federal funding to speak up.

Call. Email. Write. Share.

Tell elected officials what you think about Amtrak’s proposed 24/7 Midwest Maintenance Facility at the Canal Street Yard. Ask candidates for mayor where they stand and what they would do about the project if elected.

What We’re Asking

Our community is asking public officials to:

• Stop the Amtrak project at the Canal Street Yard.

• Move the proposed facility to an appropriate location away from residential neighborhoods.

• Do not allow construction or irreversible work to begin while serious questions remain unanswered.

• Release the environmental review, site-selection and alternatives documentation, including studies of potential community impacts.

We support passenger rail, modernizing Amtrak and the jobs that come with that investment.

We do not support putting a massive 24/7 industrial maintenance facility next to homes, neighborhoods and Armour Square Park.

Contact Elected Officials

Mayor Brandon Johnson

The proposed facility would be located in Chicago, and residents deserve to know where the mayor stands.

Mayor’s Office: 312-744-5000
Email: letterforthemayor@cityofchicago.org
Office: City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60602

Ask Mayor Johnson:

Do you support or oppose Amtrak’s proposed 24/7 Midwest Maintenance Facility at the Canal Street Yard?

What actions will the City of Chicago take in response to the proposal?

Will your administration work with Amtrak and other government officials to identify an appropriate alternative location away from residential neighborhoods?

Governor JB Pritzker

The State of Illinois has a major interest in passenger rail, transportation infrastructure, environmental protection and the health and safety of Illinois communities.

Ask Gov. Pritzker where he stands on the Canal Street location and what role the State of Illinois can play in reviewing the project and seeking alternatives.

Chicago: 312-814-2121 / 312-814-2122

Contact the Governor:
https://gov.illinois.gov/contact-us/contact-the-governor.html

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office enforces state environmental laws and has an Environmental Enforcement Division that handles environmental litigation across Illinois.

Attorney General Raoul’s office has also challenged federal actions involving environmental review, environmental enforcement and states’ ability to protect residents from pollution. His office has specifically addressed pollution burdens affecting communities near transportation and industrial sources, including railyards.

That makes the Attorney General’s Office an important place to raise questions about the Canal Street project, including:

• the environmental review conducted for the project;

• potential air, noise, vibration, fuel and hazardous-material impacts;

• potential effects on surrounding communities;

• whether Illinois environmental or public-health laws apply; and

• the extent of state authority when a federally regulated railroad asserts federal preemption.

Ask the Attorney General’s Office to review the Canal Street proposal and determine whether there are state environmental, public-health or other legal issues that warrant investigation or action.

Chicago Office:
115 S. LaSalle St.
Chicago, IL 60603

Contact the Attorney General:
https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/Contact/

Senator Tammy Duckworth

Sen. Duckworth and Sen. Dick Durbin have already requested additional information from Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration regarding the proposed relocation.

Ask Sen. Duckworth to continue pressing for answers, public release of the project’s environmental and site-selection records, and federal oversight of the Canal Street proposal.

Chicago: 312-886-3506
Washington, D.C.: 202-224-2854

Email Senator Duckworth:
https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/connect/email-tammy

Senator Dick Durbin

Sen. Durbin joined Sen. Duckworth in seeking additional information about the project and its potential community impacts.

Ask Sen. Durbin to continue pressing Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration for transparency, public release of relevant records and greater scrutiny of the Canal Street proposal.

Chicago: 312-353-4952
Washington, D.C.: 202-224-2152

Contact Senator Durbin:
https://www.durbin.senate.gov/contact

Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García

Ask Congressman García to review the Canal Street proposal, seek release of relevant federal environmental and site-selection records and tell residents where he stands on locating the facility beside residential neighborhoods.

Southwest Chicago: 773-475-0833
Washington, D.C.: 202-225-8203

Email Congressman García:
https://chuygarcia.house.gov/contact/email-me

Congressman Danny K. Davis

Congressman Davis has publicly joined residents and other elected officials raising opposition to the Canal Street proposal.

Thank him for speaking out and encourage him to continue pressing Amtrak and federal agencies for an alternative location and greater transparency.

Chicago: 773-533-7520
Washington, D.C.: 202-225-5006

Contact Congressman Davis:
https://davis.house.gov/contact-me

Alderwoman Nicole Lee, 11th Ward

Alderwoman Lee has publicly opposed the Canal Street location.

She has pressed Amtrak for information about the project and introduced the Chicago City Council resolution calling for hearings and additional scrutiny of the site-selection and environmental-review process.

Thank her for standing with residents and encourage her to continue pressing Amtrak, federal agencies and other government officials for answers.

Phone: 773-254-6677
Email: ward11@cityofchicago.org

Contact the Candidates for Mayor

Chicago’s next mayor could play an important role in what happens next.

We are asking every candidate for mayor to answer two basic questions:

Do you support or oppose locating Amtrak’s proposed Midwest Maintenance Facility at the Canal Street Yard?

If elected mayor, what actions would your administration take regarding the Canal Street proposal?

Some candidates have already taken public positions. Others have not.

See our regularly updated “Where Officials & Candidates Stand” page to see the positions we have documented.

If a candidate has not addressed the project, contact the campaign and ask for a public response.

Not Sure What to Say?

Contacting an Elected Official

Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m a [NEIGHBORHOOD] resident / Chicago resident / Illinois constituent.

I’m contacting you about Amtrak’s proposed 24/7 Midwest Maintenance Facility at the Canal Street Yard.

I support passenger rail, modernizing Amtrak and the jobs associated with that investment. I am concerned, however, about locating a major 24/7 industrial maintenance operation beside homes, neighborhoods and Armour Square Park.

I am asking your office to review the Canal Street proposal and help ensure that the project receives meaningful public scrutiny.

Please also help make the project’s environmental-review, site-selection and alternatives documentation public and determine what alternatives away from residential neighborhoods were considered.

Thank you.

Contacting a Candidate for Mayor

Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m a Chicago resident. I’m contacting you about Amtrak’s proposed 24/7 Midwest Maintenance Facility at the Canal Street Yard.

As a candidate for mayor, do you support or oppose locating this facility at the Canal Street Yard?

Residents have raised concerns about the location and are asking Amtrak to consider appropriate alternatives away from residential neighborhoods.

If elected mayor, what actions would your administration take regarding the Canal Street proposal?

I would appreciate a response explaining your position.

Thank you.

Make It Personal

Your message does not have to be long.

Tell them:

• where you live;

• how close you are to the proposed facility;

• whether you use Armour Square Park;

• whether you have children, older relatives or neighbors who live nearby;

• what concerns you most about the proposal; or

• why you believe the environmental review or site-selection process deserves greater scrutiny.

Personal messages help public officials understand how a major infrastructure decision could affect the people and neighborhoods surrounding the site.

Share the Petition

Sign the community petition and send it to your neighbors, friends and family.

You do not have to donate to Change.org to sign the petition. Change.org may show a donation request during the process, but donating is optional.

Spread the Word

Follow and share our social-media posts.

Send StopAmtrakBridgeport.com to your neighbors.

Talk to people on your block.

Bring the issue up at community meetings and neighborhood events.

Encourage others to read the project documents and contact their elected officials.

The more people who understand what is being proposed, the greater the opportunity for informed public scrutiny before irreversible decisions are made.

One Call Matters. Lots of Calls Matter More.

You don’t need to understand every detail of Amtrak operations, federal preemption, environmental review or project financing to participate in decisions affecting your neighborhood.

Call. Write. Ask questions. Share information. Encourage your neighbors to participate.

Our community’s message remains:

Keep the investment. Keep the jobs. Modernize Amtrak.

Just don’t put this facility at Canal Street.