Village Board raises some concerns over potential Metra train station project

HUNTLEY — At the Sept. 12 Village Board meeting, some trustees expressed serious concerns regarding plans to construct a new train station on the east side of the tracks located near Main Street and Mill Street in downtown Huntley. The project, part of a broader regional development plan aimed at expanding public transportation options, has drawn mixed reactions from the community and board members alike.

The proposed train station would link Huntley to Chicago, Elgin, Belvidere, and Rockford, which could potentially boost local commerce and make the area more accessible for commuters. However, some board members are cautious about the long-term impact on the village’s infrastructure, character, and finances.

Trustee Vito Benigno was among those on the board who voiced their opposition to the project, citing increased traffic and the village’s ability to handle a potential influx of new residents.

“I’m not sure that the benefits of having a station here in Huntley would outweigh the negatives. I think having a station in Huntley—at least the way I’m looking at it at this point in time would increase traffic. It would increase our financial obligations just to maintain the areas. It would put an additional burden on our city services,” said Benigno.

His sentiments were echoed by several other trustees, including Trustee John Piwko, who mentioned the challenges with traffic in the proposed station site. “We’ve got the traffic that’s sitting out there and I know it’s only twice a day, well two trains twice a day, so, that’s four spots that that’s going to happen,” said Piwko. “We have traffic backed up all the way to Algonquin Road at times and that’s just normal traffic. Throw in a train there more often, you’re going to see what’s going to happen.”

According to Elliot Ramos, the bureau chief of passenger rail corridor management for the Illinois Department of Transportation, the project is currently in its preliminary engineering phase.

“We’re looking to advance into the final design phase next year in 2025. We’re looking to have construction [in] three full construction seasons between 2025 starting next year, 2026, and 2027 for service to start in 2027,” Ramos told the board.

The operator of the service has been chosen to be Metra, with the anticipated service looking to have a maximum passenger speed of 79 miles per hour. It will be approximately 90 miles from downtown Chicago to downtown Rockford and will have a travel time of approximately two hours.

Ramos told the board that $275 million of Gov. JB Pritzker’s $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan has been allocated for the reinstitution of intercity passenger service between Chicago and Rockford. He added that he and his team are confident that those funds will be enough to deliver the train project on time and within budget.

The board was not required to take any action for the proposed train station at that meeting, however, due to the mixed reactions from trustees and the community, Ramos asked the board to let IDOT know if the village changes its mind on having a station built sooner rather than later. An informational meeting took place in Huntley on Sept. 18 where residents got the opportunity to ask questions about the project. If Huntley chooses to move forward with having a train station, more meetings are expected to follow.

“I sat on the original committee years ago when I first came on the board. I’m for having [a train station]. However, I realize that there’s going to be a lot of dialogue that this is speculation and we’re going to have to have time to have input and it’s going to take a lot of thought because it’s very true that we’re congested in certain areas,” said Trustee Ronda Goldman. “I realized that Huntley’s growth and our wonderful reputation of our services is necessitating commuter rail transportation.”

While the train station proposal promises significant changes, Huntley’s future remains uncertain as the village grapples with the balance between growth and preserving its small-town charm.