~I xx -':1 + COMMUNITY ASSISTJ\NCE o PLAN ING REPORT N;O, 240 lJ;;.J _1- ,_', 'J DEL VA~~ [1- r ..... ~ W r S- ONSIN RE;GIONAL PJ: ANNIN{l SEWRPCADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN COMMUTER RAIL FEASIBILITY PLANNING REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE WALWORTH-FOX LAKE CORRIDOR Brian G. DuPont ........................................... Commissioner, Highway KENOSHA COUNTY RACINE COUNTY Chairman Department, Walworth County Philip C. Evenson .................................................. Executive Director, Leon T. Dreger Richard A. Hansen Secretary Southeastern Wisconsin Thomas J. Gorlinski Jean M. Jacobson, Regional Planning Commission Sheila M. Siegler Secretary James E. Moyer David Bollweg ............................................... Chairman, Town of Linn Linda Bolte ........................................... Deputy Director for Planning, Chicago Area Transportation Study MILWAUKEE COUNTY WALWORTH COUNTY Joel P. Ettinger ............................................... Area Director, Region V, Federal Transit Administration, Daniel J. Diliberti Anthony F. Balestrieri U.S. Department ofTransportation William R. Drew, Allen L. Morrison, Gary A. Foyle ....................................................... Director of Planning Vice Chairman Treasurer and Analysis, Metra David A. Novak Robert J. Voss Edward J. Friede .................................... Manager, Systems Planning Group, District 2, Wisconsin Department of Transportation OZAUKEE COUNTY WASHINGTON COUNTY William E. Gardner ............................................................... President, Leroy A. Bley Daniel S. Schmidt Wisconsin & Southern Thomas H. Buestrin, Patricia J. Strachota Railroad Company Chairman Peter D. Ziegler Kenneth J. Leonard .............................. Director, Bureau of Planning, GusW. Wirth, Jr. Division ofTransportation Investment Management, Wisconsin Department of Transportation WAUKESHA COUNTY Dwight E. McComb ......................................... Systems Planning and Programs Engineer, Duane H. Bluemke Federal Highway Administration, Kenneth C. Herro U.S. Department of Transportation Paul G. Vrakas James M. Parker .............................. President, Village of Genoa City Pauline A. Parker ...................... Walworth County Board Supervisor, Member, Transportation and Parks Committee David A. Rasmussen .............................. Trustee, Village of Walworth Charles Rude .....................................Alderman, City of Lake Geneva RobertW. Sandy .................................... President, Village of Fontana William H. Sills, 11I ......................................... Secretary, Geneva Lake Area JointTransit Commission; and Member, Wisconsin SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN REGIONAL River RailTransit Commission PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF James Van,Dreser ............................... Supervisor, Town of Walworth Mark E. Wendorf .......................................... Director of Public Works, City of Delavan Philip C. Evenson, AICP ................... Executive Director Donald H. Weyhrauch ................... President, Village of Williams Bay Kenneth R.Yunker, PE ..................... Assistant Director Special acknowledgment is due the following individuals who NancyM.Anderson,AICP ................. Chief Community served as members or alternates during the preparation ofthis plan: Assistance Planner Mr. Brian Bliesner, Project Engineer, Systems Planning Group, Wisconsin Department of Transportation; Mr. Kenneth Clemmons, RobertE. Beglinger ............ Chief Transportation Engineer Manager of Sales, Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company; Mr. Benjamin J. Coopman, Jr., Commissioner, Highway Department, Robert P. Biebel, PE, PH ......... Chief Environmental Engineer Walworth County; Mr. Dale A. Curley, Superintendent of Passenger Operations, Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company; Mr. Douglas Leland H. Kreblin, RLS .............. Chief Planning Illustrator F. Dalton, Chief, Urban Planning, Wisconsin Department of Trans­ portation; Mr. Joel P. Ettinger,Area Director, RegionV, FederalTransit Elizabeth A. Larsen ...................... Business Manager Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; Mr. Thomas L. Frank, Systems Planning and Programs Engineer, Federal Highway John G. McDougall ................. Geographic Information Administration, U.S. Department of Trans-portation; Mr. John M. Systems Manager Glass, Trustee, Village of Walworth; Mr. Lyle G. Gomm, Section Manager, Office of Planning and Analysis, Metra; Mr. Vernon J. John R. Meland ......... Chief Econom ic Development Planner Haan, Member, Historic Preservation Committee, City of Lake Geneva; Mr. Chris L. Jones, Supervisor, Town of Linn; Mr. Gerald C. Donald M. Reed ............................ Chief Biologist Kerns, Chief of Police, Town of Linn; Ms. Marianne P. Klemke, President, Village of Williams Bay; Ms. Irene M. LaBonne, President, William J. Stauber,AICP .............. Chief Land Use Planner Village of Fontana; Mr. H. M. McConville, Superintendent of Transportation, Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company; Mr. Special acknowledgment is due Mr. Otto P. Dobnick, SEWRPC Wayne R. Miczek, Chief Transportation Planner, Chicago Area Principal Planner. for his contribution to the conduct ofthis study Transportation Study; Ms. June M. Notbusch, Public Works and the preparation of this report. Special appreciation is also Assistant, City of Delavan; Mr. James M. Parker, President, Village of extended to Mr Lyle G. Gomm, Section Manager in the Metra Genoa City; Mr. Floyd F. Pierce, Supervisor, Town of Walworth; Mr. Office of Planning &Analysis, and Mr. Douglas M. Jakalski, Senior Lyle A. Smith, Director of Public Works, City of Delavan; and Mr. Civil Engineer in the firm of T.y. Lin International Bascor, for their David M. Trowbridge, Transportation Planner, Bureau of Planning, assistance in the conduct ofthis study. Wisconsin Department of Transportation. COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PLANNING REPORT NUMBER 240 W ALWORTH-FOX LAKE CORRIDOR COMMUTER RAIL AND BUS SERVICE FEASIBILITY STUDY Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission P.O. Box 1607 Old Courthouse 916 N. East Avenue Waukesha, Wisconsin 53187-1607 August 2001 Inside Region $10.00 Outside Region $20.00 (This page intentionally left blank) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Page Chapter I-INTRODUCTION ......................... 1 Street and Highway Crossings ......................... 45 Study Purpose...... .......... .............. ........ ...... .......... 1 Passenger Depot Buildings................. .............. 46 Definition of Commuter Rail Service.................. 4 Existing Fox Lake-Chicago Railway Line.. ..... 46 Commuter Rail. ..................................... ............ 4 Existing Arterial Streets and Highways.. ............. 47 Light Rail...... ..................................... ..... .......... 6 Summary.............................................................. 47 Heavy Rail.. .............................. ................ ........ 6 High Speed Rail.......................... ...................... 7 Chapter IV-POTENTIAL COMMUTER Scope of Work ........................ .............. ............... 7 ROUTE FACILITIES AND SERVICES ...... 51 Study Area ........................................... ................ 7 Introduction ...................... ~.................................. 51 Study Organization.......... ....... .......... ................... 9 Commuter Rail Route Alignment........ ................ 51 Scheme of Presentation........................................ 9 Population......................................................... 52 Employment ..................................................... 53 Chapter ll-EXISTING LAND USE Adjacent Land Uses.......................................... 53 AND TRAVEL PATTERNS ........................... 11 Right-of-Way Ownership and Availability ...... 53 Introduction ........ ............................................ ..... 11 Relative Capital Costs.. .......... ..................... ..... 56 Population, Households, and Employment.......... 11 Relative Operating Costs.................................. 56 Existing Land Use................................................ 11 Evaluation of Commuter Rail Historic Urban Growth........................ ............. 11 Route Alignments........................................... 56 Planned Urban Development.... ................ ........ 15 Commuter Bus Route Alignment ........................ 57 Major Potential Trip Generators....................... 15 Passenger Station Facilities ................................. 58 Educational Institutions................................. 17 Number and Spacing of Passenger Stations..... 58 Major Resorts.......... ......... .......... ................... 17 Specific Locations of Passenger Stations......... 62 Major Recreational Boating Facilities........... 18 Delavan-Williams Bay-Harvard Other Major Recreational Centers......... ........ 18 Feeder Bus Route ........................................... 64 Existing Travel Patterns....................................... 19 Elkhorn-Lake Geneva-Fox Lake Travel Within the Primary Study Area.... ......... 20 Feeder Bus Route ........................................... 65 Interregional Travel............... ................... ........ 21 Basic Commuter Rail and Commuter Bus Seasonal Increases in TraveL.... ........ ............... 24 Passenger Station Facility Requirements ....... 66 Summary.............................................................. 26 Platforms.... .............