Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

Hannibal wants to catch the attention of MoDOT and try to secure Intermodal transportation dollars. 

The Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau is looking for a show of support from businesses in its quest to secure an Amtrak route from Hannibal to Chicago.

A letter from Executive Director Beau Hicks asks businesses to join the campaign to secure stimulus program funding for Hannibal.

MoDOT has secured $500,000 in transportation dollars through the Federal stimulus program, and is looking for a worthy campaign to fund.

Here is a copy of that letter:

November 19th, 2010

Dear Community Leader/Business Owner,

Over the last month the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau along with The Historic Downtown Development Commission (Renaissance Hannibal) and the Historic Hannibal Marketing Council have launched an aggressive campaign to bring Amtrak to America’s Hometown. This effort has gained great momentum and attention thanks to the enthusiasm of the community and business leaders like you. In order to keep the attention strong and the momentum moving forward, we need your help.

To date we have collected over 2,600 4,000 signatures of support and now we would like to ask for your official support. We need to show a force of support; a united front for our legislators and Amtrak to see. That’s where you can help. Below I am asking for your permission to use your company/business logo on our website or to list your business as a supporter of pursuing the study needed to put Hannibal on the “list” for Amtrak service.

While this may seem like a stretch to many, I can tell you that we have many of the key ingredients already in place and the first phase (an extension from Quincy to Hannibal) is well within our reach. This first phase will only serve to further increase the success and viability of the current Chicago line through the communities of West Central Illinois. With Quincy’s plans for a transportation hub, it only makes sense for Quincy to serve as a central hub of rail service from Chicago to St.Louis.

Currently, it seems the focus is on “high speed” service from St. Louis to Chicago, which will be hauling our retail and business dollars to Chicago. The difference is that our route will offer service to Hannibal with the potential to travel down scenic highway 79 through communities like Louisiana and Clarksville and into St. Louis to offer an alternative, which would serve to bring and keep retail and business dollars here in Missouri.

The federal dollars are out there waiting for us and for just a small investment of our state’s current expenditure on intermodal transportation (a separate line item from normal MODOT dollars) we could see this dream turn into reality. The economic impact to Northeast Missouri would be far reaching and serve to enhance our strong regional transportation system.

Sincerely,

Beau James Hicks, CTIS

Executive Director Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau

Regional Director Missouri Travel Council