"We want a stop in Lima" was the cheer today as people attended the Lima Whistle Stop presentation from All Aboard Ohio.
More than 50 people were in attendance as several members of the group's board of directors were on hand to talk about passenger rail returning to Ohio and what it could mean to cities like Lima. Six routes are up for consideration with Lima being in the "Midwest Connect" line that would go from Chicago to Pittsburgh. All Aboard Ohio had an economic impact study done on the Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati corridor, known as the 3C + D, that showed a solid impact on stops along the route.
"It looks good. Over 1,400 jobs during the construction of the railroad with almost 500 ongoing jobs. Those are just specific to the railroad industry. It doesn't look at secondary employment. Things like hospitality, food service, or any of the other buildings that might build up near or around the station," stated John Esterly, All Aboard Ohio.
"Having choices of transportation is essential. Plus it's a boom for our businesses. If we have passenger rail going through our area and it maybe stops in Lima that's people seeing your community and the opportunities that are there," said Theresa Allen, All Aboard Ohio.
The route through Lima is being sponsored by the City of Fort Wayne and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. It's still awaiting an economic impact study and all the corridors are in stage one of three for selections with the Federal Railroad Administration. Now is the time to advocate for the return of passenger rail to Ohio with a stop in Lima.
