Publication Date
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Body
Metra on Wednesday debuted new Highliner cars for the Metra Electric Line and dedicated the first car to the late Board Member Elonzo “Lonnie” Hill, who was a strong advocate for public transportation and pushed hard for the replacement of the Metra Electric fleet during his time on the Metra Board of Directors.
At a ceremony attended by members of Mr. Hill’s family and his friends, Metra unveiled a plaque in his honor that is mounted on the first new car. Attendees at the event were then taken on a brief ride in a train made up entirely of new cars. Mr. Hill served on the Metra Board from 2003 until his death in 2009.
“Lonnie Hill never passed up an opportunity to remind this board of its obligation to replace the Highliner fleet as soon as we had the means to do so,” said Metra Board Chairman Brad O’Halloran. “It is a fitting tribute to his career in public transportation, his longtime support of mass transit and his effective leadership on the Metra Board that we dedicate the first new Highliner car in his honor.”
Replacing the Metra Electric fleet has been a priority for Metra for more than a decade. Metra bought 26 new Highliners in 2004, at the tail end of the last state bond program, but had to wait until the next bond program was approved to order new cars. Gov. Pat Quinn and the Legislature passed a new bond program in 2009 and Metra placed the order for 160 new Highliners as soon as $585 million in bond funds became available in 2010.
“Gov. Quinn and the courageous lawmakers who approved the new bond program to fund this Highliner car purchase deserve our everlasting thanks,” O’Halloran said. “We could not have done this without their wisdom and foresight.
“As we honor the memory of Lonnie Hill today, we also move forward on his vision for an Illinois’ public transportation system that is second to none,” Gov. Quinn said. “Working together, we can update the entire Metra fleet and make other improvements that ensure Illinois’ passenger rail infrastructure continues to support our growing economy.”
The cars that debuted Wednesday are the first from that order to be put into service by Metra. The remaining 156 cars will be put into service at a rate of about four to six a month until the order is completed. They join the 26 newer cars that are already in service. The old Highliner fleet dates from the 1970s – before Metra was even born – and can no longer be economically maintained or rehabilitated. Highliners are electric, self-propelled cars unique to the Metra Electric Line.
The order from Metra spurred Nippon Sharyo to build a new railcar factory in Rochelle, Illinois, providing jobs for Illinois residents for years to come. Nippon Sharyo said Rochelle won out over 50 other sites in the Midwest, thanks to state and local incentive plans, its proximity to two mainline railroads and a friendly community environment. Nippon Sharyo invested $35 million in the plant, and Illinois added a $12 million business investment package to support the new facility. The 400,000-square-foot factory employs 250 people. Nippon Sharyo already has won contracts to build railcars for other entities at the Rochelle plant.
The new cars use the latest technology and have a variety of new features, including larger windows, better seats with reversible seatbacks, brighter lighting, non-skid floors and an improved public address system. They will also have power outlets for customer use. Most notably, half of the new Highliner cars will have bathrooms, meaning that when the order is completed every train on the Metra Electric line will have at least one bathroom, a first for the line.
About Elonzo "Lonnie" Hill (1938-2009)
As vice chairman of the Metra Board of Directors, Elonzo W. Hill was a tireless advocate for mass transit and the needs and desires of the people of Cook County, especially those who use the Metra Electric line. He never passed up an opportunity to remind the Metra Board and staff about its obligation to replace the Metra Electric fleet.Mr. Hill, a resident of south suburban Country Club Hills, was appointed to the Metra Board of Directors in 2003 by the suburban members of the Cook County Board and was reappointed in 2008 by Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. He was elected vice chairman in 2006 and reelected in 2008, each time by a unanimous vote of his fellow board members. He was also chairman of the board’s Operations and Long-term Capital Planning Committee and served on Metra’s Ad Hoc Committee on South Sector Services. Mr. Hill was recruited by the newly elected governor of Illinois to head the 2003 Transportation Transition Team.
Prior to joining Metra, Mr. Hill spent nearly 37 years at the Chicago Transit Authority, starting as a bus operator in 1961. From there he worked his way through the ranks, serving as a bus supervisor, bus instructor, assistant superintendent/transportation personnel, superintendent/training center, manager of operations/training, manager/transportation personnel and deputy executive director/operations.
From 1991 to July 1997, he was the CTA’s executive vice president/service delivery, overseeing all operating, maintenance, planning, engineering and construction activity. During that time the CTA accomplished a variety of major projects, including the reconstruction of the Green Line, the opening of the Orange Line and the realignment of the Red and Green lines.
Mr. Hill also served on the CTA’s Retirement Allowance Committee from 1986 to 1998 and was the committee’s chairman for six years, overseeing the prudent investment of more than $2 billion in pension fund assets.
Mr. Hill also was president of Elonzo Hill Inc., a consulting firm specializing in transportation and pension fund investments. He also provided consulting services to John Foster Jr. and the Foster Group Inc. to assist them with developing strategies for pursuing business opportunities within the transportation industry.
He was a member of the President’s Advisory Board for Harold Washington College and served on the Board of Directors of Lakeside Bank. He had been an active member of the American Public Transit Association, serving on various committees including bus operations, rail operations, bus safety, and training and development. From 1987-1989, he chaired APTA’s International Bus Rodeo Committee.
Today’s ceremony recognizes Mr. Hill’s expertise in transportation and his many years of dedication as an active community leader.