Green, green, it's green they say...

One of the greener things a community can do is reduce greenhouse gases caused by automobiles.

A passenger train to Dubuque will help in a small way to keep dozens of cars off the roads. The estimated ridership of a passenger train from Chicago to Dubuque is about 180 passengers a day. If that holds true, that means 65,000 passengers a year will park their cars for a day to take the train.

It may seem like a relatively small number, but as gas prices rise and highways become more unmanageable, these passenger numbers will continue to rise, as they have over the past few years where trains are now operating, slowing the pollution in the area.

In addition, with the development of an intermodal facility where the train terminal will be located - probably somewhere downtown or the Ice Harbor area - buses will be available to take passengers from the train to other locations around the city and environs. This dovetailing of mass transit modes will someday even make it possible for some people to get out of their cars altogether, though this scenario is further down the road.

Join the efforts of the Envision 2010 Passenger Train project, and help make the future of Dubuque bright: bright green will be just fine.