Southern Illinois Multimodal Station

BUILD Grant Awarded

The City of Carbondale was awarded a $13.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) program for the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS) project, a new transportation center in downtown Carbondale. The grant will be utilized for the design and construction of the new multimodal transportation center and the demolition of the existing Amtrak station.

SIMMS

The City of Carbondale has selected Design Works and hmb Architects LLC to design the new Multimodal Station.

Project Description

Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS) is a project that has local and regional significance. The proposed SIMMS will serve a currently underserved population and demonstrates a greater need than the Carbondale population as a whole. The SIMMS will provide an improved and efficient equitable distribution of transportation opportunities and resource access at the proposed central location. Equally important, the development of SIMMS will allow transit riders to connect to points as much as 120 miles away more directly and be the fundamental conduit to improved connectivity.

FTA DBE Goal Plan FY 2021-2024 (PDF)

The City of Carbondale is seeking public comment on a Federal Transit Administration Disadvantage Business Enterprise Goal Plan.

As a recipient of Federal Transit Administration grant funds, the City of Carbondale has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program to ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of federally funded contracts. On a triennial basis, the City of Carbondale is required to establish a participation goal for disadvantaged business enterprises.

In accordance with these requirements, we have created a DBE Goal for FY 2021-2024 Southern Illinois Multimodal Station, and the goal is set at 2.4%. 

The public is invited to comment on the goal via email at [email protected].

The City of Carbondale is requesting qualified DBE firms that may be able to supply materials and supplies and or equipment or professional services to contact Sharonda Cawthon at the above email.

2019 BUILD Grant Application

  1. Project Narrative - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2019 (PDF)
  2. Appendix A - Benefit Cost Analysis - SIMMS Carbondlae IL BUILD 2019 (PDF)
  3. Appendix B - Letters of Support - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2019 (PDF)
  4. Appendix C - Project Information Form - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2019 (PDF)
  5. Appendix D - City of Carbondale Resolution - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2019 (PDF)
  6. Congressional Districts - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2019 (PDF)
  7. Affected Areas Map - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2019 (PDF)

2018 BUILD Grant Application

  1. SF424 Application SIMMS Carbondale IL Build 2018 (PDF)
  2. Narrative - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2018 (PDF)
  3. Appendix A - Benefit Cost Analysis - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2018 (PDF)
  4. Appendix B - Letters of Support - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2018 (PDF)
  5. Appendix C - Project Informtion Form - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2018 (PDF)
  6. Appendix D - City of Carbondale Resolution - SIMMS Carbondale IL BUILD 2018 (PDF)

2017 TIGER Grant Application

  1. Narrative - TIGER Submission (PDF)
  2. Appendix A - Benefit Cost Analysis (PDF)
  3. Appendix B - Letters of Support (PDF)
  4. Appendix C - Project Information Form (PDF)

Other Documents and Resources

  1. Cultural Resource Concurrence Letter (PDF)
  2. Preliminary Envionrmental Site Assessment (PESA) (PDF)

Location Map of Proposed Station

The proposed Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS) is located at the existing Amtrak passenger station site in Downtown Carbondale, Illinois. The site is located between the existing Canadian National (CN) railroad tracks on the east and Illinois Avenue on the west. Illinois Avenue is the northbound travel lane for the US Route 51 coupler through Carbondale. View the map of the proposed station location (JPG).

Amtrak Ridership Statistics

The existing Amtrak passenger station was built south of the old Illinois Central Railroad passenger depot in 1981. The Carbondale station is the southernmost Amtrak station in Illinois. Amtrak's Illini and Saluki routes provide daily service between Carbondale and Chicago. Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach service between Carbondale and St. Louis, Missouri, connects with the City of New Orleans.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) is located approximately one mile from the Multimodal Station and will be included in the SIUC's mass transit system (Saluki Express) route. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities are also planned to connect the Multimodal Station to the campus and student housing areas. Other universities, such as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Eastern Illinois University, are located along Illinois' Amtrak Illini and Saluki routes.

Students at SIUC travel between home and school via Amtrak and visit friends and attend events at other universities via train. Shuttles, ride services, family, and friends transport students to the Station to other universities outside the Carbondale area, including St. Louis, Missouri; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Evansville, Indiana; and Paducah, Kentucky.

Student Services Building