Johnson County communities put regional transit exploration on hold

IOWA CITY -- After 10 years and five studies, city and county leaders in Johnson County are putting aside their exploration of public transit options on the CRANDIC rail line between North Liberty and Iowa City after CRANDIC said it will not allow use of the line for passenger transit.

The studies, which have collectively cost more than $480,000, have looked at the potential for regional public transit along the CRANDIC line. The line has not offered passenger rail service since 1953, but remains an active freight line.

The most recent proposals were a $90 million Bus Rapid Transit system and a three-year battery-powered train pilot program from Pennsylvania-based Pop-Up Metro that would cost an estimated $5.7 million to establish and an additional $3.7 million in annual operating costs.

Both proposals called for service from Penn Street in North Liberty to Burlington Street in Iowa City. The battery-powered trains would run along the existing tracks, while the BRT would have required removing the existing train tracks and paving over them.

“We did recently advise local stakeholders that leasing the line is not a viable option, particularly with many parts of the ultimate vision yet to be determined. We are open to continued discussions as circumstances and details evolve,” Jeff Woods, CRANDIC’s director of business development and marketing, wrote in an email to The Gazette.

CRANDIC has been engaged with government entities and other civic leaders throughout the exploration process and has contributed financially to some of the feasibility studies.

The company, in 2022, said it preferred to retain ownership of the tracks but would be open to working with community stakeholders.

Woods served on the steering committee for the recently completed Bus Rapid Transit study.

“Factors behind CRANDIC’s decision include liability considerations, regulatory concerns and related impacts on the shipping community for the movement of freight into and out of the region,” Woods told The Gazette.

Community leaders shocked, disappointed

Johnson County communities met as recently as Jan.13 to discuss whether to move forward with Bus Rapid Transit or battery-powered trains along the line.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution expressing their preference to move forward with the battery-powered trains and asked other entities to do the same by the end of February.

Supervisors Rod Sullivan said the news that CRANDIC wouldn’t lease the tracks was shocking and came “out of nowhere.”

“It looks like all the different options for train service between Iowa City and North Liberty are pretty much on hold for now, just because they seem to have changed their minds. So that's disappointing to hear, but we'll just have to move on from here,” Sullivan said Thursday at a Board of Supervisors meeting.

A team from Better Together 2030 — a regional collaboration that works to better Johnson County — explored the opportunity with Pop-Up Metro initially.

Better Together 2030 and Greater Iowa City Inc. organized a visit of two dozen elected officials and other civic leaders to Rock Hill Furnace, Pennsylvania — about an hour south of State College — to view the battery-powered passenger trains in August 2024.

“CRANDIC has been nothing but supportive through all the inquiries related to exploring transit solutions along the railway and the recent decision was both surprising and disappointing,” Nancy Bird, president and CEO of Greater Iowa City Inc., wrote in an email to The Gazette. “Having said that, we remain committed to working toward a cohesive regional transportation network in Johnson County and are now ready if this direction ever changes.”

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com