NORMAL -- The Normal Amtrak station serves the second highest number of riders in the state, only falling behind the busy Union Station in Chicago.

A planned new transportation in uptown Normal is designed and ready to move forward, and other projects along the Chicago-to-St. Louis Amtrak line also are ready to go.

Illinois already has invested $100 million in the corridor and budgets $28 million a year for 14 roundtrips a day.

While all that is a plus for attracting some of the $8 billion in federal stimulus money set aside for high-speed rail, U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson told a group of Twin City leaders Wednesday that it's not enough to guarantee a piece of the stimulus pie.

"There's more we need to do," said Halvorson, a Democrat from Crete. "The stakes are too high. We can't leave any stone unturned."

Halvorson held the meeting at the Children's Discovery Museum to get stakeholders -- including Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Normal, the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the McLean County Chamber of Commerce and dozens of others -- onboard with support to include in the federal stimulus money application due Oct. 2.

Joe Clary, director of the division of public and intermodal transport with the Illinois Department of Transportation, said in order to make an impression on the feds reviewing the requests, communities along the railroad line need to provide livable, energy efficient and environmentally healthy communities.

"Towns need to provide a destination for people on the train," said Mike Murray, policy adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn. "The Children's Discovery Museum is a great example. It's a destination where people want to come."

All stakeholders were encouraged to show their commitment to the proposed high-speed rail plan through such things as securing grants, tax incentives or land-use plans.

"We're looking for what you can put on the table," he said.

Making the lines safe

While the community leaders were discussing their strategy, Jamonte Stewart and Janice Stewart stood outside the museum with a picture of Jason Wells, who was killed April 2 while walking on railroad tracks near Miller and Pancake streets in west Bloomington.

"We want Amtrak and city officials to keep in mind safety issues," said Wells' mother, Janice Stewart. "Make crosswalks more pedestrian friendly."

Clary did say in the meeting with community leaders that more crossing safety measures have to be in place with high-speed rail and that underground or above-ground tracks may be needed at some locations, especially in rural areas.