Transportation blogger David P. Jordan has the latest on the Kellar Branch saga, which is quickly drawing to a close.

In a nutshell, Pioneer Railcorp is taking the regulatory actions needed to abandon the middle portion of the Kellar Branch rail line, which will allow the city to lease the corridor to the Peoria Park District, who will convert it to a recreational trail. These regulatory actions are being taken pursuant to an agreement Pioneer made with the City of Peoria and Central Illinois Railroad (CIRY) passed by the council last year.

Not yet answered is how much this will cost the taxpayers. Pioneer, CIRY, and Carver Lumber didn’t just wake up one morning and change their minds about rail service. Their interests were purchased through the agency of the enigmatic Kellar Branch Corridor Corporation, headed by Tom Leiter. Don’t think that cost, whatever it is, won’t get paid by the taxpayers. It will, mark my words. And the bill will come due after the line has been abandoned and converted — i.e., after the money has already been spent.

But, on the optimistic side, Peoria will finally be a recreational nirvana, drawing tourists from around the world to walk and bike between Toulon and Morton. All that tourism should easily get us out of debt and spur all kinds of development.