Fort Wayne is one of the largest cities in the United States without passenger rail service. Considering the significant social, economic and environmental benefits of rail access, that is a travesty.

A group of community activists wants to bring service back and appears to be making some progress. Advocates for rail will update the community on their progress and seek more support at a rally Saturday.

Fort Wayne has not had passenger rail service since 1990. The closest connection to passenger service for Fort Wayne residents is 25 miles north, in Waterloo, where there is no train station, no restrooms, little shelter and scant parking.

The Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association is working with Amtrak and state officials not only to restore passenger rail service to Fort Wayne, but also to develop a high-speed rail link from Cleveland to Chicago that stops in Fort Wayne.

At the Saturday rally at the Baker Street Train Station just south of Parkview Field, group leaders will be sharing information about an Indiana Department of Transportation application for $2.8 billion from the Federal Rail Administration. The money would come from $8 billion in federal stimulus dollars and would pay for track and rolling stock to build the Chicago to Cleveland route.

Officials with the passenger rail association feel confident about the application, but they point out that competition is stiff. There are already about $57 billion in project proposal requests competing for the $8 billion.

One purpose for the rally is to update supporters, but the other purpose is to show the strengths of local public support for rail initiatives in Fort Wayne.

The group said more than 800 people attended a similar rally last April. Representatives are hoping for an equally impressive turnout at this rally that will improve the chances that the state’s request for the federal money will be successful.

Area residents should be realistic about the request. Rail corridors in the northeast United States and in California may well have higher priority. And the proposed high-speed rail would not carry European-style bullet trains. Here, trains would have a maximum speed of 110 mph and may not hit even that speed for much of the journey from Fort Wayne to Chicago and Cleveland. And high-speed rail is expensive.

But anything that builds support for restoring some type of train service to the city is welcome.

Harlan, the town?

Advocates of incorporating Harlan into a town, complete with a town council and ability to exact taxes, take their case to the Allen County Plan Commission on Thursday.

Though Harlan is a distinct community on Indiana 37 north of Fort Wayne, it lacks a municipal government. Advocates want to add Harlan to the list of Allen County towns that also includes Grabill, Leo-Cedarville, Monroeville, Huntertown and Zanesville. Supporters of the effort want to improve roads and streets, add streetlights and arrange for garbage collection.

Opponents, however, note that property taxes would increase because residents would pay all the county taxes they pay now, plus a new tax to the town.

The move would have a mixed effect on Allen County government, which would no longer have to provide some services to Harlan but would see a slight drop in revenue if Harlan becomes a town.

The plan commission will make a recommendation to the three county commissioners, who will make the decision.

King holiday events

Several events are scheduled at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne this week to mark the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 18.

“One Year After the Election of President Obama: The State of the African-American Agenda” is a panel discussion set for Wednesday. The discussion is scheduled in two sessions: one on the IPFW campus and a second at the Weisser Park Youth Center.

On Friday, Dream Celebration 2010 will include a keynote address by Bishop Herbert Coats of First Redeemed by the Blood Church and Ministries. The formal event will also include music and a candlelight ceremony memorializing King.

FWCS meeting

The Fort Wayne Community Schools board will hear an update on the district’s efforts to receive a share of the federal Race to the Top money at its meeting today. Last month, all of the district’s assistant principals and the principals at North Side and South Side were notified that they must reapply for their positions.

Provisions of the state’s accountability law, Public Law 221, call for changing personnel as one possible consequence for schools that fall into the lowest school improvement category for multiple years. The Race to the Top guidelines also identify teacher and administrator assignments as a key provision for qualifying for funds.