Return Rail
- Type :: Identity, Print, Interactive
- Role :: Art Direction, Design, Writing
Downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana is in the midst of revitalization. This is being done through the efforts of many projects and businesses. The Embassy Theatre, Arts United Center, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Grand Wayne Center, and Harrison Square are staples of generating growth in the downtown area however there is still one missing: the train station. As gas prices and environmental issues rise, the need for cheaper alternatives grow. Not only will the train be cheap, it will be fast. A train station would bring travelers through Fort Wayne on a daily basis. Why couldn’t Fort Wayne be a place to travel to for an overnight stay or some great entertainment?
A movement is already in place called the MRRI, the Midwest Railroad Initiative. This initiative has been in progress since 1998 but has received little attention until recently. It calls for a high-speed railway network throughout the Midwest. Getting the rail to Fort Wayne will require the help and support of all of us. The new stimulus package has certainly helped things along but that isn’t enough. If we’re going to have a railway through Fort Wayne now is the time to act.
Return Rail is the result of my senior project at the University of Saint Francis. The Return initiative is a grassroots campaign aimed at raising support from the city of Fort Wayne. This multi-stage campaign would utilize traditional and non-traditional advertising in the goal of sending petitions, letters and emails to our Indiana government.
