Post by title1parent on Jun 21, 2008 4:12:38 GMT -5
Official urges Will residents to oppose rail sale
June 21, 2008
By STEWART WARREN SWARREN@SCN1.COM
A Will County official is urging residents to write letters opposing the Canadian National Railway's purchase of the Elgin Joliet and Eastern Railway.
The mail might persuade members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to make decisions that are favorable for Will County, said Lee Ann Goodson, R-Plainfield.
"I can't stress enough how important it is to get involved," she said at this week's County Board meeting.
The CN wants to buy the 198-mile EJ&E line so it can route trains away from Chicago. As far as the company is concerned, the EJ&E's tracks would do the job nicely because they stretch from Waukegan to Gary, Ind., while passing through Aurora, Naperville and several Will County towns, such as Joliet and Frankfort.
Before the sale actually can happen, the Surface Transportation Board must approve it. Meanwhile, the board is doing an environmental study to determine how the sale might affect the communities around the EJ&E tracks.
Many area residents worry about the sale, citing increased train traffic, the accompanying traffic tie-ups on area roads, the region's many "at-grade" rail crossings and the transportation of hazardous materials, among other things.
There are 133 at-grade crossings -- meaning places where train tracks cross a road and aren't elevated -- in Will County alone. When a train goes through the crossing, the traffic on the street must stop until the cars have passed.
"(If the sale happens), it will increase rail traffic in our county by 500 percent over the next five years," Goodson said. Some of the trains might be two miles long, she added.
During meetings with officials throughout the area, the representatives from the CN have said the sale is a done deal, Goodson said.
She urged residents to write letters opposing the sale and requesting that the CN do everything possible to mitigate the problems caused by the trains.
The letters should be sent to: Anne K. Quinlan, acting secretary of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20423-0001. Residents should also mention the specific case number in the letter: U.S. Surface Transportation Board Finance Docket No. 35087.
June 21, 2008
By STEWART WARREN SWARREN@SCN1.COM
A Will County official is urging residents to write letters opposing the Canadian National Railway's purchase of the Elgin Joliet and Eastern Railway.
The mail might persuade members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to make decisions that are favorable for Will County, said Lee Ann Goodson, R-Plainfield.
"I can't stress enough how important it is to get involved," she said at this week's County Board meeting.
The CN wants to buy the 198-mile EJ&E line so it can route trains away from Chicago. As far as the company is concerned, the EJ&E's tracks would do the job nicely because they stretch from Waukegan to Gary, Ind., while passing through Aurora, Naperville and several Will County towns, such as Joliet and Frankfort.
Before the sale actually can happen, the Surface Transportation Board must approve it. Meanwhile, the board is doing an environmental study to determine how the sale might affect the communities around the EJ&E tracks.
Many area residents worry about the sale, citing increased train traffic, the accompanying traffic tie-ups on area roads, the region's many "at-grade" rail crossings and the transportation of hazardous materials, among other things.
There are 133 at-grade crossings -- meaning places where train tracks cross a road and aren't elevated -- in Will County alone. When a train goes through the crossing, the traffic on the street must stop until the cars have passed.
"(If the sale happens), it will increase rail traffic in our county by 500 percent over the next five years," Goodson said. Some of the trains might be two miles long, she added.
During meetings with officials throughout the area, the representatives from the CN have said the sale is a done deal, Goodson said.
She urged residents to write letters opposing the sale and requesting that the CN do everything possible to mitigate the problems caused by the trains.
The letters should be sent to: Anne K. Quinlan, acting secretary of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20423-0001. Residents should also mention the specific case number in the letter: U.S. Surface Transportation Board Finance Docket No. 35087.