(The following article by Gary Washburn was posted on the Chicago Tribune website on February 6.)
WASHINGTON — Officials of the Federal Railroad Administration came to City Hall on Thursday to discuss a new train whistle requirement at Chicago grade crossings, but left with aldermanic gripes ringing in their ears.
Before a meeting of the City Council’s Transportation Committee ended, an angry Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th) stomped out after being told that local communities are responsible for cleaning up filthy rail rights-of-way if “fly dumpers” deposit debris there.
“So you think our residents should clean it up?” Carothers fumed at Larry Hasvold, the railroad agency’s regional administrator. “I am really appalled you would sit here and suggest that you don’t think we should expect the railroads to clean it up.”
“So you are suggesting that people should run out there and throw all their garbage on the right-of-way and that’s the railroad’s (responsibility)?” Hasvold asked.
“You are full of insults and appalling statements,” Carothers said. “You seem to sit here and seem to want to absolve the railroads.”
“I guess we disagree on that point,” Hasvold said.
Aldermen also complained about broken crossing gates, crumbling viaducts and uncut brush along tracks where gang members “hide guns and dope”–problems over which the city has little control because railroads are under federal jurisdiction.
The council members called for new pressure on the railroad industry from the agency.
“We need you now more than ever to help us solve these problems,” said Ald. Anthony Beale (9th).
Meanwhile, a new safety regulation on grade crossings scheduled to go into effect in December will require train engineers to sound whistles, day and night, threatening the peace at up to about 100 designated “quiet” crossings here, officials said.
City Hall is scrambling to apply a new federal safety formula to all of Chicago’s more than 400 crossings to determine which will fall under the new regulation’s requirements, said city Transportation Commissioner Miguel d’Escoto.
Installation of four-quadrant gates would avert the whistle requirement, but d’Escoto said that no federal money will accompany the new regulation. Other sources of funding have not been identified, he said.