(The following story by Cindy Wojdyla Cain appeared on the Daily Herald website on February 1.)
CHICAGO — A regional planning agency is urging federal officials to use a 10-year window to study the possible side effects of the sale of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad to Canadian National.
Currently, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board plans to use a three- to five-year window during its environmental impact study, said Randy Blankenhorn, executive director of Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
Blankenhorn testified on the acquisition Thursday at a House Railroad Safety Committee hearing in Chicago.
“In our opinion, it is impossible to properly analyze the impacts of this acquisition if we are only looking three to five years beyond the date of STB approval,” Blankenhorn said, according to a written copy of his testimony.
Canadian National wants to reroute train traffic from Cook County to less congested areas in the suburbs, including Will County. It plans to buy the EJ&E line, which stretches 198 miles in a semi-circle from Waukegan to Aurora and Joliet to South Chicago. The STB has final say on whether the deal can go through.
So far, the CMAP board hasn’t taken a stand for or against the acquisition, but it will vote on one eventually, said spokesman Tom Garritano.According to a printed copy of Blankenhorn’s testimony, he told the committee:
• Officials must consider the impact of the acquisition on CREATE, a regional project to improve freight traffic into and through metropolitan Chicago, and Amtrak.
“A significant financial commitment has been made to enhanced Amtrak service, and that must be protected.”
• Also of concern is the acquisition’s impact on the proposed STAR line and other mass transit services.
“About 36 miles of Metra’s planned STAR line would rely on the EJ&E corridor from Hoffman Estates to Joliet. And Metra’s planned SouthEast Service would provide passenger rail between downtown Chicago and the south suburbs, intersecting the EJ&E in Chicago Heights.”
• CN should commit to mitigating negative impacts of the acquisition. And the STB should make sure the commitments are binding for the 10-year horizon CMAP has proposed.
“CN’s mitigation commitments should address real concerns about safety, noise, vibration, and traffic congestion, along with the quality of air, water, and other natural resources.”
• Safety analysis should include the potential for increased risk of grade-crossing collisions, whether vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian; more blockages of roadway crossings that serve as essential links in emergency response by police, fire, and medical personnel; and an increased risk of derailment and hazardous material spills.
Originally, CN officials said the decision would come this summer.
But vehement opposition surfaced from communities along the EJ&E tracks, especially Barrington, and the STB decide to do a full blown Environmental Impact Statement, which could take a couple of years.