(The following column by Paul Scanlon appeared on the Post Bulletin website on August 13. Mr. Scanlon, a local physician, is a Rochester native and former member of the school board.)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester needs a unified solution to rail issues.
The proposal by Gus Chafolias to develop light rail with a hub at Center Street and Broadway is an ambitious start. The Rochester economy depends on commuting employees and shoppers from surrounding communities. They are suffering from recent increases in travel costs. This crisis presents Rochester with an opportunity.
1. Light rail is expensive to develop and service for Rochester is currently a distant prospect at the state Legislature.
2.Since the Canadian Pacific Railroad bought the DM&E, an uneasy truce has existed between Rochester and the megarail company. Assurances of safe conduct are needed.
3. Rochester has not had interstate rail service since the last run of the “Rochester 400” in 1963. High-speed rail service between Chicago and the Twin Cities via Rochester has been a dream dependent on future technology and billions of dollars from unnamed sources.
All may be possible with foresight and cooperation between local, state and federal officials.
Light rail for Rochester should be less expensive to develop because the corridors for rail traffic already exist; little condemnation is needed.
The old Chicago and Northwestern line, now owned by CP, extends to Eyota and Dover to the east, and to Byron and Kasson to the West. It is fully operational. The old Chicago and Great Western Line runs north-south and remains functional only as a spur through Southeast Rochester as far as 20th Street. The right-of-way is mostly intact, however. When active, it extended to Simpson, then to Stewartville and beyond. To the north, it is intact to Pine Island as the Douglas Trail.
The logical in-town hub is where it has always been, near the former rail station north of downtown, along Civic Center Drive. Re-routing U.S. 63/Broadway is not necessary when an established rail corridor exists a half block to the east. Major road crossings might require an underpass or overpass, including possibly crossing under the Zumbro.
The idea to divert the DM&E Railroad around Rochester was first proposed by Paul Bourgeois, a railroad enthusiast and a brilliant planner. The proposed path diverts south from Dover, follows old CGW right-of-way past Simpson, passes by the Rochester Airport and eventually turns north to rejoin the current DM&E/CP line west of Byron. It adds a few miles to the route, but the diverted path has the advantage that it does not drop into the Zumbro Valley, 300 feet below the plain surrounding Rochester.
Also, it allows full speed travel around Rochester. For the railroad, it is approximately equivalent in fuel cost and travel time and results in less wear-and-tear on equipment. It was opposed by adjacent property owners, who would need to be well compensated for their land if the diversion materialized.
If the CP line were diverted around Rochester, the vacated east-west line through town could serve as a light rail corridor. The need for a heavy rail spur for bringing freight into the city would be served by the revived CGW line from Simpson.
Because of rising transportation costs, passenger rail service becomes more viable. High-speed or conventional trains could bring passengers from Chicago to Rochester and the Twin Cities in a revival of the “Rochester 400” and the “Red Bird” lines. The corridor needed for high speed rail is identical to the freight diversion and would add profitability to the corridor. A rail hub placed southwest of Simpson would have adjacency to the airport, the interstate and the city, and would be an economic boon to the region. The potential for profit to CP would mitigate many of their concerns about the bypass.
The most sensitive issue is the concerns of adjacent landholders, who must be fairly compensated for their land. Economic development, particularly around Simpson but also west of the airport, would likely dramatically increase the value of their lands. This effect has occurred adjacent to Century High School over the past 10 years.
The Douglas trail can either remain adjacent to the light rail corridor or could be re-routed to continue to provide recreational opportunities. Light rail is generally considered a “good neighbor” for residential areas.
Rochester has stronger representation at the state and federal levels than any time in recent memory. It will be needed if we pursue these ideas. Do we have the foresight to plan for all of our future rail needs? I hope so.