Comment EI-11129
Received or sent (printed as 9/10/2008)
I'm submitting my comments in regards to STB Finance Docket No. 35087. I am writing today as a supporter of the purchase of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway by the Canadian National Railway. As a resident of Elmwood Park, IL, my community will see a decrease of approximately 14% in rail traffic if the sale is allowed. This decrease and the potential cap to rail traffic would be a great benefit. Our community is literally split in two by the train tracks. Train traffic has grown nearly 500% in the last 20 years in this community and it has become increasingly challenging to “get to the other side of the tracks.” Many of our community assets are on the North side of the tracks including the recreation center, public library, aquatic center and village hall. What should be a short drive or walk at times turns into a 20 minute commute. Our residents should not be deprived of these community assets. Train traffic should not be a deciding factor in whether or not a child attends swimming lessons or a library story time, but the reality in Elmwood Park is that train traffic is ALWAYS a factor. Train traffic also puts a strain on local commerce. I know several members of the community who will drive to another community to grocery shop simply because they may have to wait at the tracks due to excessive train traffic. This too is detrimental to the overall health of the community. The sale of the EJ&E would mean a slight reduction in rail traffic in Elmwood Park from 140 trains per day to 120. This traffic will need to be re-routed, but no matter where it is re-rerouted, those communities will still not have anywhere near the level of train traffic as Elmwood Park. Other communities must understand that this sale will benefit millions of people in the Chicagoland area. When broken down, the major objections from other communities are thinly disguised arguments that support a not in my back yard" stance. Unfortunately, those arguments are also the hallmarks of elitism. An underlying theme is that the residents of more affluent communities should not have to be inconvenienced by train traffic and commerce and that the less affluent communities should continue to bare those burdens. There is no merit to these arguments. I fully support the sale of the EJ&E and will anxiously await the benefit to those in my community and other inner-ring suburbs. Sincerely, Teresa A. Sorrentino, Esq."
Submitted by: Teresa Sorrentino
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-35087/comment/EI-11129 · back to the docket sheet