Comment EI-14190
Received or sent (printed as 9/30/2008)
CN has not yet realized the full accountability it has toward the municipalities and residents whose lives and safety will be profoundly and permanently impacted by the increase of rail traffic from 3 to 5 trains currently, to 25 or more trains if the CN proposal is granted. The towns and cities along the hundred plus miles of track co-exist with a rail system that has a low frequency of trains. With only 3-5 trains per day, grade crossing interference presents low risk to the passage of police and fire vehicles and other emergency vehicles, school buses, rush hour traffic and other traffic that run through the towns. CN's offer includes a minor sum of money compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to improve those grade crossings so that the safety of the towns and residents along the tracks are not jeopardized by the increased risk of vehicle interference and congestion that will undoubtedly be created by the increased train traffic. CN is clearly, and understandably motivated by increased profit. But CN's profit should not be gained at the cost of the taxpayers who will be left to foot the bill to improve these grade crossings to alleviate the problems CN's increased traffic will cause. This is not a victim-less" event. The victims are these towns and residents who will have to pay to modify their towns in order for CN to realize its desired profit. The victims are the schools, social services, municipal infrastructure, commercial facilities and other improvements for these towns that will suffer by lack of funds because of the necessary diversion of those funds to improve the rail crossings for the safety of those using and served by accessibility of the roadways. Where is the "corporate responsiblity" this foreign corporation should bear to preserve the safety and enjoyment of those impacted by its desired expansion? At this point, CN fails to demonstrate its "corporate responsiblity" as it proposes to place the cost of its profit on the taxpayers along the rail line. Shame on CN! and shame on any public body who puts CN's profits ahead of the health, safety and welfare of the American citizens and taxpayers who will be forever impacted by CN's greed. I urge you please to deny CN's request unless and until it agrees to pay for the roadway infrastructure improvements necessary to allow the free movement of safety and emergency vehicles, school buses, commuting motorists and other vehicles using roadways that cross the tracks. Respectfully submitted by, Mark V. Puccio 1835 Nicholson Drive Hoffman Estates, IL 60192"
Submitted by: Mark Puccio
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-14190 · back to the docket sheet