Comment EI-4823
Received or sent (printed as 1/30/2008)
RE: FD 35087 The sale of the EJ&E railroad creates a wide range of environmental problems for the community of Barrington and many other communities along the entire route of the EJ&E. The drastic increase in the number of trains changes the nature of the community, increases traffic congestion in an already congested area, reduces access to public safety (police and fire access), health and education resources, strains already stressed local infrastructure, adds significant noise and air pollution, threatens human and animal welfare (safety), and changes the entire quality of life in this area. By increasing the number of trains using the track, this proposed sale turns a quiet residentially oriented community into a very congested freight transportation crossroads. With 3 immediate grade crossings on major local thoroughfares, the increase in rail traffic on the EJ&E has the potential to create traffic-stopping bottlenecks at major intersections in this small town. Already, due to the Union Pacific crossings, traffic on E-W Lake Cook Road and N-S Rt. 59 is often stopped and backed up at all hours of the day. With additional rail traffic blockages on both major roads will increase and the flow of traffic will be severely impeded. As traffic backs up, the economic vitality of the community will be threatened as shoppers will move elsewhere and costs of doing business will increase as deliveries take longer, and conveniences are reduced. As the Barrington High School is located on Lake Cook Road, near the EJ&E crossing, access to the school will be impacted. The rail issues will lengthen the school day for students. Busses will have to pick up students earlier to get them to school in the morning on time, and it will take longer to get them home in the afternoons. Already the school day for many is too long. The Impact study must evaluate the impact of increased train traffic in Barrington on the schools and the students. Longer school days, increased gasoline usage because of delays in bus routes, increased air pollution from school buses delayed in traffic, and threatened safety are all issues that must be evaluated and included in the Impact study. Access to homes throughout Barrington by public safety (fire and police) will be reduced. For example, for me to get to Good Shepherd Hospital from my home, I must cross the EJ&E line either on Northwest Highway, Rt. 59 or Cuba Road. If trains are passing, time to the hospital is increased. If trains are stopped, the danger is even worse. With the EJ&E crossing the UP Northwest commuter rail line, potential complete blockages are likely. This is a public safety hazard. Further, for police and fire vehicles to reach the high school, or residences and businesses across the tracks, increased rail traffic increases the potential of blockages or delays that can be the difference between life and death. The impact of raising train traffic from 5 to 20 trains per day creates unspeakable public safety issues which must be evaluated in the impact study. Today, with only a few trains using the track, the sounds of train horns at local crossings can be heard throughout the day. Noise pollution changes the nature of our community. From my bedroom, at night, train horns frequently wake me from my sleep. Many evenings, the train horns cause animals, including coyotes, in the Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve to howl loudly, frequently waking me, my wife, and our children. With increased train traffic, we anticipate more frequent train whistles/horns blowing, and more disturbances from animals in the Cuba Marsh, such as the coyotes. When these animals are disturbed, there is a potential for them to leave the marsh and enter residential areas where they may attack humans. This is just one unknown which may result from increased use of the tracks. I urge that the impact study include consideration of the increased train noise on the animal wildlife in areas along the track such as the Cuba March. Another issue relating to increased rail usage is the potential for accidents involving the trains and 1) automobiles, 2)people, and 3) animals. In the course of normal traffic activity, it is not uncommon for trains to crash into cars on tracks at crossings. With more trains, there is more potential for accidents. Additionally, with more trains there is greater potential for accidents with people - especially children - near tracks. Finally, with more trains there is a greater chance that there will be accidents with animals on the tracks. Personal safety issues along the track should be evaluated in the Impact study. Air pollution continues to be a major issue in this suburb of Chicago. As traffic in the region increases due to increased populations in the area, air pollution has grown along with traffic congestion. With more train traffic, there will be more air pollution - from cars waiting for trains to pass, from cars slowed down on local roads and streets because of increased congestion and grade blockages, and from the trains themselves. Air pollution threatens our environment, adds to global warming, and decreases the overall quality of life. The impact study should closely analyze the increased noise and air pollution. While national and international commerce is important to the country, residents of communities like Barrington do not deserve to absorb the brunt of consequences resulting from stresses and strains in the nation's transportation infrastructure. There are ways to accomplish the goals of increasing the efficiency of national commerce without destroying local economies, changing the entire nature of communities like Barrington, ruining the already strained natural ecosystems with added pollution, and threatening health, safety and education. Allowing almost unlimited access to the EJ&E tracks by an international railroad company changes the entire nature of this community and threatens the way of life that has existed here. The impact study needs to evaluate the overall impact of the sale of the tracks on the communities involved and the STB needs to use sensitivity to balance the needs of the US economy with the importance of preseving and improving the established life, economic viability, and public safety of this community.
Submitted by: Eric Hochstein · Barrington, IL
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-4823 · back to the docket sheet