Comment EI-5111
Received or sent (printed as 2/12/2008)
Ms. Johnson-Ball, After attending the meeting hosted by Representatives Bean and Kirk and doing research into the matter, I highly encourage the STB to block the acquisition of the EJ&E railway by the Canadian National Railway. While I fully understand the economic benefit to the CN is quite handsome with the acquisition of the EJ&E and will enable the CN to avoid going through downtown Chicago with their freight trains that originate on the West Coast, what it will create is the freight train equivalent of I-294. I-294 is a very busy highway in Chicago that is west of the city, if CN purchases the EJ&E,traffic on that line will increase 4 fold through the northwest, north and west suburbs of Chicago and in the Barrington area the effect will be devasting since we already have the Chicago Northwestern commuter and freight line that runs through our town, which is already causing many traffic problems in our town, the CN acquistion of the EJ&E will make the problem exponentially worst. My children's school buses cross one or both of those train lines to go to school and it is virtually impossible to drive to Chicago without crossing one of those train tracks. Remember, all our train crossing are at grade, so unless CN is prepared to improve all the crossings and go above or below grade, their increased traffic will have a significant negative impact on all the communities the EJ&E passes through. You should know that the Chicago metro area now reaches approximately 50 miles from the city and the EJ&E tracks which were once the hinterlands, are now smack dab in the middle of the vibrant Chicago metropolitan market. As you may or may not know, in terms of market value, housing prices are the highest in the northern suburbs and go down as you go in a counterclockwise motion around the city. The EJ&E goes through some strong and established surburbs that surround Chicago and there would be a significant negative impact on the economies of these suburbs and the housing prices in these communities. I ask the STB to block the acquisition of the EJ&E by the CN in consideration of the fact that the negative environmental and economic impacts on the communities which the EJ&E would far outweigh any benefits derived by CN by the acquisition. Thank you for your time and consideration. You may contact me at: Office: 847-462-5927 Email: JNikolich@FlintCreekPartners.com Best regards, John Nikolich
Submitted by: John Nikolich · Lake 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-5111 · back to the docket sheet