Comment EI-24315
Received or sent (printed as 7/5/2016)
The link below will take you to the Illinois Department of Transportation website which indicates traffic volumes in the state. http://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/gai.htm?mt=aadt# This map indicates that along mile marker 130 to 134 for the Great Lakes Basin Railroad the traffic volume for East 2351st Road, also know as the Somonauk Blacktop or Hoxsey Road, is 1,950 to 2,600 vehicles per day. Additionally, North 40th road has 175 per day going west and 125 per day going east. The Great Lakes Basin line will require almost 3,000 cars per day to cross their line at the point where their track meets North 40th Road and East 2351st Road. . This is not acceptable. E2351st road is the major north/south road for this area, transporting more vehicles than US Route 52 and US Route 23. Additionally E2603rd Road leading into the Sheridan Correctional Facility and the town of Sheridan transports 2,050 to 2,150 vehicles per day, also more than US Route 52 and US Route 23. Just in this small area over 5,000 cars daily will need to cross this line. This is not a sparsely populated area and traffic volumes rival many urban streets. The STB must also take into account the large volume of traffic 650 to 700 vehicles a day on North 42nd Road, which the line must also cross. The STB must take into account the huge traffic volumes in this area and seek ways to mediate the transportation delays that this line will bring to the Serena and Sheridan areas. This line needs moved further south of Serena, as south of US Route 52 traffic volumes do slightly decline and the line can cross less heavily traveled side roads. The line has an alternative crossing for the Fox River in it’s plans and this crossing needs to be utilized to reduce the traffic congestion in the Serena and Sheridan area. The STB must also take into account the Serena and Sheridan Fire Departments service a huge area and delays due to the train will endanger lives. Traffic back-ups will be massive as 5,000 cars a day wait for 110 trains a day to cross. The STB must consider maximum traffic volume for this route, as stated in the GLB’s original proposal, and not the “new” volumes projected in public comments by GLB. Speaking of train volume the STB needs to find out why Frank Patton, managing partner now claims in public only 10-20 trains a day will use the line and the 110 number is not accurate. If this line only generates 10-20 trains per day, the project needs automatically denied as this volume is not sufficient to make an impact on Chicagoland train traffic, especially considering the huge environment destruction the route will cause.
Submitted by: Dennis Scheppler · Mount Prospect, 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-35952/comment/EI-24315 · back to the docket sheet