CN Railroad's possible rerouting around the city (Chicago, Oak Park: house, purchasing)

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by ProfWatson

What train traffic?

In Chicago they've had grade separation since the 1920's. It is impossible to get caught by a freight train in Chicago.

This would be someone who has never ventured within a hundred miles of Chicago. If they have ever been to this city or many suburbs, they will have wasted many hours sitting at the numerous at grade railroad crossings. This is why this argument from the outer 'burbs is so absurd. Oh no, poor me, I'll have to spend more time waiting for a train. Tell that to folks who often spend 20 minutes or more waiting to enter Clearing off of Harlem, or who can't travel more then a few blocks in Blue Island without getting trapped by a train. We've suffered for many years close to the city, so I don't have much sympathy for Frankfort and Barrington. They also have the money and clout to get underpasses built if they want.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

This would be someone who has never ventured within a hundred miles of Chicago...

When he said Chicago, he meant Chicago the city-not Chicago and the close burbs. So for the most part his statement was correct.

Some people like him and I mean Chicago (the city itself only) when we say Chicago.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

When he said Chicago, he meant Chicago the city-not Chicago and the close burbs. So for the most part his statement was correct.

Some people like him and I mean Chicago (the city itself only) when we say Chicago.

That may be, but it's still wildly inaccurate. There's plenty of at grade crossings in the city itself.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

That may be, but it's still wildly inaccurate. There's plenty of at grade crossings in the city itself.

Name them.

I know of a couple, but most are in sparsely populated areas,in very low traffic areas, or are just for Metra trains.

Do not include CTA Brown or Blue Line stations either.

You and he were speaking of freight train crossings.

I challenge you to name them.

[prairiestate]

63rd St. and 65th St., just west of Harlem
Central Ave., south of Archer
55th St., west of Cicero
Archer Ave, a few blocks east of Cicero
All of the main E-W streets between Archer and Marquette Rd. that cross the tracks east of Cicero

[skyeINIL]

I've spent many a moments waiting on the train to pass at 130th Street right by Altgeld Gardens in the city.

Also, further east on 130th by the Ford plant there is an at grade crossing.

Just thought of another in Hegewisch by the Hegewisch South Shore train station.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by vester72

It will have a major impact on my home - Frankfort and will severely hamper emergency vehicles and my daily commute until below or above grade crossings are put in at major intersections - and those will be paid for by all Illinois taxpayers, not the Canadian National (surprise, huh?).

Funny thing about it all is, what do people think is going to happen to the current Canadian National tracks that go through the city? Does anyone really think they will never be used, rented or sold and have freight traffic go back to where it was, in addition to adding the traffic to the suburbs.

That is the part that I love - within 5 years, those tracks will be full of more freight traffic again. Anyone that thinks the issue of freight traffic in the city and other suburbs is really going away is sadly mistaken.

We're all being fooled by CN and others that stand to benefit greatly financially, but I wouldn't expect anything less.

Greater reliance on freight trains means less reliance on freight trucks. Both methods of hauling cargo burn diesel , but trains are much, much, more efficient, resulting in less oil burned/pollution per ton of cargo. Additionally, decreased reliance on trucks will have beneficial effects on highway congestion and highway maintenance costs. The overall benefits for the economy as a whole huge.

Furthermore, greater reliance on freight trains will likely generate more jobs in Chicago, given our central role in the US rail network. Yes, the downsides will be more delays at grade crossings, but if we divert just a small fraction of the money devoted to highway repair and construction, we should easily be able to build a few more viaducts.

[Lookout Kid]

Sukwoo is right.

The flow of goods and capital through a region are one of the greatest indicators of economic strength. In many ways, Chicago is what it is because of its transportation network. It is VERY short-sighted to start putting limitations on this network--particularly in the area of freight traffic, which is perhaps the most efficient system to move freight!

[Drover]

Originally Posted by vester72

It will have a major impact on my home - Frankfort and will severely hamper emergency vehicles and my daily commute until below or above grade crossings are put in at major intersections - and those will be paid for by all Illinois taxpayers, not the Canadian National (surprise, huh?).

Funny thing about it all is, what do people think is going to happen to the current Canadian National tracks that go through the city? Does anyone really think they will never be used, rented or sold and have freight traffic go back to where it was, in addition to adding the traffic to the suburbs.

That is the part that I love - within 5 years, those tracks will be full of more freight traffic again. Anyone that thinks the issue of freight traffic in the city and other suburbs is really going away is sadly mistaken.

We're all being fooled by CN and others that stand to benefit greatly financially, but I wouldn't expect anything less.

Nobody has ever asserted that the tracks currently being used by CN will suddenly not be used again. Not even CN. The problem is that they are so used that trains often have to sit for days waiting for traffic to clear up. Chicago is a gigantic freight bottleneck and nobody believes moving some freight traffic out to the suburbs is suddenly going to result in wholesale reduction in freight traffic through the city. Nobody is claiming it will. It's meant to be a bottleneck relief, not a complete rerouting of freight traffic around the city.

Furthermore, I don't see why CN should have to pay for grade separation over or under their own privately owned right-of-way. Cities that cheaped out and built only grade-level crossings across a pre-existing private right-of-way have little room to then turn around and say "oh no, those trains are going to block traffic! And what about emergency vehicles???" Well you're the ones who developed your little hamlets around a preexisting private corridor such that using it for its designated purpose will interrupt the orderly functioning of your town. Your lack of planning foresight is not CN's problem, it's yours.

And finally, I have very little sympathy for NIMBYs who want all of the benefits of living in a vital, dynamic and growing metropolitan area but don't want any of the burdens and responsibilities.

[Chinolala]

Originally Posted by Drover

Nobody has ever asserted that the tracks currently being used by CN will suddenly not be used again. Not even CN. The problem is that they are so used that trains often have to sit for days waiting for traffic to clear up. Chicago is a gigantic freight bottleneck and nobody believes moving some freight traffic out to the suburbs is suddenly going to result in wholesale reduction in freight traffic through the city. Nobody is claiming it will. It's meant to be a bottleneck relief, not a complete rerouting of freight traffic around the city.

Furthermore, I don't see why CN should have to pay for grade separation over or under their own privately owned right-of-way. Cities that cheaped out and built only grade-level crossings across a pre-existing private right-of-way have little room to then turn around and say "oh no, those trains are going to block traffic! And what about emergency vehicles???" Well you're the ones who developed your little hamlets around a preexisting private corridor such that using it for its designated purpose will interrupt the orderly functioning of your town. Your lack of planning foresight is not CN's problem, it's yours.

And finally, I have very little sympathy for NIMBYs who want all of the benefits of living in a vital, dynamic and growing metropolitan area but don't want any of the burdens and responsibilities.

Amen to that, Drover! My little middle class municipality manages to have 1 fire station and 1 police station on each side of the tracks. This is a community with about 30% rentals and a smattering of Section 8 housing. Put it this way, there are doubtfully any CEO's living here. So if we can do this, so can towns like Barrington. And if anyone is about capitalism and commerce, it's towns like Barrington that should be seeing that the majority of their population are most likely corporate. I say load the tracks up, reroute the trains and use them to capacity. It benefits ALL of us and we ALL should have to put up with some inconvenience for the benefits.