FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Tom Garritano (312-386-8609)
CMAP calls for creation of $150 million escrow fund to mitigate EJ&E traffic impacts
Recommends that the Surface Transportation Board require CN railway prepare a binding plan to address impacts of increased rail traffic
CHICAGO, October 1, 2008 -- The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is asking a federal review board to require the Canadian National (CN) railway to prepare a binding plan for mitigating the effects of its proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern (EJ&E) railway. CMAP also recommends that CN be required to put $150 million in escrow for 10 years to help fund grade crossings and other improvements.
The agency’s position is stated in a letter sent to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which recently issued a draft environmental impact statement (EIS). The letter is on the web at http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=10914. The EIS will be the basis for the STB's decision on whether to approve the CN's proposed acquisition of the EJ&E.
Among other recommendations (see below), the CMAP letter states that the STB should require CN to prepare a formal plan through which the railway will work with CMAP and affected communities to define mitigation strategies. CMAP says that CN should demonstrate its commitment by creating a $150 million traffic impact mitigation fund to implement their share of these improvements. The funds would be held in escrow for 10 years, after which any unobligated amount would revert to CN.
The STB's current EJ&E railway acquisition review process represents "a missed opportunity to involve stakeholders in the spirit of public/private partnership," said the CMAP letter. Noting that the CMAP Board has not yet made a final decision on whether to support the acquisition, the letter states that the STB's review should have included "a careful analysis of how the public -- and not just the private sector -- stands to benefit significantly from infrastructure improvements that preserve and create jobs in rail, trucking, warehouse, and other industries. The lack of such analysis in the STB’s process is an unfortunate omission."
"The proposed acquisition could actually have an overall positive effect on our region and its economy," said Gerald Bennett, CMAP Board chairman and mayor of Palos Hills. "Unfortunately, the STB's federal review process did not include the type of cost/benefit analysis necessary to make a sound regional decision. The regional benefits should not just be incidental -- in CMAP’s view, they should be paramount."
The CMAP letter also calls on the STB to ensure the following:
- CN should commit to participating in "appropriate mitigation" in cases where the actual number of trains exceeds the amount outlined in CN's proposed operating plan.
- CN should promise that any increases beyond the proposed amount will not interfere with commuter rail, including planned operations of the Southeast Service and STAR Line.
- CN should cooperate with local efforts to develop sidewalk and trail crossings.
"Five counties in CMAP's planning area are intersected by the EJ&E line, and all seven of our counties will be affected by the proposed acquisition," said Randy Blankenhorn, CMAP executive director. "Maintaining metropolitan Chicago's economic status as an international freight hub is an important priority. Mechanisms exist -- including the CREATE program -- to move forward in a true spirit of public/private partnership. That means helping communities address their very real concerns, not pitting them against one another. CMAP exists to promote that regional view, and we remain prepared to assist in this process."
The EJ&E connects with all of the major railroads entering Chicago. It has more than 198 miles of track that encircle Chicago from Waukegan to Joliet, and to Gary and South Chicago.
The CMAP Board consists of 15 voting members, with balanced representation from across the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. Because its actions require a 12-vote super majority, the Board strives for a consensus view of the region's best interests. It also includes two non-voting members, one each appointed by the Governor and the region's Metropolitan Planning Organization policy committee.
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About CMAP
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the comprehensive regional planning organization for the seven counties of northeastern Illinois. By state and federal law, CMAP is responsible for producing the region’s official comprehensive plan. The agency's innovative GO TO 2040 planning campaign (www.goto2040.org) will develop and implement strategies to address projected growth in population and employment and their serious implications for transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and natural resources. See www.cmap.illinois.gov for more information.