CHICAGO — A plan to increase Amtrak Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago has been delayed because of local concerns about noise and the construction of a new siding near Glenview, Ill., the Chicago Tribune reports.
The Illinois and Wisconsin departments of transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration want to increase the number of Hiawatha runs from seven to 10 daily round trips. To do that, a new 10,000 foot siding will have to be constructed in the area to hold freight trains. The new siding would require the construction of a 20-foot retaining wall and the loss of some green space that residents say serve as an effective sound barrier. Residents say the additional service is not worth losing the green space.
Glenview has spent almost $400,000 of city money to fight the planned expansion, including money for public relations work, lobbying, and legal fees. [See “Glenview fight against additional Amtrak service continues with $160,000 for study,” Trains News Wire, July 12, 2018.]
“Based on the feedback we received, it’s apparent more analysis and outreach are required before this project moves forward,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn says. “We will be asking our project team to perform that analysis and do the necessary outreach so the impacted communities are more involved in the decision-making process.”
It’s unclear how much more additional time the IDOT will need to study the project.
Time to start thinking about upgrading the UP line out of Milwaukee to Kenosha and reconnecting into Union Station in Chicago for additional frequencies.
Well said, Charles!
Again, why do people move next to an airport or railroad tracks and THEN. complain about noise? The railroad should do whatever it wants on their property, why the heck are we catering to these crybabies that voluntarily moved next to the tracks?
NIMBYs are spoiled children in the form of an adult. You can’t placate NIMBYs, you can’t work with them, you can’t reason with them, you can’t buy them off, you can’t make them happy. All you can do is tell them that their concerns are of no matter. If you don’t like living by a railroad track, know that it was there before your great-grandparents were born. Here’s my take on it: you live next to a railroad track, the number of trains the railroad runs is up to the railroad. Whether its two boxcars a week or five trains an hour, that’s up to the railroad, not up to the neighbors. If you don’t like it, then move. No one will miss your neighborly company.
I think that $400,000 could have done a lot more good for the citizens of Glenview by making investments in infrastructure, schools and other city services, not in the hands of litigators over additional transportation service to your own town!
Or better yet, front that $400,000 as a contribution to a sound-dampening wall for the overall project.
If you’re complaining about something but don’t want to be a part of the solution, you’re either a partisan politician or a whiner…or both.
As previously noted, back in the 1960’s the Milwaukee constructed a new station in Glenview to serve both suburban and intercity traffic. As what was essentially a corridor service, the Road ran about a dozen passenger trains each way between Milwaukee and Chicago, all of which stopped at the new location.
And here’s an anecdote: supposedly, competition existed among the hogger fraternity to make it between the Milw. depot and Union Station in 65 minutes.
Is Glenview a NIMBY or a SOBBY (place it in Some Other Beggars Back Yard). Let’s get our terms right!
🙂