HJ0052 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0052 LRB093 16558 DRH 42204 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake and Will host one of the largest and most technical train switching systems in the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, These counties have greatly benefited from the partnership of the federal and State government in providing train access across our State and nation; and

WHEREAS, As the number of trains that ran through this 6-county region increased, the number of train whistles that sounded from both commuter and commercial locomotives increased as well; and

WHEREAS, Both the federal and State governments have issued rules and regulations governing the utilization of a train's whistle as it proceeds through gated railroad crossings and travels to its destination; and

WHEREAS, The quality of life of those who live within the Counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake and Will is affected daily by the proliferation of train whistles that blow throughout their communities; and

WHEREAS, On December 18, 2003, the Federal Railroad Administration of the United States Department of Transportation proposed final rules printed in the Federal Register, 49 CFR Parts 222 and 229, to require a commuter or commercial locomotive to sound its horn when it approaches and enters a public highway-rail crossing; and

WHEREAS, This complex proposed rule may cause communities through which locomotives travel to experience an increase in the number of train whistles that are sounded daily; and

WHEREAS, This proposal by the Federal Railroad Administration of the United States Department of Transportation may be detrimental to the quality of life of those who live near a train-crossing without additional input from local mayors and village managers; and

WHEREAS, The comment period for input into these proposed final rules expires on February 17, 2004; and

WHEREAS, The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert and The Honorable William O. Lipinski have requested an extension of the comment period in order for the Federal Railroad Administration to hold a public hearing in the City of Chicago on the proposed final rules governing train whistles; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we do formally request that the time period designated for public comment be extended by 60 days to provide additional time for local units of government to submit input to the Federal Railroad Administration on the proposed final rules governing train whistles; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we formally request the Federal Railroad Administration to schedule a public hearing in the City of Chicago to receive testimony from local public officials, units of local government and those who live or work within the Counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake and Will on the proposed train whistle rules within this 60-day extension of time for public comment; and

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be immediately delivered to Norman Mineta, Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation; The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, the United States Speaker of the House; The Honorable William O. Lipinski, United States Congressman from the Third Congressional District of the State of Illinois and Ranking Member of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines; and Allan Rutter, Administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration.