HJ0126 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0126 LRB096 23997 GRL 43401 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The towns of Centralia and Mt. Vernon are home to more than 30,000 Illinois citizens who have been plagued with an ever-increasing number of traffic delays caused by railroad trains that block traffic crossings; and

WHEREAS, Both towns have numerous street-level grade crossings that are regularly blocked by trains; there are also 2 State of Illinois highway crossings in Centralia and 6 highway crossings in Mt. Vernon, which have created large-scale delays for a higher number of commuters; and

WHEREAS, These delays could have profound public health and safety aspects, should a person requiring urgent health care be confined to an emergency response vehicle that is tied up at a street-level railroad grade crossing; and

WHEREAS, A sharp, curving section of railroad right-of-way leading into Centralia from the south causes some of the most extreme delays, where the maximum speed allowed on the rails is only 10 miles per hour; the grade crossings for these tracks are frequented by both motor vehicle commuters and approximately 40 freight trains a day; with some railroad trains being almost one mile long, motorists must wait for many minutes to cross the tracks; and

WHEREAS, The residents of the affected towns have spoken out against these aforementioned delays for over a decade in city council meetings and town forums alike and have called for rerouting of rail lines to reduce these delays and health hazards in their daily lives; the municipalities of Centralia and Wamac have both passed resolutions to support this route change; and

WHEREAS, Two potential routes have been identified for the potential route relocation; both routes involve an investment in new track and are promising to unclog the bottleneck areas located in the towns of Centralia and Mt. Vernon; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize and offer our support for the citizens of Clinton County, Jefferson County, Marion County, and Washington County, in and around the municipalities of Centralia and Mount Vernon, in their ongoing effort to develop a plan to reroute train traffic and prevent delays due to train crossings in and around the towns of Centralia and Mt. Vernon; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Commerce Commission, and the affected railroads to work with the citizens of these communities to find a timely solution to this issue; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Commerce Commission, U.S. Congressman John Shimkus, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, State Representative John Cavaletto, State Senator John O. Jones, Mayor Becky Ault of Centralia, and Mayor Mary Jane Chesley of Mt. Vernon.