HR0068enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0068 Enrolled LRB096 10659 GRL 20832 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION 68

WHEREAS, On December 24, 2008, the purchase of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern (EJ&E) rail line by Canadian National (CN) was approved by the Surface Transportation Board (STB); the EJ&E is a stretch of train tracks from Waukegan to Gary, Indiana; and

WHEREAS, While many communities in the metro area of Chicago benefited by the shift in train traffic created by the merger, many other communities experienced a negative increase in train traffic; this increase is expected to have an impact on the day-to-day lives of working families along sections of the EJ&E, such as traffic congestion and grade crossing safety concerns, emergency vehicle access, interruption of commuter rail service, hazardous materials transportation safety, noise pollution, decreased property values, and increased taxes to pay for mitigation expenses associated with infrastructure impact from the purchase of the EJ&E rail line; and

WHEREAS, The RTA has expressed concern about possible negative effects that the proposed EJ&E merger could have on construction of the proposed STAR Line, a mass-transit line which had hoped to use part of the EJ&E's right-of-way; and

WHEREAS, Railroad transport is one of the fastest growing means of fuel-efficient freight transport in the nation and is expected to continue to grow; and

WHEREAS, Significant growth is expected in rail freight traffic in the near and distant future creating environmental and safety concerns for those communities surrounding freight rail lines; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage and support action by the 111th Congress of the United States to enact legislation to review the Surface Transportation Board to ensure adequate federal support to compensate impacted local communities for infrastructure upgrades due to shifts in track usage; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we believe that the federal government should help fund infrastructure upgrades for communities impacted by mergers, such as the CN and EJ&E merger, that cause significant fluctuation in rail traffic for the health and safety of both the employees of the rail carrier and the local communities such as improvements to State, municipal, and county streets, grade crossings, and commuter rail; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage Congress and President Barack Obama to support H.R. 693, the Reaching the Star Act, creating a Suburban Transit Access Route or STAR line inter-suburban commuter rail to ease road traffic congestion in 100 communities from Joliet to O'Hare International Airport, providing safe and reliable transportation options for the more than 1.6 million area residents living in high-congestion areas; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent to President Barack Obama, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and to each member of the Illinois congressional delegation.