HJ0044 LRB094 11766 HSS 45144 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Illinois has the second largest number of highway
3 grade crossings in the United States: 8,524 public grade level
4 crossings; 2,733 grade-separated crossings; 281 pedestrian
5 grade crossings; and 76 pedestrian grade separated crossings;
6 and
 
7     WHEREAS, In the United States, approximately every 2 hours
8 a collision occurs between a train and a vehicle, train and a
9 bicyclist, or a train and a pedestrian; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Each year in Illinois, approximately 50 people are
11 killed and another 50 are injured in grade crossing collisions
12 or while trespassing on railroad property; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In 2004 alone, there were 58 fatalities at
14 railroad grade crossings in Illinois; and
 
15     WHEREAS, A person is 40 times more likely to die in a
16 collision with a train than in a collision involving another
17 motor vehicle; therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
20 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Railroad
21 Crossing Safety Task Force, consisting of thirteen members
22 appointed as follows: the Speaker of the House of
23 Representatives, the President of the Senate, the Minority
24 Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader
25 of the Senate shall each appoint one member of the General
26 Assembly and two members of the general public; in addition,
27 the Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission or his or her
28 designee shall be a member of the Task Force; and be it further
 
29     RESOLVED, That after the members are appointed, the Task

 

 

HJ0044 - 2 - LRB094 11766 HSS 45144 r

1 Force shall meet and select a member of the Task Force as
2 Chairperson; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That the members of the general pubic shall
4 represent the following associations, organizations, and
5 interests: educational institutions, engineering consultants,
6 insurance industry, municipal corporations, non-profit rail
7 safety organizations, federal and local governmental entities,
8 and the railroad industry; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet as necessary to
10 review and evaluate the complex issues involving rail grade
11 crossing safety, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists in
12 Illinois; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study and evaluate the
14 following: advanced rail safety technology, warning devices
15 and guided transportation systems, the Federal Railroad
16 Administration's Interim Final Rule regarding sounding train
17 horns at rail grade crossings, ambiguity over jurisdiction of
18 pedestrian right of way, utilization of State and federal funds
19 for crossing protection, and to what extent pedestrian and
20 bicyclist safety at rail grade crossings is addressed in the
21 current educational materials and programming regarding rail
22 safety in Illinois; and be it further
 
23     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings and
24 recommendations to the General Assembly by July 1, 2006; and be
25 it further
 
26     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent
27 to the Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission.