Leaders in 14th Congressional District worried about EJ&E sale
Candidates for the 14th Congressional District seat joined with mayors in some of the communities they represent this week in expressing serious concerns if not outright opposition to the pending sale of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad Co.
In interviews and statements this week, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster and Republican challenger Jim Oberweis said they oppose the sale because the increased train traffic in the area would delay emergency vehicles, add to traffic gridlock and represent a degradation of the general quality of life for the residents of the district.
Oberweis said he's particularly concerned about the plan torpedoing any hopes of creating a better commuter rail line that would transport residents among suburbs. If freight trains must be moved out of Chicago to ease rail congestion, the answer is to move the trains as far west as possible, Oberweis said. He suggested rerouting them to rail lines that run through Rochelle.
"What this takes is some real fighters to oppose it on behalf of the communities involved," Oberweis said.
Meanwhile, Foster is using his seat in Congress to form a coalition of Illinois' federal leadership to add weight to an already expansive public outcry from many suburban communities.
Foster issued a statement this week saying the coalition will introduce legislation to ensure the government agency that must approve the sale puts down its rubber stamp and listens to all the concerns.
"I have found no benefit for the people of the 14th District in this proposed merger," Foster said. "And I am not alone."
Indeed, even communities in the 14th District that won't see a direct positive or negative impact from the sale are fearing a trickle-down blow to their quality of life.
St. Charles, for instance, may find more problems sending fire trucks out to the village of Wayne, with which it has a contract to provide emergency services.
St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte said he's also not looking forward to additional traffic on an already busy Route 64 as commuters in other towns seek ways to avoid additional freight train traffic. Route 64 is the main roadway in St. Charles, and one of the few that provides an overpass to avoid the train tracks.
DeWitte said the $40 million Canadian National has offered to help mitigate increased traffic congestion won't build even one new overpass.
"Clearly that proposal is well short of the requirement to significantly minimize any negative impacts this sale might bring about," DeWitte said.
Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke agreed with that assessment and said he doesn't even believe the sale will solve railway congestion
as Canadian National envisions.
"Instead of having an east-to-west problem, you'll have a north, south, east and west problem," Schielke said. "There could be significant railway bottlenecks without some significant financial rebuilding of the rail system. I'm not so sure that you don't answer one problem with this move, but put three more on the table in doing so."
Other towns and residents of the 14th District will have one more chance to chime in with their views of the sale when a public hearing on the matter comes to West Aurora High School on Sept. 9.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=231095">Leaders in 14th Congressional District worried about EJ&E sale</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=231178">Bartlett, nearby suburbs voice their disdain for CN deal</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>