Report: Poor ignored in debate over EJ&E takeover plan

The needs of low-income Chicago neighborhoods that would benefit from a railroad merger are being overshadowed by wealthier interests standing to lose from the deal, a recent report concludes.

The study, authored by two faculty members with the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy Studies, looked at the impact of railway giant Canadian National's plan to buy the EJ&E railroad, a smaller line that runs from Waukegan to Gary, Ind., in a half-circle.

CN intends to move a number of its freights from tracks in Chicago and nearby towns to the EJ&E. Not surprisingly, communities that would see more freight traffic are lobbying hard against the changes and have enlisted congressional allies.

While CN and its supporters believe relieving freight congestion in Chicago will benefit the region economically, opponents counter that the plan would create major safety, traffic and environmental problems in their towns.

The merger request will be decided by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.

Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, an associate professor, and Christopher Berry, an assistant professor, got interested in the issue because they live in Chicago.

The report focuses on both income and race. The researchers analyzed 2000 census data and found that in 38 Chicago communities expected to see less freight trains are on average 30 percent white with a median household income of $46,000.

By contrast, in 27 municipalities that would experience more freights, the population on average was 67 percent white with a median income of $75,700, the professors concluded.

"There are benefits for urban, minority communities that have not been part of the discussion," Bueno de Mesquita said.

"If I lived in the suburbs, I wouldn't want more trains in my neighborhood. But you don't want to forgo things that would be good for the region. There are more residents that will benefit than those who are hurt."

The opposition to the CN merger has brought together a mix of towns located near EJ&E tracks such as Barrington, Naperville, West Chicago, Lake Zurich and Richton Park. They range from working class to extremely affluent.

Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold, whose south suburban community is diverse with a split of about 60 percent African-American and 36 percent white, according to the Census Bureau, said the results of the report are irrelevant.

"I'm not disputing the data but I don't think that's the issue at all. It's a quality of life issue with increasing hazardous materials," Reinbold said, referring to increases in freight cars carrying hazardous substances. "The way to solve a community's problems is not to make it another community's problem."