Feds should help with CN gridlock

We commend members of Congress who brought $100 million to Cook County to continue advancement of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency program (CREATE).

The Regional Answer to Canadian National (TRAC) remains a steadfast supporter of CREATE as a realistic solution to eliminating freight railroad bottleneck in the region while maximizing economic benefits and minimizing negative quality of life issues for the region's residents.

This type of coordinated and thoughtful planning is a model that should serve as a blueprint for funding vital safety and traffic improvements for the dozens of communities negatively impacted by Canadian National Railway's purchase of the EJ&E.

While TRAC remains optimistic that legal challenges before the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in D.C. will ultimately change the outcome in the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) decision, we continue on a parallel track to ensure funding for necessary mitigation is made available if the decision stands unaltered. Since the STB is a federal agency, it only makes sense that our elected federal leaders help secure funding for infrastructure improvements that remain vital to the safety and economic stability of communities throughout the collar counties.

While all levels of government face fiscal challenges, TRAC believes that if CN is not made to fund the mitigation made necessary as a result of its expansion of gridlock into the region, then the federal government is the appropriate level of government to bear the lion's share of the cost of this interstate commerce decision. We are calling on our members of Congress to work with us to realize a funding solution to help the hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses along the EJ&E corridor that, if not already experiencing the negative impacts caused by this expansion, will in the near future as the economy strengthens.

Thomas Weisner

Mayor of Aurora

Morreale McAuliffe

TRAC co-chairwoman