From Today's Daily Herald

For those of you not following along this is a huge issue, and these trains will effect our commutes as they cut across our routes to work. I testified here last night as well.

Both sides to EJ&E sale have their say at meeting
By Russell Liseau

More than 100 people packed a Mundelein hotel's banquet room Tuesday night to sound off about the proposed Canadian National purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad - but the comments weren't one-sided.

People opposed to the deal - which is expected to relieve freight-train traffic on the existing Canadian National tracks in the area but would lead to increased freight travel on the EJ&E line that loops through the suburbs - outnumbered supporters, but supporters were present and vocal.

Among the high-profile backers who spoke at the Crowne Plaza Chicago North Shore was state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, who said freight traffic is a fact of life. "The CN proposal deserves a fair review," the Northbrook Democrat said.

The political heavy-hitters who opposed the deal were in much greater number, however, led by U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, who flew in from the Democratic National Convention in Denver for the session.

Bean, of Barrington, criticized the proposed purchase as a move by a private, foreign company that would force local communities to pay for relieving any problems that arise from the extra traffic on the EJ&E line.

She also criticized Canadian National's statements that train traffic would decrease on its current tracks, saying the company has made no long-term promises.

"The so-called benefits are clearly a sham," Bean said.

Other politicians and community leaders who spoke against the deal included Hawthorn Woods Mayor Keith Hunt, Mundelein Village Administrator John Lobaito, Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Steingart and Mundelein Fire Chief Tim Sashko.

Plenty of local residents shared opinions about the proposal, too.

Most shared the sentiments of Mundelein resident Michael Fisher, who was concerned about Canadian National's safety record and the potential freight traffic on the EJ&E line.

"An overnight increase ... is a recipe for disaster," he said.

The meeting was arranged by the Surface Transportation Board, a three-member federal panel with final say on the deal.

Representatives from the board, Canadian National and other interested groups were present.

The transportation board has said it will work the comments given at the meeting and at other gatherings throughout the Chicago area into an environmental impact study that's scheduled to be released in December or January.

A final decision on the proposed deal will follow.

Similar meetings are scheduled for this afternoon at Barrington High School, Thursday at Bartlett High School and Sept. 9 at West Aurora High School.

Regional Transportation Authority Testimony

About 10 days ago I testified at an RTA (Regional Transportation Authority) public hearing in Grayslake. The RTA put on an excellent presentation which you can view here as a PDF. What follows is my testimony, it was interesting to hear others concerns and issues, all in all it was well worth the time.

My name is Bill Gentes and I am the Mayor of Round Lake, I also serve on the board of directors for the Lake County Transportation Alliance, on the Lake County Partners Board of Governors as well as being the Chair of the Route 120 Corridor Planning Council.

• Long commutes
  
• Outrageous gas prices
• Standing room only on Metra trains
• Not enough parking
• Not enough trains and stations
• More “reverse commute” options

As Mayor for 8 years I have heard all of these things repeatedly from residents of Lake County. I personally have observed numerous improvements to transportation over the years from the state and county governments, but in reality they are stop gap measures at best, barely keeping our heads above water. A few minutes ago I listed 6 items, of which 3 are directly solvable by increasing and improving Regional Transportation funding, the other three are syptoms of the illness that is plaguing transportation in the region Tonight at this hearing we have heard that there is a plan to move transit issues forward This state desperately needs the passage of the so-called “Capitol plan” I call on the legislature and governor to move forward on this needed piece of legislation so we can start to implement the RTA plan and get this state moving again. Thank you

Metra Ridership Surges - Especially in Lake County

The continual increase in the price of gasoline is sparking a surge in ridership of mass transit. Overall, ridership on Metra was up by more than a million passengers, or about 5 percent, through the first four months of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007, Metra said.

For Lake County train lines, the increase is even greater. The sale of monthly passes on the Milwaukee District North line (the line running between Fox Lake and Chicago) was up by 8.5 percent in April from a year ago.

The North Central line, between Antioch and Chicago, rose 7.5 percent during the same time period. During 2007, North Central ridership rose by an amazing 14%, according to Metra's newsletter, On the Bi-Level.

(Article from the the Chicago Tribune)

Metra Parking Article from Todays News Sun

Trustees reject free parking during Metra station lot work

BY ALEC JUNGE Special to the News-Sun

ROUND LAKE -- The village's Metra station parking is going to get messed up and ugly with construction potentially beginning in August.

The Village Board has decided to continue to charge residents the same parking fee during the construction process, despite losing 129 spaces, according to Village Administrator Marc Huber. He added the lot construction and reconfiguration is expected to last at least four months.

"Whatever decision we make, we are going to have some unhappy people," said Mayor Bill Gentes.

He suggested the village not charge for parking during construction. That idea was rejected by a majority of trustees.

"The tollway closes lanes and still charges the toll," said Trustee Robert Del Prato.

"People know that there is going to be some inconvenience with construction," said Trustee Sherry Perkowitz.

"We should go for free," said Trustee Dale Multrerer, who was the only one to support suspending the parking fees. "At least we have attempted to do something."

Marc Huber noted the village had the potential to lose approximately $22,000 in revenue for the period. That was an amount trustees agreed was too much money to squander.

Gentes stressed the positive, that once complete, the parking lot will bring back the original 128 spaces lost and add 112 more.

Also, another consideration was how to handle the two residents who hold year-long passes. They all agreed to refund the portion of money that would cover the construction period.

Trustees also agreed to suspend seasonal and monthly permits during the construction process. Included in the plan was to allocate the spaces on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Gentes.

The growing village was able to finance the project by diverting $200,000 from a previous federal grant relating to the purchase of the Long Lake Metra Station, Gentes said.

The village was able to set aside that amount for construction costs which it is transferring from the Long Lake project. The grant now permits the village to reallocate a portion of it to another project, according to Huber.

Del Prato was concerned Metra officials might forget they requested the transfer and then leave the village on the hook for the portion that was reallocated for the Round Lake lot.

Village Attorney James Magee said it was unlikely Metra would go back and seek the funds at a later date.

Huber added the construction start is still uncertain. He stressed that a preconstruction meeting still needs to be conducted. If construction begins in August, expected completion is slated for early January with landscaping finishing in spring 2009.

Gentes stressed the timing is really up to Metra, which will control when the project starts and is completed.

Transit Idea-- Alameda Corridor

Given the growing issues we are having in this region with increased freight congestion, I think it's instructive to see how the Los Angeles area dealt with 100's of rail crossings bogging down traffic and obstructing community growth opportunites.

The Alameda Corridor is a 20-mile-long rail cargo expressway linking the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the transcontinental rail network near downtown Los Angeles. It is a series of bridges, underpasses, overpasses and street improvements that separate freight trains from street traffic and passenger trains, facilitating a more efficient transportation network. The project’s centerpiece is the Mid-Corridor Trench, which will carry freight trains in an open trench that is 10 miles long, 33 feet deep and 50 feet wide between State Route 91 in Carson and 25th Street in Los Angeles. Construction began in April 1997. Operations began in April 2002.

Transit Innovations in Curitiba, Brazil

The city of Curitiba is home to almost 2 million people and is the cultural, political, and financial center in southern Brazil. It has faced many of the same dilemmas that plague transportation planners and policymakers in U.S. cities. In the 1960s, traffic congestion was ruining the livability of the city and harming the economy, but the city did not have enough money to build the kind of expensive, fixed-rail transit line that had become the norm in other large cities around the world. An innovative, low-cost solution was needed, or else Curitiba would stop growing and lose its status as the economic hub of the region.

Local planners, led by future mayor Jamie Lerner, tapped available resources to provide the best possible product for their residents. Rather than spend $16-24 million/mile for a light rail system or $100–200 million/mile for an underground subway, the city invested $6 million/mile to construct an extensive rapid- bus system. Planners took the comfort, speed, and frequency of an expensive subway and applied them to an above-ground, subway-like system using buses. They built tube bus stations and installed turnstiles for rapid boarding and fare collection along designated bus lanes. A conventional bus, with an 80-passenger capacity on an average street, could transport 1,000 passengers per day. Boarding tubes and bus right-of-way lanes allow Curitiba's buses to carry 4,000 passengers per day.

Curitiba's bus system has been a huge success, as the city has been transformed into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, environmentally conscious, and sustainable place. With buses arriving every 36 seconds to move passengers in and out of the city, Curitiba's 1,902 buses attract 2.3 million riders daily. Because there are so many transit users, fuel consumption in the city is 30 percent lower than in Brazil's other major metropolitan areas.

Lessons to Learn

Curitiba's convenience, cleanliness, and attractiveness of a public transportation system encourage people to leave their cars at home and take a bus. In Curitiba, for example, 85 percent of the population uses the system, as development around the stations also helps increase ridership. Transit users can easily access and enjoy nearby services and amenities including housing, restaurants, and stores. The city coordinated with land use and zoning departments to ensure that higher density residential units were allowed closer to the tube bus stations.

Chicago and other U.S. cities are considering new bus systems that borrow the best ideas from Curitiba. Mayor Richard Daley recently said, "All the money we're spending to remodel the El and the tunnel system… that is an enormous amount of money. You'll have to put it in [again] in another 20 years or 30 years. Some way, you have to look at some form of a bus system."

Curitiba and Chicago have similar population size, transit budget constraints, and roles as a cultural and economic hub. Whether it's re-striping current traffic lanes to accommodate a bus-only lane for rapid transit access or better interconnectivity between transportation modes, Chicago can learn from Curitiba's transit success.

More Information & Resources:

• The Road to Curitiba—New York Times
• Issues in Bus Rapid Transit: Curitiba—Public Transit
• The Curitiba Experience: Evolution of the Bus System—USDOT Federal transit Administration
• Curitiba's Urban Experiment—PBS Frontline World

Thanks to the Metropolitan Planning Council for the article.

Freight Congestion-- CN and EJ&E Merger

I am a member of the Suburban Transportation Commission a bipartisan group founded by Congressman Mark Kirk and Congresswomen Melissa Bean. Recently railroad company CN has proposed to purchase the EJ & E freight line which would pump nearly 30 freight trains a day through the Barrington area, and throughout the region.

While I am opposed to the purchase for a variety of reasons, the one that will resonate with Round Lake residents is that if the merger is completed and improvements and safety upgrades to the 100's of at grade intersections are made this will deplete transportation funds from other needed projects, such as one of our areas favorite, the 120 bypass!

There are many other reasons to oppose this, many of them are listed on this excellent website. The video above is from the public information hearing the Suburban Transportation Commission held in Lake Zurich a few weeks ago, and while I had a small speaking part (not in this video) I think Congresswomen Bean articulates the case very well.

NOTE I am having problems posting the video so the link to it is here.

Catch an Illiinois Train

One of the best ways to support the environment is to get more riders on public transportation. Have you tried Amtrak lately? With recently expanded schedules, Amtrak Illinois is a great option to get around the state. Check out www.CatchAnIllinoisTrain.com with community-specific timetables and maps to make first times riders have an easy time on Amtrak. The folks at the Midwest High Speed Rail Association are launching this statewide campaign to Catch An Illinois Train, so spread the word today!