THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2008
Roskam Legislation Promotes New Rail Line
Sixth Congressional Dist. U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam Monday announced legislation directing the secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to designate a rail right-of-way as a "Corridor for Inter-Suburban Commuter Rail," for the promotion of mass transit across the nation, specifically for the Suburban Transit Access Route, or STAR Line.
Once a corridor is designated, DOT would limit increased usage of the corridor to a project for inter-suburban commuter rail.
Specifically, Roskam's legislation would allow DOT Secretary Mary E. Peters to designate the 36-mile stretch of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern (EJ&E) railway as a "Corridor for Inter-Suburban Commuter Rail," blocking Canadian National's (CN) attempts to gain access to this vital rail line.
Canadian National's potential future use of the line, which winds around the Chicago region to the west, would have a major impact on rail traffic in the Des Plaines, Rosemont, Mt. Prospect, and Prospect Hts. areas. If CN is allowed to purchase EJ&E it would reduce significantly the number of freight trains that use its line through the Des Plaines-Mt. Prospect area. That traffic would be diverted to the EJ&E line. Reduce rail traffic would decrease local traffic congestion, but increase tie-ups in the far western suburbs.
Roskam represents a large portion of Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village and communities in DuPage County to the west in addition to a small chunk of southern Mt. Prospect.
"With rising gas prices, my constituents, and many suburbanites in the surrounding communities desperately need access to more efficient and cost-effective transportation options," said Roskam. "What they don't need is increased freight rolling through their backyards. Spending countless hours stuck in traffic, expending gallons-and-gallons of costly gasoline while idling hurts our working families. We can do better."
This effort would help pave the way for the nation's first suburb-to-suburb commuter line, reduce surface transportation congestion and decrease area consumption of gasoline - all leading to a greatly improved suburban transportation system.
"At a time when gas prices are approaching $5 a gallon, the expansion of mass transit makes all the sense in the world," continued Roskam. "Improving the daily lives of Chicagoland residents, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and decreasing pollutants expelled into the air is reason enough to support this important piece of legislation. It is my hope that we will soon be able to move forward with the STAR Line, one of our area's most important capital projects."
The STAR Line would connect nearly 100 communities from Joliet to O'Hare Airport, providing safe, reliable transportation options for the more than 1.6 million area residents living in high-congestion areas. The 55-mile route would run along 36-miles of the EJ&E railway and connect to a rail system along I-90.