Ah yes the mayor of NIMBYVILLE I mean Barrington, is such a train hater, and doesn't get it. So Barrington has Metra UP Northwest line trains , and UP freight's to Janesville and have never whined about that. Can someone please tell me why this is?
I understand and agree that the increased CN train traffic through Barrington will probably have a significant impact on the movement of vehicle traffic through and around the town. However, I have little sympathy for their plight. Collectively, the citizens of the "village" and their leadership have tried to keep themselves somewhere back in the first half of the 20th Century. The only way a vehicle can get directly from one side of town to another is to travel on only two through 2 lane streets to the single cross intersection in the center of town. That, or going out of town to travel very circuitous routes.
In other words, forget about trains. They didn't even build highway infrastructure to adequately accommodate the automobile age.
I am not surpirsed at the statements made, but found it interesting that after presenting a litany of problems caused by the increase of train traffic-declining commercial business, delays to automobile and emergency vehicles and other safety issues- the mayor argues that the railroad should pay for grade separation because "they are the ones who will benefit". Hello?
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
Barrington is the poor little rich girl that want someone else to buy her makeup.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Yesterday, on PBS's Newshour there was a good segment on the controversy, what seemed to me a fairly balanced report. If you'll watch the video, you'll see that not everyone is against the acquisition. You'll also see many shots of the areas that the EJ&E runs through.
Video and synopsis
Some of these municipalities (Barrington and Frankfort seem to be prime examples) are trying to preserve a perceived semi-rural atmosphere against the encroachments of creeping suburban sprawl and development. This is also reflected in the opposition to Metra's STAR route proposals. Gotta keep those undesirable working class types out of the neighborhood.
MP173 Blocked crossings are a problem, particularly when communities are planned based on certain railroad patterns. ed
Blocked crossings are a problem, particularly when communities are planned based on certain railroad patterns.
ed
jclass The prospect of more train traffic, and its effects including noise and blocked crossings.
The prospect of more train traffic, and its effects including noise and blocked crossings.
In a word....POLITICS.
Easy. Just follow the money.
How come towns along the EJ&E now CN are all of the sudden being NIMBY's about trains? Barrington never complained about Metra trains,EJ&E trains or UP freights to Janesville, Aurora never complained about BNSF freights EJ&E trains,Amtrak, or Metra trains before. West Chicago never complained about Metra ,EJ&E, or UP freight trains before. Tell me then why all of the sudden are these town whining about trains if they already see a fair amount of train traffic and never complained before complaining? Do they just hate trains, or is it because they think they are so important that trains are just a unessery evil thing? In the mean time should I go up to Barrington to do some rail fanning or do they hate people who like trains? Please let me know thank you.
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