Jerry1066 - All Comments

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Larry Kaufman — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 16:46:04 GMT

"jerry1066" apparently didn't like the answers he got to his rhetorical and pejorative "question" about why the government is paying for privae rail congestion construction in Chicago. Messy things, those facts. The have a habit of getting in the way of preconceived notions. Right, jerry1066?

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Larry Kaufman — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:48:53 GMT

oamundsen: Assuming your comment was serious, I'll give you a serious response. Consider this to be non-partisan; I hold both parties accountable for the mess they have created.

As for the tea partisans, well, we've had their kind throughout U.S. history. Sometimes they were known as the "know-nothings," and at other times by other names. The current incarnation revels in being "aginners." That is, they advocate nothing and bring nothing to the table but their negativity. I'm satisfied that wiser people eventually will prevail and our government will get back to governing - which does cost money (taxes) whether I like it or not.

I'm old enough to remember back to FDR's time as president. I've never before seen such a blatant attempt to delegitimize an elected President, as we have with Mr. Obama. That Mitt Romney can refuse to disavow Donald Trump and his obnoxious birtherism tells me far more about Romney than it does about Trump or Obama.

Finally, we have a Congress that is extremely partisan. The House can pass the most ridiculous measures, hypocritically knowing that the Senate will "save them from themselves." It works both ways. Bringing this discussion back to the surface transportation program, it now appears that there will be no bill, only another couple or few continuing resolutions to keep basic highways construction going. That the highway trust fund will be drained in less than a year somehow does not seem to bother thiese clowns We get the kind of government we want in our society, so shame on all us voters who year-in and year-out send the clowns back. They'll do it to us again and again, if we tolerate them. Thanks for the opportunity to vent. Note that I blame both sides equally.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

oamundsen — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:18:28 GMT

Hear,hear goldenspike and Larry, wouldn't it be great to see some aboveboard, straight out commitment to the common good by our elected Congress and Administration via a fair and balanced National Surface Transportation Plan of at least a ten year funded life? Larry, you are the pragmatist here but I would imagine that you too would like something more than an election cycle to develop a private/public collaborative transportation infrastructure plan. The misguided tea party types need not apply as they would not bring anything to the table beyond their nose tips.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Larry Kaufman — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:02:23 GMT

Oh, goldenspike, you are going to incur the wrath of the tea party movement with that comment. I happen to agree with you for the most part.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

goldenspike — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:39:32 GMT

A very important area of national economics has not been touched upon here! Railroad infrastructure assistance by the federal and state governments helps create JOBS! When the transcontinental railroad project was authorized by president Lincoln massive professional engineering and common labor jobs were realized. National transportation infrastructure improvement makes life more efficient and travel safer for all. I endorse every railroad "flyover" bridge that can possibly be dreamed of! I cheer for the prospect of huge new rail bridges over our country's major rivers! I support "genuine" high-speed passenger and freight rail that will require new bridgework as has never been imagined! Historically, our nation's rail network has been the largest sustainable job source in America. So let us build, build and build like never before! The historical study of our country's rail infrastructure reveals the best cooperation between federal authority and the private industrail sector of all time!

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Larry Kaufman — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 16:29:00 GMT

Well stated, BruceMcF. There also is the benefit to the entire society of getting projects completed far sooner than if various players had to wait until they had the money. Norfolk Southern, for example, might still be thinking about the Heartland Corridor if it were not for a public-private partnership. Why should the public pay for any of it? Because absent the corridor project NS might never see benefits that would justify its clearance of the route for double-stack operations. Why should public agencies participate and contribute financially? Because improved transportation infrastructure will benefit East Coast ports that soon will see an increase in ships having transited the enlarged Panama Canal. Major retailers like Home Depot, Wal Mart, etc., will consider locating regional distribution centers in areas of the Midwest that might not have been considered if the route were not cleared. The same applies to the CSX National Gateway.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

BruceMcF — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 21:43:16 GMT

So, in short, the answer is, the public is paying for public benefits, the private RR's are paying for private benefits, and by pursuing it as a negotiated common package we get more bang for the buck for both the public money and the private money.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Larry Kaufman — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 22:06:38 GMT

Does Amtrak have the funds to pay its share? How aggressive one is usually is related to how much money it is contributing.

CREATE is controversial only because someone came on this blog and made what I consider a politically motivated comment questioning the whole project. CREATE is the result of about seven years of negotiations among the various participants. Simple? Hardly. But, when they finished their negotiations, each party was committed to pay for its share of each element that gave it benefit - including the public. All the tea party folks seem to do is oppose, oppose, oppose. Anyone seen anything positive from the radical right?

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

HarveyK400 — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:41:31 GMT

From my perspective, Amtrak hasn't been very aggressive in taking the opportunity to improve the eastern corridor out of Chicago. High speed corridors to Detroit and Cleveland have been designated as well as the existing routes with 14 daily trains; but speeds of 30-45 mph plague much of the present NS alignment between 22nd St and 61st St. No improve has been proposed despite Illinois having a ranking US Senator who supports Amtrak and the pending Englewood Flyover project delayed due to a DBE issue.

A new connection from Union Station to the St Charles Air Line and CN offers advantages over the Grand Crossing connection that has been proposed as part of CREATE. The SCAL would eliminate the current backup move, afford a faster Amtrak route to Carbondale and New Orleans and an alternative for Indianapolis, and not complicate the NS 47th St inter-modal terminal expansion. The 6, and potentially 8, additional Amtrak trains with the Grand Crossing alternatives would aggravate conflicts with NS.

Furthermore, the SCAL connection would allow combining an Airport express service from McCormick Place and Union Station to O'Hare with the Metra North Central Service where Milwaukee District track capacity is limited. Connections between the Metra Electric, NCS, and other suburban lines at Union Station would provide better regional coordination, avoid a CTA fare, and in some cases eliminate a transfer.

Finally, the new SCAL connection would facilitate consolidation of Rock Island weekend service at Union Station and a possible Lincoln Service (Saint Louis) Corridor reroute between Joliet and Chicago. That's a complicated issue as well where saving the cost of grade separations on the CN Joliet secondary precludes development of the Metra Heritage Corridor that could relieve some of the demand for service on the BNSF that is near capacity.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

anmccaff — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:01:30 GMT

GS>Let's keep this controversy simple and uncomplicated!

Even if the reality behind it isn't?

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

goldenspike — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:34:25 GMT

Let's keep this controversy simple and uncomplicated! Chicagoland is the industrial and rail hub of America; always has been and always will in the future. I applaud the governing authorities in Illinois for their vision regarding the efficient operations of massive rail freight congestion in and about the Chicago area. The engineering term for the construction of rail bridge over rail-yard is the "flyover"! This type of huge infrastructrue promotes rail safety, cost of operations, and actually makes way for any planned expansion of passenger rail in and out of Chicago, both locally such as Metra, or for the continental traveler by Amtrak. Another factor not mentioned here in above commentary is that the city of Chicago has gigantic political clout regarding Federal government subsidy. All's fair in love and war; as the railroad corporations pay large taxes to state and federal government for their business, the feds owe it to the railroads to assist in infrastructure for the common good of the country...remember, the Interstate Highway System is totally owned and operated by the US government.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Larry Kaufman — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:03:40 GMT

That is so, Bill. And some are extremely expensive rail flyovers for which the benefiting railroads are putting up most of the money. I'd like to see some of these tea party types who don't think there should even be a government be forced to do without school teachers, firemen, police, VA medical care, highways, anything that doesn't qualify as spending for military defense. They're quick to condemn government spending - until it's something from which they benefit. Can you say hypocrite?

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Bill_Freeto — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:39:26 GMT

I believe many or most of the biggest ticket items in CREATE are grade separation projects to reduce street traffic snarl-ups caused by commuter train operations during the rush hours.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

Larry Kaufman — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:08:18 GMT

"commoncarrier" must be Railwayists doppelganger. He is equally mindless. Don't hold your breath waiting for Chicago to fade as a railroad town. The CSX and Norfolk Southern intermodal facilities in Ohio are intended to make the transit to/from Chicago more efficient. The two big western carriers, UP and BNSF, have built their latest intermodal facilities west of Chicago - half way to Iowa - for the same reasons. CN's acquisition of the EJ&E was undertaken because CN got tired of waiting for the CREATE program to be funded, while it had a need to make its line to Prince Rupert, BC, viable into the U.S. Midwest and Southeast. There sure are a lot of trains going to/from Chicago for a city that supposedly is losing its manufacturing base. You didn't mention, commoncarrier, that Chicagoans have stopped eating, so I guess there is a lot more than just manufactured goods moving into and out of metro Chicago. If you knew twice as much as you think you do, you'd still only know half of what you should.

re: Why is the government paying for private RR congestion construction in CHI ??

commoncarrier — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:13:49 GMT

This is a problem that is going to fix itself. Chicago is being bypassed by two recent rail projects- CSX New Baltimore Intermodal and NS Rickenbacker Intermodal Yard in Columbus OH not to mention the CN aquisition of the EJ&E that loops around the city. Chicago itself is losing its manufacturing base in favor of high tech that does not use freight trains but does demand good commuter trains