CN blocks Metra and Emergency Vehicles

[wilmette2008]

https://www.nbcchicago.com/investigatio ... 60341.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; very interesting, wonder if this Barrington being NIMBY or a ligament concern? Thanks

[justalurker66]

The concern is legitimate ... although the article notes that this was a "perfect storm" where a train broke down at a bad time (Tuesday afternoon rush hour). The extended length of modern trains meant multiple crossings were blocked ... which is not hard to do with four crossings within 5900 ft.

The city wants the underpass. I would not consider it a NIMBY situation since the trains are already there and the city is willing to accept that fact - they just want a way across the tracks that doesn't require a 20 minute detour.

[eolesen]

I've lived in the Barrington area for years, and while CN can certainly block traffic, it's not as bad as the article portrays it.

The first responders know to how to get around things, and even when the in-town crossings are blocked, they're not necessarily blocked at Ela, and if they are, it's a quick jog over to Deerpath and the Route 12 underpass.

Barrington doesn't want to pay for an underpass, the State doesn't have the money, and CN knows they don't have to pay for it because they were there long before US-14 was.

The best solution isn't an underpass --- it's a grade separation over the UP, from south of Lake-Cook and on piers/embankment/viaduct all the way past US-14. Both are fairly busy, and the underpass only benefits one side of town.

CN already has the ROW, and building adjacent to the existing tracks is probably cheaper than the current plan for the underpass, which involves land acquisition and tearing down part of a neighborhood plus rerouting a creek.

They could probably apply for a CREATE grant...

[Milwaukee_F40C]

Is CREATE still going on for new proposals?

[eolesen]

Yes, they're still doing new grant proposals. On a technicality, CREATE pursues the grants from USDOT or other sources. The low hanging fruit have been handled, but this is one that both UP and CN could benefit from, and they're both participants.