Chicago CSX Intermodal Site Devastates Lives

Is this the fate of SE WinterHaven? COPYRIGHT 2006 Chicago Tribune Byline: Antonio Olivo Apr. 10--At night, while most of Chicago sleeps, families near the CSX Intermodal rail yard in West Englewood lie awake, their homes shuddering from something that sounds like trucks falling from the sky. In daylight, they watch cracks spreading across ceilings or walls and wipe clean the black diesel dust that settles on floors and dishes--byproducts of a 24-hour operation that handles as many as 700 truckloads per day. When CSX opened the rail yard in 1998--an economic boon to the struggling South Side neighborhood--everybody knew there would be noise and traffic. The city, initially wary of the yard, negotiated an agreement with the freight hauler to pay $300,000 a year into a neighborhood investment fund as a way to turn a potential nuisance into a plus for the blighted area. But neighbors say the fallout from rail yard activities is worse than they imagined. And the money, nearly half of it set aside for homes with bad roofs, porches or windows, seems to have gone everywhere but to those in the worst spots. Portions of the $2.8 million paid by CSX so far have gone to a picture-frame shop, a suburban roofing contractor, a street-cleaning program employing ex-convicts and a project to build a neighborhood strip mall, documents show. But plans for a sound barrier have fizzled. Chicago was built around one of the nation's great railroad hubs, and from its early years, there have been conflicts between residential life and the demands of the industry. A century and a half later, the South and Southwest Sides remain crucial junctions in the nation's freight system, now dependent on steel containers weighing up to 40 tons each that can be switched from trucks to railcars to ships. CSX does not dispute Englewood residents' complaints that the West Englewood yard has caused sleep deprivation, illness due to diesel pollution and property damage. In response to a class-action lawsuit last year, in which some nearby homeowners sought to limit the yard's operations to daytime and early-evening hours, the company did not take issue with those allegations. CSX lawyers instead noted that the company is immune to such court action under a 1995 federal law that leaves regulation of rail operations to the Surface Transportation Board. That federal agency said it hasn't received any complaints about the yard. A federal judge dismissed the suit, noting CSX's contention that cutting operations would cost $500,000 a day in lost revenues. "We're working with the alderman and the faith-based organizations to try and be good neighbors," CSX spokeswoman Kim Freely said. Critics complain, however, that any benefits from the rail yard have been arbitrary. Of the 35 or so households that have benefited from CSX's West Englewood fund, mainly through a hand-drawn lottery held in 2003, most are at least half a mile from the yard, where its concert of slamming containers, horns and revving diesel engines can scarcely be heard. "Those people don't even know there is a train yard over here," said Quincy Johnson, who blames a crumbling porch and ceiling cracks in his Hamilton Avenue home on a towering overhead crane nearby that stacks room-size metal containers onto metal train beds. City officials say it is not their problem. "If there are complaints about damage and people believe it is a result of CSX, they need to deal with CSX directly," said Connie Buscemi, spokeswoman for the city's Planning and Development Department. Before the rail yard opened, city officials had sought to open an industrial park in 10 vacant acres owned by the former Conrail company. Upon learning that CSX had acquired that land and intended to use it, the city persuaded the freight company to contribute the equivalent of the tax revenues projected for the industrial park. Officials targeted a 2-square-mile area surrounding the site as the stage for local improvements delivered by the CSX fund. The money has fostered community development in a blue-collar neighborhood long starving for local investment, Buscemi said, adding that the city has not received any proposals specifically seeking to repair homes closest to the yard. Besides agreeing to pay the city at least $300,000 a year until 2018 for its operations in West Englewood, the Florida-based company has sponsored local parades and turkey drives and contributed $2,000 toward a new neighborhood community center, Freely said. The intensity of need in the neighborhood showed when the city sponsored a 2003 lottery to determine whose homes would be fixed with $300,000 set aside for emergency repairs. In an elementary school auditorium, members of a standing-room-only crowd strained to hear whether their names had been pulled from a box up on stage. Several who won had never seen the rail yard, those who attended recalled. "The people closest to the yard got a raw deal on that one," said John Paul Jones, chairman of the non-profit Greater Englewood Community and Family Task Force. Carolyn Brown won new windows, doors and some tuck-pointing on her Throop Street graystone, which sits a mile from the yard. "I didn't have the money to do any of that," Brown said of the $10,000 job. "I was lucky." Some small-business owners also have benefited. Herbert Goode, president of Silver Cloud Galleries, a picture-frame manufacturer in West Englewood, applied for aid and used the $25,000 he received to pay for glass-block windows and other renovations to the brick industrial building his company bought in 2000. "I was going to do the repairs anyway," Goode said. "I didn't get as much as I expected. Still, I was reimbursed for something, which is better than a kick in the head." James Capraro, a veteran community activist who helped city officials negotiate the terms of the fund, said local community leaders did not anticipate the rail yard's impacts. His group, the Greater Southwest Development Corp., has used $250,000 from the fund toward efforts to rehab four abandoned houses in nearby Chicago Lawn, he said. Another group, Neighborhood Housing Services, has used about $400,000 from the fund to help homeowners--none closest to the rail yard--with facade improvements. "The fund wasn't created to correct the ills of the railroad because the railroad wasn't supposed to create any ills," Capraro said. The fortunes of those helped by the fund have heightened resentment near the CSX yard, where the noise continues. "My granddaughter [is] scared, waking up screaming sometimes," said Annetta Allen, gesturing toward Janai, 6. The pigtailed girl watched hip-hop videos in their Hamilton Avenue living room, where a web of cracks zigzagged from a wall onto the ceiling. Outside, a recently paved sidewalk also had cracks. Local concerns fall most heavily at Goodlow Magnet School, which sits a block from the yard on 62nd Street, near a CSX retention pond that neighbors say is a mosquito problem. Goodlow Principal Patricia Lewis said teachers complain about groggy pupils sleeping at their desks. A concentration of asthma cases at the school also has officials wondering whether it's related to diesel fumes and dust wafting from the rail yard, though there is no evidence to support that, she said. Ald. Theodore Thomas (15th), whose ward wraps around the rail yard, agreed that residents are suffering. But he said his hands are tied by the agreement that spreads the neighborhood fund over 2 square miles. "I don't like the service area of CSX," Thomas said. "I think we're stuck with it." Ollie Mae Ervin has for years kept her grandchildren's old socks as proof of her misery. Wrapped inside plastic freezer bags, the lace-fringed toddler socks were covered with the black diesel dust Ervin says she mops from her linoleum floors most mornings. Splayed across a table like crime scene evidence, the packages carried handwritten labels that documented years of frustration: "2002, 2003, 2004, 2005." "I just mop so much all the time," Ervin said, while a diesel engine rumbled outside. "Some days, there's so much dust you feel you can hardly breathe." aolivo@tribune.com Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com. TICKER SYMBOL(S): NYSE:CSX COPYRIGHT 2006 Chicago Tribun

CSX, Commuter Rail: Let Us See Clearly

Click title for story link. By Glenn Marston Published: Monday, February 9, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, February 9, 2009 at 7:48 a.m. This would seem to be CSX day on the opinion pages. We have an editorial about Gov. Charlie Crist promoting Orlando's proposed commuter-rail project. We have an op-ed column by Noranne Downs, P.E., District 5 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation. She says a previous editorial, "Florida Holds Gold Mine for CSX," Jan. 22, misstated the commuter-rail project's cost. Then there's this column. My purpose is to speak for The Ledger in greater detail about the project cost, and to lay out the rationale and motivation for our editorials about CSX. The two editorials peg the price of the overall project, what we call the CSX deal, at $795 million. Downs says the payout to CSX would be $432 million, because certain costs, such as those for five overpasses being built to accommodate increased freight traffic along the S Line, should not be included. CSX's S Line runs down from Jacksonville through Ocala and Lakeland, and would gain much traffic that has been routed along CSX's A Line. The A Line long has been the main route. It runs from Jacksonville through Orlando.

Crist On Board For Orlando Commuter Rail

CRIST ALL BOARD FOR ORLANDO COMMUTER RAILBy KEITH LAINGTHE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDAEnhanced resources for this story:are available at www.newsserviceflorida.comTHE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Feb. 4, 2009.............Gov. Charlie Crist lent his support Wednesday to commuter rail in the Orlando area, something that was missing from the failed effort to get the project on track last year. Crist mostly stayed above the fray during what was one of the Legislature's most high profile fights last year, as opponents of re-routing freight trains and trial lawyers opposed to lawsuit protections for CSX Corp. killed the plan. But Crist said this year, he'll help make the $1.2 billion project go, supporting legislation (SB 1212) filed Tuesday that would build the train and resolve the liability issue. Last year, the plan would have freed CSX from liability for problems on the rails in some cases in exchange for use of the company's existing tracks. The new plan now backed by Crist addresses the liability issue by splitting responsibility for accidents between the state and CSX instead of completely absolving the company in the event of a mishap. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, and Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and will be carried in the House by Reps. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, Doug Holder, R-Sarasota, Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, and Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando. Advocates said the proposed commuter train, now known as SunRail after an online poll of Orlando residents, would create 13,000 jobs and generate $4.6 billion for the construction sector over 20 years. Supporters also said the train would spur 113,000 construction projects within a half-mile range of 17 stations that will be built between DeLand and Poinciana and would remove the number of cars that fill one lane of Interstate 4 during weekday rush hours.Joined by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer at a Capitol news conference, Crist asked who could be against that kind of project. “It's a wonderful thing to do,” the governor said. "It helps the economy, it helps transportation, it helps people have the opportunity to move around in a way that is more clean..... And that's awfully important, especially in a state like ours that is so beautiful and continues to get cleaner every single day, so the important engine of tourism continues to have opportunity to flourish."Crist added that he was particularly impressed with the cooperation between the local governments involved in the project - the city of Orlando and Volusia, Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties."This is an incredibly cooperative effort to do what's right, not only for central Florida, but really for all of Florida," Crist said during the news conference. "Having the opportunity to have more rail...to uncongest our interstates and our roadways is one of the most important things that we can do."Crist flashed his trademark optimism over the train's prospects in the Legislature this year, even while acknowledging last year's defeat. Several Orlando area interest groups pushed hard for the train in 2008, as they are again this year, but it was derailed by the CSX liability indemnity provisions as well a plan to reroute freight trains through a Lakeland Senate district represented by a staunch opponent in Republican Sen. Paula Dockery. The senator and the trial bar fought hard against the proposal, ultimately dooming the legislation. Advocates said last fall that it would take support from Crist to overcome the opposition and in giving it to them Wednesday, Crist said that this year will be different. "(We) tried to do it last year and this time we're going to make it go," he told supporters who filled the Cabinet room with handmade signs in favor of the train. Crist added that one reason he is optimistic is because of the new administration in Washington, D.C., which is eager to fund projects like rail. "It's about turning dirt," Crist said. "As I understand it, there are funds there to do it now. By going ahead and getting the bill approved as early as possible, we get matching...federal funds to put more coal in the engine as relates to this project." Dyer, who also chairs the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission Governing Board, also said the SunRail project is a perfect example of the kind of initiative that President Barack Obama has said will be necessary to stimulate the nation's economy. "Central Florida and the entire state are feeling the effects of the nationwide recession," Dyer said, "Everyday we hear more and more about communities that are in desperate need of projects that create jobs and jump start spending. We hear about needing shovel-ready projects. Today, we unite to tell the residents of Florida and our state legislators, who have a very important vote coming up on this in a few weeks, that SunRail is an economic stimulus and we are ready to roll." Like Crist, Sen. Constantine said the legislative fight over the train would be different than it was in 2008. "Last year there was a great deal of confusion about this issue," Constantine said. "The local folks back home and the DOT have worked tirelessly to work with all of the various local areas, whether it be Tampa Bay or Polk County, to make them understand the importance of this issue. We in the Legislature...are trying to do everything we can to alleviate the concerns of our fellow members."Specifically, Constantine said the new bill would tackle the concerns of lawyers and residents of Lakeland and Polk County. "We have worked very hard with the trial lawyers to eliminate the sovereign immunity issue and get them to feel comfortable with this issue," he said. "We have been working very closely with the city of Lakeland to let them understand that we're there to help them. In the bill filed yesterday, we actually have put language in bill to alleviate a lot of the concerns of Lakeland and we pledge to continue to work with them on the concerns they, and any other area of this state, have." That's why Constantine said he shared Crist's optimism that lawmakers would be ready to get on board with the train proposal this year. "We're going to continue, we're going to work through this and we're going to make it happen in Senate," Constantine said.However, in a letter to Crist after it became known that he would endorse the train proposal - and in an interview with the News Service after Crist's announcement - Dockery again girded for a fight over the train in the upper chamber. "It's not that I'm not in favor of the commuter rail," Dockery told the News Service. "I am not in favor of the deal as negotiated. What I was asking in my letter is 'let's sit down and open up this agreement.'" In particular, Dockery said, she is not in favor of the amount of money the state will end up paying CSX for the use of its 61 miles of track in addition to the $615 million it will cost to build stations, purchase train cars and acquire land for parking lots. The plan currently calls for another $432 million for expenses related to freight track, which Dockery said should be dealt with separately. "I don't think the governor understands the entire project," Dockery said. "I think he is only focusing on the commuter rail aspect of it. But as we all know, when it comes to things like this, the devil is in the details." The details, Dockery said, are what bother her the most about the bill championed by Crist and several lawmakers Wednesday. "This is one of the poorest negotiated deals I have ever seen," she said. "I can't imagine why the Florida DOT would behave so poorly on behalf of taxpayers." Dockery said Massachusetts was negotiating a similar deal with CSX for roughly the same length of track, but that state is paying much less. "We are talking about spending $641 million to buy 61 miles," Dockery said. "That's $10 million per mile. This is the most costly rail sale in the United States. The state of Massachusetts....has the same hang ups with liability as Florida, but they are paying $1.5 million per mile." As she said in her letter to Crist, Dockery said she hopes to be able to talk with the governor soon about her problems with the bill. "If we were to open up that agreement, we could have commuter rail go forward and we could have a win-win-win for everybody, including the communities negatively affected by the freight rail. I haven't heard back from the governor, but I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to sit down and explain to him how commuter rail can be a win-win for everybody."Whether or not that conversation happens remains to be seen, but Dockery said Crist's support of the rail plan would likely not change its legislative outcome. Dockery said she is already meeting with fellow senators to rally opposition to the plan. "I think the battle will again be in the Senate," Dockery said. "I really don't anticipate there will be enough votes. I don't think senators want to go home to explain transferring liability from a private company to the taxpayers. The governor is a likable guy, and he's very charismatic, so his support will be important, but I think the outcome is going to be the same as last year." --END--2/4/2009Illuminating the Sunshine Statehttp://www.newsserviceflorida.com

Dear Cindy Hummel

Click title for story link. Cross-posted from Metro I-4 News. As you may have noticed, two of the possible freight realignment routes - seemingly the only available routes - for downtown Lakeland involved reactivating the track that became the Van Fleet Trail between Wildwood and Auburndale. At least one of them would then reactivate closed tracks that run through the very heart of downtown Winter Haven, which would make for wonderful poetic justice. And at least one would run into a new park in Auburndale. In a shocking development, government officials with Auburndale and Winter Haven are less than enthusiastic about those ideas.Auburndale Special Projects Director Cindy Hummel reacted with “total fury” to the route that would run through the park, according to the News Chief. What follows is the letter I imagine Winter Haven Chamber Pres. Bob Gernert and City Manager David Greene are crafting right now to set her straight. Dear Cindy: We read recently that you are angry about the possibility of rerouting freight traffic in ways that may affect the public spaces you’ve spent lots of money to enhance. That’s understandable. But you have to get over it. In the grand scheme of things, in this economy, public spaces must be sacrificed. We here in the Winter Haven government and business elite are honest and upstanding about our commitments, and we’ve stated publicly that we want to help Lakeland with the rerouting made necessary partly because of our ILC. As Bob wrote on Oct. 16, 2008: “Lakeland’s agenda includes rerouting freight traffic away from downtown. The Florida Department of Transportation is currently studying the feasibility for just such rerouting. We support Lakeland’s quest for the best solution possible.” A map and common sense will tell you that the Van Fleet Trail line is the most efficient way to reroute freight traffic from Lakeland’s core and avoid creating a longterm industrial corridor/freight superhighway leading into the ILC. And you know, none of us - including you and Bobby Green - had any concern about this deal when it was dumping the bad parts in the middle of Lakeland’s public projects. Jack Myers even talked about how much you guys like trains, if we remember correctly. It’s only fair and right that we, who have supported and fought for this plan, embrace its consequences. We must all sacrifice a little for the greater glory of CSX, economic development, and the regional unity embodied by the “One Polk” organization. And honestly, trains and parks and trails can coexist quite well together. We in Winter Haven have a much greater sacrifice to make. Bob’s already looking for new office space to replace the chamber office that will be demolished to make room for the revitalized line through downtown. But that’s a small price to pay to for 100 jobs or so at the ILC and the big financial boost for Phoenix Industries and Highland Cassidy. So get on board, Cindy. Yours Truly In Freight, Bob Gernert and David Greene

Why Is It So Hard For The Sentinel To Say "CSX"?

Click title for story link.

The Ocala Star-Banner took a hatchet recently to the state’s $1.2 billion CSX/Orlando freight expansion and dump deal, both in a straight news story and in an editorial. Versions of the editorial promptly appeared in The (Lakeland) Ledger and the Gainesville Sun. Two of several money paragraphs: “Why aren’t the fiscal conservatives, or just the fiscally responsible, in Tallahassee asking why the state of Florida is paying a national corporation that made a record $2.2 billion profit last year - up 26 percent from the year before, incidentally - so much for a project that some observers say could be done for one-third or less than the current projected price tag? When a recent study declared the Orlando commuter project the costliest railroad acquisition in U.S. history - $10.5 million per mile - where were our representatives in Tallahassee demanding a reassessment of the project’s scope and cost? DOT officials say that since the CSX money was appropriated by the Legislature in 2006 for the commuter line, hence, for CSX, it does not need the Legislature’s approval to move forward with the project. That, of course, begs the question: Who, exactly, is running state government, and what happened to checks and balances?”

Wrong Track For Florida

Please visit the website below for all the latest CSX and commuter rail information. http://www.wrongtrack4florida.com/

Recession Rides the Rails

Click title for story link. The state of FL paying CSX money seems like throwing good money after bad at this point.

John D. Boyd Associate Editor Across the rail freight industry, the only business piling up is debris from a worsening economic crunch. Shippers, watching demand evaporate from their own industrial and retail customers alike, are booking far fewer trains as they close plants and lay off workers, and the impact is reverberating across rail networks that had been carefully constructed over years.

Blog: Trial Lawyers drop rail opposition

Click title for story link. Aaron Deslatte at the Orlando Sentinel's Central Florida Political Pulse blog reports that the trial lawyers have dropped their opposition to the pending deal that will be surfacing in the upcoming session of the Florida Legislature to approve a deal to make commuter rail happen in the Orlando area. The lawyers' position comes at the price of dropping sovereign immunity protection to private companies involved in the commuter rail project. However, the item quoted one legislator as cautiously pointing out that it's not clear whether that means the votes are there to approve the deal.

More rail traffic through Ocala hinges on deal for commuter line

Click title for story link. By Bill ThompsonStaff Writer Published: Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 6:30 a.m. Last Modified: Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 9:30 p.m. Just before Christmas, vehicular traffic began rolling over westbound lanes of the new railroad overpass on Southwest 17th Street, about four months before the bridge is expected to be fully operational. So, when will the trains - or rather the extra trains - start rolling under it? The short answer is: It depends. Although the Florida Department of Transportation says the $25 million overpass was always in its plans, Marion County transportation officials say requests for such a bridge went unheeded - and unfunded - until FDOT and CSX Transportation started discussing a commuter rail line from DeLand through Orlando and on to Poinciana, just southwest of Kissimmee.

Winter Haven Terminal Facility & ILC

Click the title to link to the report or click below. http://www.tbrta.com/tbag-issues/TBAG-2008-10_CSX-Winter-Haven.pdf

Lack Of Debate On CSX Rail Deal Riles Lawmakers

Click title for story link. By LINDSAY PETERSON, The Tampa Tribune Published: November 28, 2007 TAMPA - Several Florida lawmakers are fuming over a $491 million deal the state is on the verge of signing with railroad company CSX Transportation. They say it passed through the Legislature without most members knowing anything about it, and they want to find out why. The deal would give the rail company nearly half a billion dollars for a section of track in the Orlando area and upgrades on freight lines into a hub planned for Polk County. The Orlando area track would be for commuter rail. "I don't think this is a good deal, but the fact is, I don't really know because I don't have enough information. This never even came up in our committee," said state Sen. Paula Dockery, a Republican from Lakeland and member of the Transportation Committee. The $491 million package will come up for final review in next spring's legislative session, now that CSX Transportation and the Department of Transportation have worked out details of how it will be spent.

Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Blog

Click title for story link. Sundance, Reed and Staging … Chamber Stands By Integrity of Visit Posted by Bob Gernert on January 7, 2009 at 4:15 pm Ledger reporter Tom Palmer in a blog post today (January 7) reports that the Polk County Commission heard residents from the Sundance Ranch Estates demand the CSX Transportation buy their property located adjacent to the planned inter modal rail terminal. Speaking for the residents, Sharon Kiser is quoted as having noted, “Our concerns are being ignored.” But looking back nearly two years ago the residents of Sundance did their own ignoring of offers from CSX that would have involved them in the planning process. You can read that post here. More troubling from this writer’s standpoint is the process that saw both Kiser and Commissioner Jean Reed wonder out loud if a fact-finding visit organized by the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce was a “staged presentation.” Speculation included whether trains and trucks were kept out of the area to provide a calmer, quieter impression.

County Asks CSX to Buy Out Rail Yard Neighbors

Click title for story link. By Tom PalmerTHE LEDGER Published: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 11:51 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 12:02 p.m. BARTOW County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to send a letter to CSX asking them to buy the homes of residents in the Sundance subdivision. The rural subdivision is across the railroad tracks from the planned CSX freight terminal, which was approved in October for a 318-acre site on the south side of Winter Haven. The vote came after homeowner Sharon Kiser appealed to commissioners for help because of concerns the expected noise from the facility will disrupt the quiet rural atmosphere of their subdivision.

Intermodal Grows Up

Click title for story link. While fuel prices are now on the wane, the stings of exceedingly high gasoline costs, and now the global recession, are factors weighing heavily on shippers as they consider transportation options. Most contend lower fuel prices will be short lived, and no one can predict how long the economy will remain in the doldrums. But one fact is certain: Business is off, meaning shipment volumes are down, and all efforts must be made to hold onto a respectable profit margin. Add to this the growing trend to “think and act green”—a practice that, for many companies, can add expense because it means introducing new processes. Thankfully for many, where transportation is concerned there are economical options. So, as a way to combat all the above mentioned ‘negatives’ out there, many shippers are now considering intermodal.“Today, customers are increasingly more apt to fit into the intermodal mix,” comments Jeffrey R. Brashares, president of Logistics Services Group, Pacer Logistics Inc. But so far, he says it’s the large companies, particularly retailers and importers of electronics, which are using the mode. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., one of the country’s largest regional departments store chains, for example, is using intermodal as a logistics mode for the first time. “With the cost of fuel on the rise, we had to rethink our supply chain,” says Robert Hook, divisional vice president, transportation. “After a successful trial run, we implemented Schneider Intermodal into our day-to-day transportation plan and have shifted a significant amount of freight to rail.”

Freight train derails in Santa Rosa County

Click title for story link. Six engines and 13 of 46 cars in a CSX freight train derailed this morning in Milton, causing no injuries but leaving a monumental mess. CSX crews and others planned to work through tonight to repair the tracks.Officials hoped that rail traffic could be moving as early as Sunday across the stretch of railroad near Avalon Boulevard.Late this afternoon, workers were still creating a temporary road to allow heavy equipment onto the scene. Others were using welders' torches to cut damaged sections of the railroad track, and seven trucks loaded with railroad ties were already waiting nearby to replace the broken pieces. The wreck caused thousands of gallons of petroleum to spill onto the area. “Our primary concern was making sure that the petroleum has been contained, and that has been done,” said Gary Sease, a spokesman for CSX in Jacksonville. “Now, it’s a matter of getting it cleaned up.”

Norfolk storage plan concerns residents

Click title for story link. This story sounds like the Sundance neighborhood. By DAN DEARTHDecember 17, 2008dan.dearth@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN — A handful of residents on Tuesday spoke against a proposal to annex into the city about 95 acres of land south of Hagerstown that the Norfolk Southern Railway Co. would use to store vehicles. The residents, who live on Oak Ridge Drive, spoke during a public hearing Tuesday at Hagerstown City Hall. Mary Vorreyer told the council that she knew the proposal would be approved, but she asked them to do whatever they could to mitigate the negative impact on the residents who live there. Vorreyer said she was concerned tractor-trailer traffic and lights from the storage facility would disrupt the neighborhood at night. “I know it’s going to go through. We’re just looking for assistance,” Vorreyer said.

Crucial 17th Street bridge debuts tonight

Ocala gets a bridge to handle traffic from the Winter Haven ILC but Polk County is told traffic won't increase. Why a new bridge then? By Joe CallahanStaff writer Published: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at 5:49 a.m. OCALA - Westbound traffic will finally get a chance to cross over the 17th Street bridge tonight, the first time the public will drive over the busy CSX railroad line. Last-minute shoppers looking for those final gifts - and more importantly, emergency vehicles - will be able to head west without fear of being delayed by a passing train. Karen Kersey, a Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said the project, which is scheduled to be completed by July 27, is ahead of schedule, though by how much will depend on weather. But if all goes well, it could be done as early as mid-April. That's because the contractor, Kiewit Corp. of Orlando, has a $750,000 incentive to get done quickly. It will get $7,500 per day - for up to 100 days - for each day it is ahead of schedule. To Ocala officials, residents and store owners in the area, the final product can't be done soon enough. The $25 million project is essential to allowing for smooth traffic flow in the area. The bridge spans a CSX railroad line, a line that connects port cities Jacksonville and Tampa that will likely see an "increase" in traffic in the coming years. Ocala Mayor Randy Ewers said 17th Street, which is also State Road 464, is essential in keeping traffic moving from one side of Ocala to the other. Without a bridge, train traffic creates absolute gridlock. The bridge was designed to keep traffic along 17th Street flowing. Right now when a train passes, traffic backs up in both directions, especially impacting the U.S. 441/17th Street intersection. And if even more trains begin impacting the area, the bridge will be the lifeline in keeping drivers safe and sane in the years to come, Ewers said Monday. "It's a must now that CSX is planning to increase traffic," said Ewers, adding that the bridge will also help keep Ocala residents safe during medical emergencies or other types of emergencies. The railroad crossing is about a mile from two hospitals and a bridge will allow ambulances and emergency vehicles a faster way to cross, even when trains are passing through the area. Wendell Rora, Ocala Fire Rescue spokesman, said because of the potential of train delays that fire trucks have been routed away from 17th Street for years to prevent delays caused by trains. But once the bridge opens, those routes could be important. "In our profession, a few seconds could mean life or death," Rora said. "It could be the difference in saving a life." Capt. Joel Matthias, an Emergency Medical Services supervisor for Marion County, said the bridge will give rescue personnel a much more reliable route to hospitals. He said trains have led them to reroute, causing extra minutes to pass before getting patients to the hospital. The bridge will definitely help in that regard. Ewers said that crossing is the main concern, though there are others. With the possibility of higher train volume, Ewers is also concerned about the increased train traffic in other areas of Ocala, especially at the Northeast 36th Avenue and Northeast 25th Avenue crossings. And right now there are no plans for bridges at those crossings. "If something happened at either one of those crossings, there would be quite a bit of travel to get around those [north/south streets]," Ewers said. Ewers said the city is negotiating with CSX in hopes of coming up with a plan that is a win-win situation for both area residents and CSX. Ewers hopes increased CSX traffic could mean attracting industry. "It would be great if we could get a spur line into some industrial areas," said Ewers, adding the trick will be balancing increased train traffic so that it doesn't cripple other traffic routes. CSX spokesman Gary Sease said Monday that increased train traffic is a possibility, but only if the state purchases tracks in the Orlando area for a commuter rail service. A decision on whether the state will purchase the tracks should be made in the first half of 2009. If approved, then Sease said freight that once was moved trough the Orlando area will end up on the "S" line, the route through Ocala from Winter Haven to Baldwin, hubs for the port cities. He said that if that happens, there will be side tracks added along the route, including some in the Ocala area, that will allow trains to safely pass. Those will be necessary if train traffic increases. "We're hoping to do this in a way that it doesn't impact the way of life for Marion County and Ocala," Sease said, adding the side tracks could mean train traffic may be less noticeable.

OUR READERS SAY By Amanda Ryan

Click title for story link. OUR READERS SAY CSX Bad for Neighborhood Published: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 6:08 AM EST AMANDA RYAN WINTER HAVEN — CSX states responsibility in the community as one of their concepts.They claim they want to be good neighbors, then why are they not considering Sundance Ranch Estates and the families who live there as they plan their new Intermodal facility.This new site is literally right in our backyards. We are families who are trying to enjoy the quality of life that Sundance has to offer, but with this new facility, our quality of life and our property values will drastically change.We have invested in our homes for our future and with CSX moving in, our future is in jeopardy.

Orlando Sentinel Editorial

Click title for story link. This comes from what seems to be a very biased Orlando Sentinel. Approve commuter railNo project can help the region more than commuter rail. Central Florida's lawmakers have one chance left to deliver. Last year they botched it, believing the state's agreement to purchase 61 miles of track from CSX Corp., plus Washington's commitment to help fund it, would provide the momentum needed to get other state lawmakers to hop aboard.Wrong. It was derailed by trial lawyers who wanted deeper pockets in case of accidents and a Lakeland lawmaker who wanted fewer freight trains routed to her city to make room for commuter rail.Our elected officials say they won't let that happen again. We'll push them to make sure it doesn't. They're certainly better positioned than last year with locals like Sen. Lee Constantine heading the Senate Judiciary Committee that caved to the lawyers, and Sen. Andy Gardiner running the Transportation Committee. Rep. Dean Cannon, who successfully led the charge in the House, is handling the chore again this year.But they and Gov. Charlie Crist, whose tardy efforts for rail last year resembled a traveler arriving at the station too late, need to wrap up negotiations on liability issues long before the next session ends.United States Reps. Corrine Brown and John Mica, and commuter-rail commission chief Buddy Dyer, also need to convince Tallahassee that it can't afford to miss this train again. The stations will spur development, the construction and maintenance will create thousands of jobs, and the momentum should jump-start new rail systems in Tampa and Jacksonville. It's essential. Lawmakers mustn't pass it up.

Mica vows rail push

Click title for story link. Jan. 1, 2009By Isaac Babcock Observer Staff Central Florida Commuter Rail may be on the back burner for some politicians during the holidays, but for Florida Congressman John Mica, all railroads lead through him these days. The chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met with Gov. Charlie Crist and other state officials Dec. 18 to outline a new plan to bring commuter rail — which was recently named SunRail — to Central Florida.