The Surface Transportation Board is an independent federal agency that is charged with the economic regulation of various modes of surface transportation, primarily freight rail.
October 4, 2021 I contacted the Chairman at the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to ask for assistance to help remedy the noise and vibrations negatively impacting health and causing property damage associated with the railroads implementing Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), a business operations method that increases the train length and causes blocked crossings and while idling, increase the low frequency noise. I presented the signed petition and the acoustic engineering report I acquired. I advocated by demanding our communities receive 1. New Environmental Assessments 2. Noise and Vibrations Assessment, and 3. Soundproofing funding similar to that for reduction of aircraft noise.
Friday, October 22, 2021 I received a response from the Surface Transportation Board Attorney-Advisor, Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs & Compliance, Rail Customer & Public Assistance program to open a request for a “new” filing.
While I have reached out to many of our elected officials, I have not had any response nor communication from any elected officials I have been educating and advocating, on behalf of the constituents who have signed the petition.
Now is the time for each constituent to contact their elected officials. In order to open a new filing, an attorney needs to prepare necessary documents. There are two choices, we can either move forward to pay for it ourselves, or pressure our elected officials to fund and pay for the legal correspondence. I opt for our elected leaders to pay.
I have already contacted the following offices and informed them of the call from the STB to “open a new filing” and requested:
1. New Environmental Assessment.
2. Noise and Vibrations Assessment.
3. Soundproofing funding similar to that for reduction of aircraft noise.
The following elected officials have been provided with the documentation:
US Congresswoman Marie Newman, who serves on the Transportation Committee:
Chicago District Office, 6245 South Archer Avenue, Chicago, IL 60638, Phone: (773) 948-6223
Washington DC Office, 1022 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, Phone: (202) 225-5701 // Ask for Marcus Garza
Chicago Alderman Matt O’Shea: (Has been working close with Congresswoman Marie Newman)
Aldermanic Service Office, 10400 S. Western Avenue • Chicago, IL 60643, (773) 238-8766, MattOShea@the19thward.com
Illinois Senator Bill Cunningham:
District Offices, 10400 South Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60643, (773) 445-8128
If you have any questions, let me know. If you would like me to contact your elected officials, not listed above, for your respective municipalities where you reside, prior to your call, I can provide them with the petitions and engineering report. Email me at csxrrcomplaints@gmail.com or reply to the email distribution.
Let's do this together!