(70 ILCS 1915/10)
Sec. 10.
Legislative declaration.
The General Assembly declares that the
welfare, health, prosperity, and moral and general well
being of the people of the State are, in large measure, dependent upon the
sound and orderly development of municipal areas. The Village of Franklin Park
by reason of the location there of Grand Avenue and its use for vehicular
travel in access to the entire west metropolitan Chicago area, including
municipalities in 2 counties, as well as commercial and industrial growth
patterns and accessibility to O'Hare International Airport and massive freight
related services, has become and will increasingly be the hub of transportation
from all parts of the region and throughout the west metropolitan area.
Motor vehicle traffic, pedestrian travel and the safety of both motorists and
pedestrians are substantially aggravated by the location of major railroad
rights of way that divide the Village east from west and north from south.
Those railroad rights of way have effectively impeded the development of
highway usage and rights of way to further and enhance growth throughout the
region. For the safety of the public it has been necessary to provide large
numbers of protected crossings at great expense to the railroads, but often
without complete safety to the public. The presence of the railroad rights of
way at grade crossings within the Village is detrimental to the orderly
expansion of industry and commerce and to progress of the region. To alleviate
this situation it is necessary to relocate the railroad tracks and right of way
on Grand Avenue and to separate the grades at crossings and to acquire property
for relocation or submergence of the railroad or highways and to create an
agency to facilitate and accomplish that relocation.
(Source: P.A. 89-134, eff. 7-14-95.)
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