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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane,
3 McHenry, Lake and Will host one of the largest and most
4 technical train switching systems in the United States of
5 America; and
 
6     WHEREAS, These counties have greatly benefited from the
7 partnership of the federal and State government in providing
8 train access across our State and nation; and
 
9     WHEREAS, As the number of trains that ran through this
10 6-county region increased, the number of train whistles that
11 sounded from both commuter and commercial locomotives
12 increased as well; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Both the federal and State governments have issued
14 rules and regulations governing the utilization of a train's
15 whistle as it proceeds through gated railroad crossings and
16 travels to its destination; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The quality of life of those who live within the
18 Counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake and Will is
19 affected daily by the proliferation of train whistles that blow
20 throughout their communities; and
 
21     WHEREAS, On December 18, 2003, the Federal Railroad
22 Administration of the United States Department of
23 Transportation proposed final rules printed in the Federal
24 Register, 49 CFR Parts 222 and 229, to require a commuter or
25 commercial locomotive to sound its horn when it approaches and
26 enters a public highway-rail crossing; and
 
27     WHEREAS, This complex proposed rule may cause communities
28 through which locomotives travel to experience an increase in
29 the number of train whistles that are sounded daily; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, This proposal by the Federal Railroad
2 Administration of the United States Department of
3 Transportation may be detrimental to the quality of life of
4 those who live near a train-crossing without additional input
5 from local mayors and village managers; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The comment period for input into these proposed
7 final rules expires on February 17, 2004; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert and The Honorable
9 William O. Lipinski have requested an extension of the comment
10 period in order for the Federal Railroad Administration to hold
11 a public hearing in the City of Chicago on the proposed final
12 rules governing train whistles; therefore, be it
 
13     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
15 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we do formally request that the
16 time period designated for public comment be extended by 60
17 days to provide additional time for local units of government
18 to submit input to the Federal Railroad Administration on the
19 proposed final rules governing train whistles; and be it
20 further
 
21     RESOLVED, That we formally request the Federal Railroad
22 Administration to schedule a public hearing in the City of
23 Chicago to receive testimony from local public officials, units
24 of local government and those who live or work within the
25 Counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake and Will on the
26 proposed train whistle rules within this 60-day extension of
27 time for public comment; and
 
28     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
29 immediately delivered to Norman Mineta, Secretary of the United
30 States Department of Transportation; The Honorable J. Dennis

 

 

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1 Hastert, the United States Speaker of the House; The Honorable
2 William O. Lipinski, United States Congressman from the Third
3 Congressional District of the State of Illinois and Ranking
4 Member of the United States House of Representatives Committee
5 on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways,
6 Transit and Pipelines; and Allan Rutter, Administrator for the
7 Federal Railroad Administration.