Dubuque Iowa USA - The City of Dubuque has become the latest to voice concerns over traffic increases that could result from the Canadian Pacific/Kansas City Southern (CPKC) merger, writing in a letter to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) that it seeks nine forms of mitigation, including construction of a US$20 million overpass, if it is to support the merger.
 
The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports the Dubuque City Council is scheduled to today (3 Jan 2022) review a letter from City Manager Mike Van Milligen outlining those nine conditions.
 
The railroad has indicated train counts could double, from six to nine daily to 12 to 18 per day, as a result of post-merger traffic growth.
 
The city's letter says "Dubuque already has challenges with the current nine trains per day. The proposed merger will have real and tangible negative impacts on Dubuque and specifically on the mostly low-income residents to live adjacent to the tracks in the heart of our downtown and the businesses in the same general area."
 
These include increased problems with existing storm water infrastructure, vibration damage to historic buildings, risk a derailment would pose to the city's water plant, air and noise pollution.
 
They also include traffic disruptions, an area in which the letter says CP and Canadian National, which shares some track with CP, "have a long and sordid history over many decades of blocking key east-west road crossings. There are regular occurences when parked trains block road crossings for hours."
 
The city has previously sought federal grants to help construct an overpass at 14th Street, which it estimated would cost almost US$20 million.
 
It wants the railroad to fund that project, as well as these additional measures:
 
- Construction of an underpass at the current Jones Street grade crossing.
 
- Construction of a separated pedestrian crossing at a location to be selected by the city.
 
- Construction of a quiet zone through the community to eliminate the need for train horns at grade crossings.
 
- Creation of an "impact barrier" to protect the city water plant adjacent to the tracks.
 
- Installation of Centralized Traffic Control to minimize blocked grade crossings along the section of track shared with Canadian National.
 
- Establishment of a location outside of the city to hold trains to avoid blocked grade crossings.
 
- A 20 mph speed limit in the city to mitigate ground vibrations.
 
- Evaluation of safety conditions of the railroad infrastructure by federal regulators, with corrective action as required.
 
The city has met with CP representatives, Van Milligen says, but the railroad has not yet offered any financial support.
 
CP said in an email that talks with the city are continuing and that it will "work hard to be a good neighbor."
 
Like Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa, two cities about 70 miles to the south which have voiced their own concerns about the merger, ask that a member of the STB visit "to view first-hand how the merger will have disastrous impact on this community."
 
Letters from Bettendorf and Davenport to the STB are among documents to be reviewed by the city council.
 
Author unknown.