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Wealth

MidAmerica Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance: Will County (Elwood, IL) Poverty Study. Intermodal has done little to reverse poverty in Will County - home to the Intermodal at Elwood, IL. In 2006, poverty in fact increased. It's a big PDF, so Right Click on the link, choose Save Target As. Will County Income & Poverty Data, 2006, (PDF, 766KB)

Environment

Forbes: Indiana ranks second from last in study of 'green' policies and performance. Link to Forbes Article

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lake Michigan is getting lower. Reasons vary and are argued about, but certainly low enough to affect container freight shipment. Low enough and still dropping to drive demand for more intermodals, or "inland ports". Ocean going vessels would transfer more containers on the coast. These would then be shippped by rail to intermodal inland ports where they would clear customs, etc. NPR ran an interesting news story on it (to do with global warming - seas get deeper (because of ice melting), the Great Lakes get shallower (because of evaporation in summer - warmer and winter - not so much snow melt or ice coverage.) But here's another that points to eastern dredging compounding the problem upstream.) Link to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article

Intermodal Planning & Operation

Northwest Indiana Transportation Study Commission: Bizarrely, the Port Director for Burns Harbor hopes for more intermodal traffic on a lake whose decline in depth maybe attributed to……….greater intermodal traffic downstream (see environment section)! Link to NWITS

National Cooperative Highway Research Program: Integrating freight facilities and Operations with Community Goals. Excellent general resource. Highlights all the community concerns as well as "good neighbor" practices for communities that have extensive freight industry development. It's a big PDF, so Right Click on the link, choose Save Target As. NCHRP Synthesis 320, Complete Document, (PDF 4.6MB)

Indiana DOT: Indiana Rail Plan. Chapter Four contains great data about existing Indiana intermodal capacities and operations. Note that these are relatively small facilities, compared to the claimed plans for LaPorte. PDFs, so Right Click on each link, choose Save Target As.
Chapter One, (PDF 107KB) , Chapter Two, (PDF 801KB) , Chapter Three, (PDF 496KB) , Chapter Four, (PDF 596KB) ,
Chapter Five, (PDF 827KB) , Chapter Six, (PDF 145KB) , Chapter Seven, (PDF 93KB) , Chapter Eight, (PDF 94KB) ,
Appendix A, (PDF 113KB) , Appendix B, (PDF 269KB) , Appendix C, (PDF 83KB) , Appendix D, (PDF 85KB) , Appendix E, (PDF 157KB) ,

University of Illinois, Chicago: Study (by Norm West and Kazuya Kawawmura) into 'Location, Design and Operation of Future Intermodal Rail Yards.' This document was mentioned many times at the August 21 hearing in Union Mills, as being the one which would form the guiding principles to be used by a 'multi-stakeholder task force'. This task force would review the potential location of any intermodal facility in La Porte county. A key aspect to note is the list of stakeholders, which does not specifically include community, other than under 'government.' It's a big PDF, so Right Click on the link, choose Save Target As.
Intermodal Study, Complete Document, (PDF 3.9MB)

Other Intermodals

Gardner, Kansas: Much mention of 'compact and contiguous' is made by proponents when it comes to the LaPorte proposal. However, the BNSF facility at Elwood has spawned massive warehousing development several miles away, paving over much of Will county. This is not unusual. The same thing is happening in Olathe some seven miles from the (under construction) BNSF intermodal in Gardner. Link below highlights a speculative (i.e. no specific customer in mind) 601,000 sq.ft. warehouse proposed seven miles away. Kansas City Star Article.

Kansas City Community News, 10/30/07:  Intermodal Will Be Felt


North Baltimore, near Findlay, Ohio (just east of Fort Wayne):  North Baltimore is slated for intermodal development also. Click here to see a list of related articles in their local paper. As of 8/22/07 the railroad company (CSX) was quoted as having "backed away from looking at land in Indiana." More recently, CSX are actively acquiring land and working with Wood County comissioners to vacate road and land for a 20 train per day freight transfer facility. Local citizens' action group says community has been kept in the dark.
Bowling Green, OH Sentinel-Tribune Roads vacated for CSX facility
Bowling Green, OH Sentinel-Tribune Neighbors feeling railroaded
Bowling Green, OH Sentinel-Tribune CSX plan chugs along
Bowling Green, OH Sentinel-Tribune CSX spin-offs possible
Bowling Green, OH Sentinel-Tribune Incentives offered to lure rail yard
Findlay Courier Search Results.

Elwood, IL (near Joliet): See 'Flash' Promotional Video here: Click To View CenterPoint PR Video

August 8 The Daily Journal (Elwood, IL):  Mayor Speaks Out Abour Roads. Some statistics in here.

Crete, IL also in Will County, IL (same as Elwood): Northwest Indiana Times, 10/23/07

Intermodal Opposition Elsewhere

'Anti-Intermodal University': Watch the video clips from the citizens of Islip, Long Island, NY (in their case actually supported by their politicians) fighting an intermodal proposal. Lots to learn here. Click for Link to LI Intermodal Video Index Page

Local (LaPorte County and Indiana) Studies and Plans

Connections 2030: NIRPC's take on the national initiative. NIRPC Link Page

Purdue University Extension Land Use Team: Advice and explanation of planning processes in Indiana.
Link to Purdue Extension Land Use Document Page

LaPorte Economic Development Corridor Feasibility Study, June 2007: The official 'loop roads' review document. Separate pages. PDF Files. Right Click on the links, choose Save Target As.
Page 1 (PDF, 112KB) , Page 2 (PDF 101KB) , Page 3 (PDF 273KB) , Page 4 (PDF 257KB) , Page 5 (PDF 259KB) , Page 6 (PDF 258KB) , Page 7 (PDF 256KB) , Page 8 (PDF 251KB) , Page 9 (PDF 216KB)

The LaPorte County Plan, June 2007: This is quite long, but worth reading. Pay particular attention to what it says about the development of the county, how difficult it would be to support intermdodals and how at odds they are with the county's assets (i.e. nice countryside and highly productive agricultural land)! So exactly why are certain local and state politicians pursuing this? It's a big PDF, so Right Click on the link, choose Save Target As.

Link to La Porte County Plan

Railroads

'Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.' (Sun Tszu) Actually, the major railroads do not seem to be driving the case for intermodals in Laporte and are therefore not the prime enemy, but entities to be advised an petitioned in order to balance the case. They have been courted by various politicians, political groups and thrid party developers to locate in LaPorte, largely without consultation or advisement of the general public. The (in)famous 'open arms' quote, plus the confidentialty agreements signed by officials and politicians (later revoked after public exposure and outrage) about sums it up.

Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS): President Henry Lampe sits on both the NIRPC Initermodal Task Force (which is very PRO-intermodal) and on the local LaPorte citizens 'Task Force'. Interesting company. Became instantly profitable after de-merger from the 'boat anchor' passenger rail business (of continuing similar name.) At CSS's core is a coal hauling business working the line from the Kentucky coal fields to the power station in Michigan City. The company has great ambition - large advertising hoardings along the I-90 (complete with very impressive illuminated headlamps on the picture of one of their engines) pitch for more mainstream general freight business, while new bright orange paintwork adorns their locomotives. The companies trackage extends into KIP/KOP and tarverses those of the other three. A potentially powerful player, matchmaker with the 'big boys', and with a seat on both task forces to boot! The 'little engine that could....'
Wikipedia overview of Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
Link to Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad corporate site

Norfolk Southern: Most likely candidate for a Pinola project, yet a spur to a 'super-site' to serve all three in Union Mills is not unrealistic. The track bed of an old railroad that did precisely that is still visible from satelite images - only one house in the way on Highway 6 all the way down from just west of the Fairgrounds (and that could be by-passed with a 'slight shift' from the old line.)
Wikipedia overview of Norfolk Southern
Link to Norfolk Southern corporate site

Canadian National: Intersecting line with CSX at Union Mills, although both border Kingsbury Industrial (Ordnance) Plant (KIP or KOP). Recently announced plans to acquire the EJ&E Railway in Gary with a view to building an intermodal there. This would place their operation 35 miles closer to target market than CSX or Norfolk Southern. A major competitive advantage for CN and the opportunity to locate somewhere which is already heavily industrialized and therefore less sensitive to intermodal development. A major competitive disadvatage to the other two majors, and therefore an incentive for them to look at locations closer to Chicago, or redevelopment of their existing operations.
Wikipedia overview of Canadian National
Link to Candian National corporate site

CSX: Intersecting line with CN at Union Mills, although both border Kingsbury Industrial (Ordnance) Plant (KIP or KOP). Currently working on developing and intermodal facility in North Baltimore, near Findlay in Ohio (just east of Fort Wayne). This facility is particularly aimed at relieving and freeing up capacity within its existing Chicago facilities. The new site will accommodate 20 trains per day (7,000 truck containers). The main emphasis will be on rail to rail transfer for onward distribution to eastern markets.
Wikipedia overview of CSX
Link to CSX corporate site

Other

Book: 'Train Time: Railroads and the Imminent Reshaping of the United States'Landscape'. Not associated with, nor yet reviewed by SISOC, but appears to be a relevant reading reference. Click Link to Amazon Description

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Last modified: 11/22/07