The Journal Star reports that Ray LaHood has given up on converting the Kellar Branch to a dedicated hiking trail in today’s second editorial in as many days on the topic. Quoth Congressman Ray:

“We need to build a trail next to the rail. I don’t think we’re ever going to get the kind of ruling we want” from the Surface Transportation Board.

So now the Journal Star is starting to consider the side-by-side option again. They’ve read the Park District’s estimate on how much it supposedly would cost and accepted it without question. I posited my response to that in the comments section of their website. I’ll quote it here, too:

The Journal Star says: “a park district analysis from July 2006 puts the side-by-side option at an astounding $29 million.”

Astounding indeed. I have a copy of this “analysis,” and it is completely unverifiable. There is no information on what engineering firm (if any) produced this estimate; no information on how they determined costs, materials, or labor; no location information given for the numerous “trestles” they claim are necessary; and no comparison to what the trail would cost if they could remove the rails. If Pioneer had put together an “analysis” as poor as the park district’s, the JSEB would be throwing every pejorative adjective in the thesaurus at it.

“there’s no guarantee that Peoria and Peoria Heights will find a suitable carrier…”

Pioneer is a suitable carrier by any objective measure. The only reason they would be considered unsuitable in your eyes is because they don’t agree with you regarding the rail-to-trail conversion.

“…or that any business besides Carver Lumber will want service.”

There are already two more companies that want service on the Kellar Branch, and the Heights is interested in trolley service on the line.

“The line could continue to lie fallow, covered in weeds and trash.”

Right now, the only reason the line is in that condition is because the City of Peoria is allowing it to remain that way. At present, CIRY has no contract with the city that would allow them to run trains on the line, and the city is still in a dispute with Pioneer over whether their contract is still in force; from the city’s perspective, they have no contract with either carrier. Thus, the responsibility falls to the city to maintain the line and abate the weed problem. Why haven’t they done it?

“Meanwhile, surrounding communities enjoy their bike paths, watching new homes sprout up around them.”

News flash: surrounding communities enjoy new construction for many reasons, including school districts and taxes. Accessibility to bike paths is not high on the priority list when people look for a home, if it’s on the list at all.

Another news flash: There’s no place for homes to “sprout up” along the Kellar Branch because there are already homes and businesses along the entire route — it goes right through the middle of the city.

Give it up, editors.

I should have added this: The Journal Star says, “Trains derail, even slow-moving ones. The poor condition of the Kellar tracks enhances that possibility unless there is substantial investment.” I would venture to say that the chances of being mugged on the trail are greater than the chances of having a train fall on you — unless the city hires Central Illinois Railroad to run the line, in which case the odds are even.

A comment from The Mouse reminded me of something.

Since the Journal Star is now fervently defending property rights, I assume they’ll be shutting down their “Save the Journal Star” campaign. After all, it’s Copley’s (and their successor’s) right to do whatever the heck they want with their property, right?

The Journal Star weighed in this morning on the latest Kellar Branch ruling from the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

I have to confess I’m tired of reading these ridiculous editorials. They just keep repeating the same disinformation over and over. They’re not adding anything new to the debate, so if you want to read my response, just check out any of the myriad posts I’ve already done on this topic.

There’s just one comment I’d like to answer, and that’s this:

One final point about the federal ruling: It does not kill the bike path, contrary to claims circulating in the community.

No, it doesn’t kill the bike path. As has always been the case over the past 10-15 years, the bike path could happen in short order if the city and park district would stop this all-or-nothing approach and instead start planning a shared rail and trail use on this corridor. However, if they keep up their bullheadedness, they will likely get no trail at all.

Of course, when the Journal Star says the federal ruling does not kill the bike path, what they mean is that it doesn’t kill the dedicated bike path — the one that would kill the Kellar Branch as a rail line. That’s technically true, but in order for the city to continue pursuing that route, they’d have to hire yet a third carrier (i.e., someone other than Pioneer Industrial Railway or Central Illinois Railroad), sign a new contract, get them up and running, and have them petition the STB to discontinue service on the Kellar Branch — essentially starting the whole proceeding over again — and fight Carver Lumber and Pioneer and CIRY the whole time. The new proceeding could drag out for a year easily. This would be a foolish, expensive, time-consuming, and risky path to take. The chances of it being successful are not in the city’s favor.

It’s time for the city to change direction, pursue shared use of the rail corridor, and move on.

UPDATE: David Jordan has written a more thorough rebuttal over on the Peoria Pundits site.