There are two letters to the editor in today’s paper that are supportive of converting the Kellar Branch rail line to a recreational trail. They are full of inaccuracies and misleading statements. Let’s take a look.
First up is a letter from Janice Atkinson. She writes:
A trolley would be cute but an incredible waste of funds, and be used by far fewer people than a recreational trail. The trolley would block traffic and cause accidents at road crossings. It would operate on fossil fuels.
A few things:
- I don’t believe this would be a waste of funds, but even if it were, it would be private funds that would be wasted instead of public funds. No one is asking the city to foot the bill for a trolley — it’s a business venture. You know, the kind of businesses that pay taxes. Turning the line into a trail, on the other hand, would be an incredible waste of funds on which we would never see a return on investment.
- The number of people a trolley versus a trail would draw is irrelevant. The rail line would not only be used for trolley service, but also freight. The businesses that could be lured to the industrial sites along the line would provide a much bigger return on investment in taxes and jobs than a trail ever would.
- “The trolley would block traffic and cause accidents at road crossings”? This is the weakest argument I’ve heard yet. Yes, it would have to cross streets, so there would be a delay while the trolley passed, but considering it would be a single car and not a 100-car freight train, this “delay” would be no longer than a regular stoplight cycle. As far as it “causing accidents,” prove it. Show me the accident records for historic trolleys. I’ll bet you the number of people injured is less than the number of walkers who have been attacked on urban recreational trails.
- “It would operate on fossil fuels.” Wrong. It would operate on battery technology. If Ms. Atkinson drives a car, she will be putting far more pollutants in the air in one day than a trolley ever will.
She further says:
When the Kellar branch was in use, the train held up traffic at various points. The rails were not properly or regularly maintained. They remain an eyesore. […] Maintenance for a trail would be minimal in comparison to what a trolley route would require.
The track belongs to the city right now, which is responsible for its upkeep. Since they’ve been trying to shut it down and tear it out for a trail, obviously it’s poorly maintained. If the line were sold to Pioneer, they would upgrade the rail line and keep it in good working condition. Again, private dollars would be maintaining it, whereas a trail would be maintained with public dollars. And in any case, it would take far less maintenance to fix the rails than to tear them out for a trail.
Let’s move along to Joyce Blumenshine’s letter:
Any City Council member who follows Sandberg should consider the 82,000 users on the Rock Island Trail, and about $3 million in trail grants the Peoria Park District has waiting.
Whoa! Wait a minute! Did she say the Park District only has $3 million in trail grants? I have a quote here that says it will cost the Park District over $6 million to convert the rail line to a trail. Where is the extra $3+ million going to come from? Short of finding a matching grant, I guess the funds will come from the taxpayers in the form of a tax hike. Are higher property taxes a big draw for people to buy homes next to a trail?
The Kellar branch line belongs to the city and people of Peoria.
Yes, all of the people, not just trail advocates. And it was purchased by the city in 1984 to provide competitive rail service to Pioneer Park, not to make a linear park.
The city needs to renew its lease with Central Illinois Rail on the Kellar branch line. Any consideration of the city dealing with Pioneer Railcorp should be dead in the water. Pioneer has a proven track record of flagrant obstructions, blatant abuse of contract terms and broken promises. It is a company totally unworthy of consideration.
Ms. Blumenshine is wrong. The record-holder for obstructions, abuse of contract terms, and broken promises goes to Central Illinois Railroad Company (CIRY), which never fulfilled its contractual obligation to provide service to Carver Lumber while the western spur was being built, endangered the lives of Peoria citizens with a runaway train, and withdrew their petition to discontinue service on the Kellar Branch so they could serve new customers along the Kellar Branch. It is CIRY that has doublecrossed the RTA and Ms. Blumenshine, not Pioneer. Pioneer wants to help build a trail next to the rail line, an option that is constantly rejected:
Sandberg must know resurrection of the dual rail line and trail is a death sentence for the trail due to high cost and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
The “high cost” to which she refers is the park district’s estimate that it would cost over $29 million to build the trail side-by-side with the rail line. That estimate is a joke. What engineering firm provided the estimate? How did they determine the cost per square foot? How did they determine whether a trestle was needed or if the trail could follow the natural topography of the land?
On that last point, you’ll notice on the estimate that about $20.3 million of it is in trestles alone (not including the one at Versailles Gardens, which to my knowledge is undisputed) — 8,065 feet of trestles. Over a mile and a half of trestles. Apparently the park district believes (a) the trail must be perfectly flat or it won’t meet ADA requirements (which makes one wonder what they’re going to do with the steep grade where the rail goes up the bluff), and (b) the only way to bridge such gaps is to build a $180/ft² trestle. I’ll bet a real engineering study would uncover a much different solution.
Finally, I’d like to make just two comments about the Journal Star’s editorial today:
Pioneer may be a local business, but it also has helped ensure that the truly railroaded here have been local taxpayers.
Yes, the railroaded here have been local taxpayers, but not because of Pioneer. Rather, it has been because of the Peoria Park District. A district that, although it has nearlly 9,000 acres of park land and a number of existing trails, covets a little rail line through the center of town. They’re like Mr. Potter in “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the Kellar Branch is the lonely old Building and Loan that, try as they might, the park district just can’t get control of and it’s galling them.
Any boost a sale would give the city’s operating budget shouldn’t be relevant, as it’s a one-time revenue source, not an ongoing revenue stream.
That’s right, Peoria. $565,000 for city coffers is irrelevant. But putting that aside, the Journal Star should do their homework. Pioneer’s offer to the city included the option of a long-term lease — and that would, in fact, provide a revenue stream to the city. Nevertheless, I believe it would be in the city’s best interest to get out of the railroad business altogether and sell the line. They could still retain the right of first refusal if Pioneer ever decided to sell or abandon it.
The City Council should do the right thing and sell the line to Pioneer. But most likely this will be deferred for another week. So, go to the meeting, but be prepared to have to wait another week.
Everyone hates to hear it, especially the “essential services” contigent, but quality of life costs money. You’ll never build a single pedestrial trail, an expanded transit network, a streetscaped blvd in the warehouse district, an elaborate park system or a solid educational infrastructure on the shear financial viability of such initiatives. They all cost money, and will continually lose money over they lifespan. Its a fact.
The difference is, communities who truley desire this sort of quality of life are willing to pay for it. Usually via approving specific taxing authority (parks, transit, trails, etc). And community leaders who truley believe these are real community desires advocate for and present real long-term solutions.
CJ –
While I can agree with much of what you say, it comes off as a little too pro-Pioneer Rail for me. Makes me wonder why them? I have a terrible personal view of the company and while we may need to rethink the trail as a stand along option, I can’t jump to them as the saviors of the line.
And Chief makes an excellent point. These types of amenities (trail) in a community are just as important to the overall quality of life as some other services. If we truly want to be a pedestrian friendly community, we need begin acting soon. Many other communities are FAR ahead of us (look at the Quad Cities area, St. Louis and Metro East areas, Chicago trails).
And while I hope that if the rail stays in place that business flock to use it, I’d say the last 20 years have shown that the “business need” for rail in that part of town doesn’t exist. What is different about today then a decade ago? or two decades ago?
Chief, we have nearly 9,000 acres of park land. The Kellar Branch alone is within a half-mile of green space all along the corridor: Grandview Park, Peoria Country Club, Grandview Drive Park, Prospect Park, Forest Park Nature Center, and Donovan Golf Course. We have the RiverPlex and the Riverfront. We have the Civic Center and the pending museum. We have the new zoo and the children’s museum. We have a ton of “quality of life” initiatives on our plate right now, yet it’s never enough. No, we are always in a desperate search for that ever-elusive “one more thing” that is going to finally make us the tourism mecca of the Midwest.
This trail plan, for all its hype, is totally insignificant as a “quality of life” or tourism draw. It’s not something we need.
Peo Proud — the rail line’s future has been in question since 1994. That’s how long they’ve been planning to turn it into a trail. That’s the single biggest reason more businesses have not been attracted to the line. As far as why businesses were not attracted to the line between 1984 (when the city bought it) and 1994, there are several factors, including a number of different methods the city employed to get the businesses along the line to pay for the line (including per-car surcharges and a special service district levy) that made the rail service less competitive. Also, the rail operator at the time, the P&PU, did not actively seek businesses to locate there and had a spotty service record. Pioneer didn’t come online until they took over P&PU’s contract in, I believe, 1994.
There are many ways to create a pedestrian-friendly community. Ripping out working rail lines is not one of them. A community doesn’t have to be business-hostile in order to be pedestrian-friendly.
CJ,
First, I didn’t say build it as a tourisim draw and secondly to say it would be insignificant as a quality of life amenity for the neighborhoods it would serve is just short sighted and presumtive. There’s a difference bewtween funding tourisim development activities versus amenties that will serve existing residents, this is obviously the latter.
I’m actually shocked that, with your passion around HOPC, you haven’t seen how this type of “community” amenity has turned other neighborhoods around and has acted as a spine for local activity and pedestrian mobility in more progressive communities.
I’m not saying build it at any cost, I’m saying that if Peoria is serious about enhancing the quality of life locally they need to address this, and other issues, in the context of a larger regional strategy and provide realistic choices around how the community pays for it.
Chief — “context” is exactly what I’m talking about. Look, if the line were abandoned and no businesses were using it nor wanted to use it, that would be a different story. There would be no reason to let the line sit there and rust. But that is not the context of this situation. There is demand for the use of this line for competitive rail service to an area of town (Pioneer Park and Growth Cell 2) that can support light industry, warehousing, and other functions that provide jobs and would attract new residents to Peoria. The best use of the line right now is commercial.
I’ve never been against a trail per se. In fact, I’ve regularly advocated for a trail alongside the rail line. This doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition. It can be both/and. I firmly believe that it will not cost the $29 million the park district claims. But if the trail really is too expensive to build next to the rail line, then the trail will have to wait or go elsewhere.
New Urbanism is not incompatible with free enterprise. New Urbanism is not about sacrificing businesses for walking trails. New Urbanism embraces alternative forms of transportation, such as trolleys. New Urbanism is not about picking winners and losers in the community. Putting companies out of business does not make a community stronger, even in a “larger context.”
PEO PROUD WROTE: “And while I hope that if the rail stays in place that business flock to use it, I’d say the last 20 years have shown that the “business need†for rail in that part of town doesn’t exist. What is different about today then a decade ago? or two decades ago?”
Let’s review some history, shall we?
Shortly after the Kellar Branch was restored to service in October 1984, five users were using it – Baumgarten Distributing, Carver Lumber, HC Products, Jordan Manufacturing and Reserve Supply Co-operative. HC Products was NEW to the line. Despite what they say, the Journal Star itself may have been getting rail service then as well. One major reason for the line’s restoration was a possible buyer for the Pabst brewery in Peoria Heights. One interested party (Energetics/Bio-diesel refiners of Keokuk, Iowa) came forward twice, in 1984 and again in 1985, but decided to go elsewhere. But the other business was good in the beginning.
Unfortunately, $175.00 per car user fees eventually took their toll and almost all business dropped off to almost none. The user fees were dropped and replaced by a property tax and business began coming back (Pioneer Railcorp, IIRC, also made an early offer to purchase the line in 1986). About 100 carloads of outbound scrap metal were gained during the raizng of the Pabst brewery, Carver Lumber and Reserve Supply Co-op resumed regular use of the line and Gateway Milling (moved from West Peoria), Cohen’s Furniture (moved from downtown to the Heights) and O’Brien Steel (expansion of volume since moving to Peoria in 1978 require rail) came on as customers by the end of the decade.
Reserve Supply Co-op was acquired by API Supply company in the early 1990’s and quit rail (I believe their line of business changed). In the mid-1990’s Cohen’s quit rail, but neither were significant customers and the major ones remained.
In 1993, 548 cars were generated by the then-four users and Peoria Public Works Director Steve Van Winkle was quoted in a 11-21-93 PJS article saying that business had recently picked up. It was the following April the city said the line would run through July 1997, but after that it was cloudy.
So much for economic development potential.
Despite the uncertainty, Pioneer did bring Peoria Plastic Co. on as a customer in 1998, just months after taking over from P&PU. Carver Lumber more than doubled its annual carloads. Pioneer also tried to get Cohen’s back as a customer, API Supply, Baumgarten Distributing, the Journal Star and Nyle Staley Interstate Ready Mix, all unsuccessfully. Of course, Pioneer claims they had one of these on board but the city pressured the firm to break contact. Who knows what is true.
Train operations were more frequent – three or four per week, vs. about one or two per week by P&PU. Customers were happy to pay a little more for reliabble service, which they got.
In subsequent years, available greenfield around Pioneer Industrial Park has been occupied by non-rail users, but now that the western connection is in place, Growth Cell Two is accessible via the Kellar Branch, opening up possibilities of investment by industrial and warehousing firms. Real estate prices need to come down and the City of Peoria needs to cooperate fully on making the area competitive with the likes of other Illinois communities, which have successfully attracted such firms (and jobs).
Keep in mind though, that as long as there is one customer, there is a business need.
The difference in a decade ago and today on the rail not having more business is the uncertainty that it was going to remain a working railroad. What corporation is going to invest 10 or 20 million to build an business in Growth Cell Two if they were not certain they would have guaranteed service in a year or two or if it was going to be torn out for a trail and then they are held hostage to the western connection and the high service rates? And as for the pro-Pioneer Railcorp they happen to be the only ones that have stepped up and offered to buy or lease the line and they have their home office here, they are a local business. If they buy the track outright the city gets $565,000 and continued business tax money forever, so its not just a one time insert of money, taxes do follow and that goes for the trolley also. If Pioneer is willing to sink its own money into this there must be something to it. This is a very successful business which owns 16 successful shortlines across the country. They are not about to spend their money willy nilly on a whim. This isn’t something they took lightly. We are talking a successful large corporation whose home office is right here in Peoria. Why are we kicking them in the teeth? Their service record here is certainly far more exemplary than CIRY’s. CIRY doesn’t even have an office here and has to come from LaSalle a couple of times a week to service O’Brien Steel. They don’t care about Peoria and they sure aren’t making enough money with only one business to make it profitable for them to carry on much longer, that is why they filed for the exemption to the discontinuance so they could get more business to make it profitable to stay here. Pioneer already had this in the works long ago when they made the offer to the city to buy or lease.
David,
You clearly know more than I about rail service, but I’m intrigued about one aspect. You noted that:
“Unfortunately, $175.00 per car user fees eventually took their toll and almost all business dropped off to almost none. The user fees were dropped and replaced by a property tax and business began coming back.”
So how is service currently funded, from user fees or property taxes? I don’t know and want to withhold commenting further until I better understand this component.
PEO PROUD WROTE: “So how is service currently funded, from user fees or property taxes? I don’t know and want to withhold commenting further until I better understand this component.”
Honestly, I’m not sure how it’s set up now. Perhaps C. J. or Sharon can educate us on that.
Thanks for the quick and honest response. My comments will be very different depending upon how it’s currently funded.
The rail line is something I believe we need to keep. I also love to ride my bike. A trail along side the rail would be well worth the extra effort to get it. Now if only the PJS people can get their acts together.
PEO PROUD WROTE: “Thanks for the quick and honest response. My comments will be very different depending upon how it’s currently funded.”
Keep in mind that if Pioneer Railcorp were allowed to buy the line, there would be no property tax.
Unbelievably great comments above by all. Very informative on this issue- I only hope that some of you are on certain City commissions becaause you all make a lot of sense-congratulations!
PEO PROUD WROTE: “Many other communities are FAR ahead of us (look at the Quad Cities area,…”
I live in the Quad Cities and have worked for one of them in public works. None of them are as narrow minded as Peoria is on this instance. In Davenport and Bettendorf there is ROW that is dual use; a trail next to an active, heavy use, rail line. There are sections where they are separated by a chain link fence and there are portions that are separated by grass (nothing). Do you hear of injuries to either pedestians or trains crews? No, this is a hevally used line too not a line that could see one train in each direction a day. In downtown Rock Island a rail yard and train ar separted by a chain link fence in one spot and by a row of shrubs in another.
In other instancese the City of Rock Island bought land and had rail built to ensure that the opertunity of rail service was avalible in the Rock Island Indusrtial Park. The City of Davenport is currently looking to add rail service out near Eldridge to promote growth in a new industrial park.
Both communities are doing this to get tax dollars! Business equals tax dollars, a trail looks great but equals maintanece costs. Don’t get me wrong, I think a trail would be great but not at the expense of business.
All Carver wants is acsess to competitive rail service, they do not get this with the western conection. To compare what they are asking: When you go to the grocery store to get an item it is nice to have different brands to pick the best price or quality. Well amagine that store only carrying one brand at twice the MSRP, would you change stores? Or for the RTA folks: Do you like your shoes? Your avaibule selection of shoes? Imagine that you only had acsess to one crappy brand of shoe that was twice as much as normal. Well that is what is happening to Carver, the western conection is that carppy expensive shoe. The Kellar Branch is the “shoe” store of railroads, there is acsess to 6+ railroads which equals more compitition.
Sorry for any bad spelling in that last post, I intended to check that and clicked the wrong button.