UP Community Publicity Ahead of Big Capital Projects

[C855B]

Local "feel-good" puff piece from UP's PR department: http://wjbdradio.com/LocalNews/Union-Pacific-To-Make--20-Million-In-Improvements-To-Salem-Yards.

The expansion project in this case is a regional intermodal terminal. Notice how this is not mentioned in the article. UP's yard here is several miles off the interstate, and you guys can fill in the rest.

[ljudice]

I used to be on the local planning board (as well as township committee and mayor), and I can tell you that when people came to us with a well thought out proposal, listened to objections and respected the public, they were well received.  When they came with an attitude, our feeling was basically - "just try to get this done here."

Of course we rejected everything anyway, but at least it was nicer dealing with people who respected us.

[C855B]

I'm mulling calling the city development director tomorrow and asking just how much they were told about the expansion. $20M these days isn't a lot in terms of RR expansion projects - it's maybe adding one or two tracks in the yard and a whole bunch of concrete for container loaders and chassis traffic. My concern is the one paved access to the yard is a residential side street, which in turn connects to an in-city, two-lane, US-numbered highway. The only route to the interstate is smack through downtown, an old downtown with narrow streets. Are they ready for the ~100 trucks a day? Nuh-uh.

It's nice that UP is offering a little consideration here for the community, but $25,000 in local grants and ceremonial recognition is IMO slightly cynical in light of the huge burden about to be heaped on the city.

As far as increase in train traffic to satisfy my railfan appetite?... meh. Maybe one train a day more, and not past where I normally 'fan this line.