Driving through Garden Prairie, which used to be in my State Rep. district in the 1970’s, I spotted a sign.
A sign protesting the proposed eminent domain power to buy land for the Great Lakes Circumvential Route.
What’s it all about?
A company has proposed building a new railroad line that will by-pass Chicago, where pretty much all railroad lines converge.
Here’s a map of the Chicago bypass railroad line being proposed. The Great Lakes Circumvential Route would run through Boone County quite close to Garden Prairie.
There is a good reason for this railroad line but people are always against progress. It would take freight and bypass Chicago and the Metro area and allow for higher speed trains for commuters.
Element domain to take land from farmers, $8B in government subsidies for a private business.
I’d be against it too.
http://www.blockglbrailroad.com
How could a profitable commuter rail service be implemented along that route.