Training Wheels

Like the fifty mile swath cut through Georgia by Sherman's March from Atlanta to the Sea, the Canadian National Railway divides Lake County from Wadsworth to Barrington. And Lake County is none too pleased either. According to the Daily Herald:

More than 450 Barrington-area residents Thursday came to voice their often strong preferences on the choice between a Route 14 overpass or underpass to keep increasing freight traffic on the Canadian National railroad tracks from snarling motor traffic.
450 weigh in on Barrington overpass/underpass debate

It would seem like if it isn't a slow moving Canadian National behemoth train snarling up traffic in Lake County, then it is a repair at a CN grade crossing snarling it all up. The railroad lobby recognizes they have a PR problem and an industry spokesman agreed to talk to your LakeCountyEye on the condition of anonymity.

"If none of your roads never did cross over any of our tracks then none of you people would have any beef with any of our trains, eh?" this lobbyist insisted. Your LakeCountyEye produced a day-old copy of the Daily Herald with the story about the CN crossing in Barrington -- then pointed out that the proposed bypass would cost $50 million, take two years to build, and level at least eight homes.

"Gimme a break, no one is spending that kind of dough just to build a lousy bridge -- that's all just to scare all you Toro-monkeys, eh?" said the lobbyist. "What we really want is to make all our grade crossings into roundabouts."

Your LakeCountyEye asked if he had in mind any of Lake County's traffic circles, of which readers of this blog should immediately be aware:

The Lightning Round

"Abso-freakin-lutely, eh?" he replied. "Any idiot can see that traffic roundabouts are the way to go. They are cheap and you build one of them in a week or two. And the best part is there are no gates or signals at the grade crossing. One of our trains say is cannonballin' round that roundabout and all you need to do is just sort of ease your minivan on in and through and without anyone ever stopping. And no one gets hurt, eh?"

Words to ponder. Your LakeCountyEye asked the lobbyist if he had any parting thoughts.

"Don't forget to buckle up, eh?"