River Forest Rail Traffic Pollution Protection Group is concerned with the issues of sound and safety that are part and parcel of living next to a busy rail line.
The Federal Rail Administration says that noise over 75 dB is associated with "an unacceptable living environment". Despite total noise being higher than 75 dB across the entire UP-West Metra Third Rail Expansion Project, no environmental protections have been included in their plans.
Federal Transportation Administration Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual
In River Forest, background noise along the tracks, including road and air traffic, is 52 dB, with rail noise resulting in 78 dB of total noise.
Documented Categorical Exclusion Union Pacific West Third Mainline Project Eastern Section
Mitigation is required for all federally funded transit projects that create an environmental level of noise over 75 dB, which is considered a Severe Impact by the Federal Transportation Administration. Despite this, Union Pacific and Metra have included no environmental protection plans for citizens and taxpayers living near the tracks. This is in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The River Forest Rail Traffic Pollution Protection Group, LTD, requests that this standard, which has been in effect for more than a decade, is enforced on projects impacting Union Pacific West, including the Third Rail Line Expansion Project.