Last Saturday, Oct. 3, more than 60 River Forest residents gathered at the Community Center on Madison Street to voice their concerns regarding the proposed O’Hare Flyer express train.
The meeting came two weeks after the village board unanimously passed a resolution opposing the high-speed rail plan. Among the concerns expressed Saturday were traffic backups, noise and vibration impacts, safety to children and animals, and what several people said was a very real likelihood that property values in the area could fall as much as 40% and make it all but impossible to sell their house.
Those concerns, many said, are exacerbated by a lack of any specifics regarding how managers of the proposed rail project intend to address many problematic details.
Village President Cathy Adduci was joined by Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch, who, as 7th District State Rep. also represents a small section of River Forest. He also represents most of Forest Park and a small part of Melrose Park, where the existing rail line crosses 1st Avenue at grade just south of North Avenue.
Adduci stressed that the village’s opposition to the express train proposal is not solely a River Forest issue. She and Welch said 11 communities have expressed similar concerns, as has the West Suburban Municipal Conference.
Adduci criticized the lack of substance in the O’Hare Flyer concept as presented so far, saying, “We have a lot of marketing, a lot of hype, and I think, a bunch of guys that are trying to raise money, basically in my mind, on the back of us.”
“There’s no details on how they’re going to ensure that’s a safe crossing,” she said of the heavily trafficked rail crossing on Madison Street. “None. Zero.”
Ken Kramer, a Keystone Avenue resident, echoed many of the speakers when he said he wanted River Forest to be on offense and not defense. Kramer, who was also at a well-attended meeting in Forest Park two days before, said the Forest Park event “was good,” but that it also was “very much controlled and scripted.”
He urged Adduci and others to demand a full dialogue with the O’Hare Flyer group and not allow them to control the narrative.
Village Administrator Matt Walsh said the village is gathering its own cache of information to counter what they say is a dearth of data and information from O’Hare Flyer proponents, and to marshall experts to assist them in opposing the plan. Walsh said the village board has hired three experts in the areas of public relations, lobbying and legal.
Adduci stressed that a major alternative exists to stop the O’Hare Flyer, saying, “The state just passed a transit bill that brings together previously disjointed transit agencies.”
There are other things the state has done to make other routes, like Metra, a viable option. Resident Bill Pfieffer noted that a study is currently being conducted on the viability of increasing the frequency of Metra’s existing downtown to O’Hare train service, as part of the Cross Rail Chicago study. He called the O’Hare Flyer discussion “premature,” saying that the study “needs to be completed before this whole discussion of ‘it has to be this line’ goes further.”
Ori Gottlieb, a village resident, asked Welch what, if anything, could be done legally to stop the project, and in the alternative, how opponents can make it more difficult to proceed.
Welch did suggest there were steps he could take if needed, saying, “I can make it a little difficult.” Referring to the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Commerce Commission, he said he could “let ‘em know that your budgets can be held up at budget time, if you do things to negatively impact the communities that I represent.”
He said he wasn’t impressed by the manner in which the O’Hare Flyer proponents introduced their project.
“The first I heard of this proposal was July 7 of this year,” Welch said. “That told me they didn’t have much respect for our community.”
He didn’t though come out explicitly against the project, saying he wanted to hear from both sides.
“I want to hear the good. I want to hear the bad,” Welch said. “I’m hearing from people in other communities that are in opposition. But I’m also hearing from people that are in support of this.”
Welch urged people to speak up loud and clear and persistently. “You have to make sure that folks know that this is not just a River Forest issue,” he said. “And why it’s not just a River Forest issue.”
“Reach out to everyone that represents you,” Welch said. “Continue to educate folks on your concerns. Advocacy matters. I believe that can actually make a difference.”
Adduci acknowledged that federal law favors railroad right of ways, but that local municipalities aren’t without recourse, and seconded Welch on the importance of speaking up. She said he and other leaders can help River Forest “elevate” the issue.
“There are a lot of things local and state representatives can do,” she said. “We can speak loudly on the safety issues, the environmental issues, the traffic issues that it will create at these major crossings.”
However, Welch faces a tightrope walk. Any public opposition to the proposed $2.25 billion rapid rail project and its many construction jobs would require him to oppose the interests of one of the Democratic Party’s most loyal and lucrative support groups. Organized labor in general and LiUNA in particular, have poured millions of dollars into Welch’s personal and Democratic leadership coffers.
LiUNA has sent 24 contributions to People for Emanuel “Chris” Welch totaling $4.5 million since he became Speaker of the House in 2021, including $520,000 so far this year. Another $260,000 has been transferred directly to Democrats for the Illinois House, Welch’s funding mechanism for supporting Democratic House candidates.