Thursday, January 31, 2019

Railroad controversy documents


Pertaining to the 84th Sustainability Salon on Trains, 19 January 2019

 How You Can Help 
Contact your elected officials, personally and through your Community Development Corporation. Glenn Olcerst has been sending them emails on this topic so they should be somewhat familiar with the issue. 
Ask your officials to: 
Use your tax dollars to re-deploy the $28 million project funding to instead secure the hillside adjacent to the Mon Line, and re-direct the double-stacked trains there, where there is no height restriction 
Support the demand for true town hall meetings with City, PennDOT and Norfolk Southern representatives in each of your communities 
Agree to supply all of the information listed on the “Pre-Public Meeting Information Request” handout in advance of any such meeting 
Consider the options and solutions listed in the “Possible Options and Solutions” handout that best fit your community’s needs. 

Contact potential funding sources to help pay for: 
Cameras and monitors 
Community outreach, education and engagement 
Legal advice 

How to find your elected officials: 
Go to https://live.cicerodata.com/ 
Displays local, state, and national representatives 

Other ways to help: 
Identify locations where and how long trains are idling in your area 
If you have special skills, like web development, design, etc., volunteer! 
Offer to go door-to-door to alert your neighbors about the railroad’s plans 
Write letters to the editor 

Send follow-up questions to glennolcerst@gmail.com 

 Possible Options and Solutions 
We believe that once armed with the facts about the dangers of the PVCP, using citizen science and organizing, we will be able to inform elected officials so they’re aware of the risks to the community. We will use the critical information and growing community network to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and to require them to modify their project to address the community’s concerns. Desired outcomes and options to achieve them are detailed below. 
To Prevent Derailments 
Replace or reinforce all antiquated sewer/water lines and infrastructure along the route 
• Increase water drainage capacity in the trough running through Allegheny Commons, and at other junctures along the route in order to prevent ground subsidence and movement under the ballast 
• Ensure Positive Train Controls are implemented throughout the route, are always working properly, and have backup systems in place when main controls are taken off line for maintenance 

To Prevent Additional Degradation of Air Quality 
Require black carbon diesel scrubbers on the engines 
• Require the use of Tier 4 or hybrid train engines 
• Electrify the route (done now for passenger trains elsewhere) 
• Re-deploy the $28 million project funding to instead secure the hillside adjacent to the Mon Line, and re-direct the double-stacked trains there, where there is no height restriction 
• Advocate for policy responses to limit the ability for Norfolk Southern to add high amounts of additional air pollution in communities already bearing environmental justice burdens 

To Ensure Public Safety at Intersections 
Keep double-decker trains exclusively on Norfolk Southern’s Mon Line 
• Lower only the two middle tracks, thereby leaving the toe footers for the trough walls in Allegheny Commons unaffected 
• If the Northside Merchant Street Bridge must be lowered, make the underpass pedestrian only 
• Split the height difference by lowering the tracks a little and raising the bridges a little 

To Produce More Robust Community Engagement 
Convene a series of true town hall meetings, conveniently located in each of the affected neighborhoods, to be held where members of the project team are identified, are on a stage where they’re visible, use microphones so the audience can all hear their answers to questions, where project renderings are clearly displayed at the front of the stage, and provide an independent facilitator to conduct the proceedings 
• Contribute documentation to Rail Pollution Protection Pittsburgh’s website - a central repository accessible by the public; containing maps of all relevant underlying infrastructure (including their depth and age); original construction drawings (including cross-sections) of the trough through Allegheny Commons; project drawings and timelines; project team names, faces and contact information; project status, etc. 
• Incorporate social media platforms that encourage the public’s feedback 

To Compensate Those Most Affected 
Provide an endowment for impacted parks and playgrounds 
• Make adjoining property owners financially whole and, based on a vibration, load, and noise analysis, provide an additional stipend to mitigate the trains’ effects 



 Pre-Public Meeting Information Request 
In order to ensure that a truly meaningful community process occurs, it is necessary that the PVCP team provide the following information to all of the Community Development Corporations along the Fort Wayne and Pittsburgh Lines at least one month in advance of any mutually agreed-upon date for a public meeting. 
PVCP Project Documentation 
All bridge and engineering drawings, including those showing approach elevations and surface and subsurface impact on adjacent properties 
All locations where current plans will result in a “taking” of property by eminent domain 
All road/bridge safety studies performed for the Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Project (“PVCP”) 
Copies of all environmental, historic, health, welfare, and general safety impact studies conducted by the PVCP team 
All cost analyses of raising bridges versus lowering of tracks 
Engineering studies relating to the infrastructure and drainage systems in Allegheny Commons (including age and depth below tracks) 
Any and all impact to historically protected Allegheny Commons (trees, topography, access etc.) 
Vibration and noise analysis testing and results 

Norfolk Southern Operations 
Documents showing the location and duration of idling trains over the past year 
Documents confirming the current number of trains, including cargo and weight, as well as projected volume and length of single- and double-stacked rail traffic 
A list of all Norfolk Southern accidents and derailments, including types of cargo involved, within the past 5 years, along with the determined cause and the financial cost 
Documents showing both transit time and monetary savings resulting from use of the new route 
Certification that all of the railroad ties along the Fort Wayne and Pittsburgh Lines have been replaced with properly treated ties. (This item relates to current litigation pertaining to Norfolk Southern’s purchase of what was determined to be untreated, or improperly treated, ties that are prone to rot.) 

The timeline for supplying the requested information must be followed strictly to allow those who are most directly impacted the opportunity to hire engineers to analyze the data. The engineer and other experts’ reports will help ensure that the most intelligent and informed questions can be asked during initial, and follow up, public meetings. 



 RP3 Broader Mission Demands 
• Positive Train Control implemented now 
• More advanced brakes exist now, and we want them installed on trains hauling explosive fuels 
• Regular inspections on rail infrastructure including bridges with public reports 
• Lower speed limits imposed in populated areas 
• Emergency response plans funded by Norfolk Southern – including training equipment, communication systems, qualified officials to coordinate first responders and cleanup 
• State-level environmental reviews with public comment periods 
• Required proof of financial responsibility – posting of bonds and adequate insurance 
• Enforce strict permitting and land use at local non-carrier loading/unloading facilities 
• A renewed freeze on public funding 
• Strict liability for all oil spills, all resulting damages, restoration of natural resources, fees on all off-loaded oil, punitive damages 
• Stabilization to remove explosive gasses 
• Help organizing and administering a GoFundMe campaign 
• Leads on where trains are idling 


 Relevant Contact Information 
City Council: 
Darlene Harris, District 1 
• 412-255-2135 darlene.harris@pittsburghpa.gov 
Allegheny Center, Allegheny City Central, Allegheny West, Brighton Heights, Brightwood, East Allegheny, Fineview, Northview Heights, Observatory Hill, Spring Garden, Spring Hill, Summer Hill, Troy Hill & Washington’s Landing 

Theresa Kail-Smith, District 2 
• 412-255-8963 theresea.kailsmith@pittsburghpa.gov 
Banksville, Beechview, Chartiers City, Crafton Heights, Duquesne Heights & Mount Washington, East Carnegie, Elliot, Esplen, Fairywood, Oakwood & Ridgemont, South Shore, Sheraden, West End, Westwood, Windgap 

Bruce Kraus, District 3 
• 412-255-2130 bruce.kraus@pittsburghpa.gov 
Allentown, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Beltzhoover, Central Oakland, Knoxville, Mt Oliver, Oakcliffe, South Side Flats, South Side Slopes, South Oakland, St. Clair 

Anthony Coghill, District 4 
• 412-255-2131 anthony.coghill@pittsburghpa.gov 
Beechview, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, Mt. Washington, Overbrook 

Corey O’Connor, District 5 
• 412-255-8965 corey.oconnor@pittsburghpa.gov 
Glen Hazel, Greenfield, Hays, Hazelwood, Lincoln Place, New Homestead, Regent Square, Squirrel Hill South, Swisshelm Park 

R. Daniel Lavelle, District 6 
• 412-255-0820 daniel.lavelle@pittsburghpa.gov 
Perry Hilltop, The Hill, Northside, Uptown, Downtown, Oakland 

Deb Gross, District 7 
• 412-255-2140 deb.gross@pittsburghpa.gov 
Bloomfield, Friendship, Highland Park, Lawrenceville, Morningside, Polish Hill, Stanton Heights, Strip District 

Erika Strassburger, District 8 
• 412-255-2133 erika.strassburger@pittsburghpa.gov 
Oakland, Point Breeze, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill North 

Ricky Burgess, District 9 
• 412-255-8658 ricky.burgess@pittsburghpa.gov 
East Liberty, Homewood, East Hills, Larimer, Point Breeze North, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, Friendship, Garfield 

Mayor’s Office: 
Bill Peduto, Mayor 
• 412-255-2626 bill.peduto@pittsburghpa.gov 

Dan Gillman, Chief of Staff 
• dan.gilman@pittsburghpa.gov 

Department of Mobility and Infrastructure: 
Karina Ricks, Director 
• karina.ricks@pittsburghpa.gov 

PennDOT 
Cheryl Moon Sirianni, Pittsburgh Area District Executive 
• 412-429-5005 csirianni@pa.gov