While the shortcomings of the Rutland railyard plan have recently been in the news, the underlying idea of a new railyard is important for Rutland and for Vermont and deserves your support. This is a much needed economic development opportunity - and it's important for the long-term capacity of the rail network to handle growth. Now that the plan has been presented and it's shortcomings identified, conversations have been happening about how to make the plan viable. We believe the project will be stronger for it, and Rutland will benefit.
You can support these conversations by weighing in yourself in the letters section of the Herald. Letters are read closely by elected leaders.
To write a letter to the editor, click on this link: http://rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=SERVICES07
You can read the current plan at: http://www.aot.state.vt.us/planning/rutlandea/rutlandrailyard.htm
All freight traffic to and from the western side of Vermont passes through Rutland and gets sorted by the four directions (Whitehall, Bennington, Bellows Falls and Florence - Middlebury - Burlington). The yard is at capacity, which makes rail operations inefficient (cars are stuffed into every available siding between the state fairgrounds and Florence) and could choke off any future growth (except growth in truck traffic coming through town on Route 7). This is a regional economic issue.
Economic opportunities include new jobs from companies that build on property near the railyard made accessible by the project, opportunities created by removing the yard from downtown Rutland and the construction itself, which at $100 million, will be a huge short-term boost. It is projected that the project will create 628 jobs.
Christopher Parker
Executive Director, Vermont Rail Action Network
PS - I was at the yard the other day, looking down from the River Street bridge at kids cutting right through a switching operation with free-rolling cars moving while the kids cut between them inches away. Watching the danger knotted up my stomach. As long as the railyard remains in it's current spot, it will be an uneasy co-existence. It's already been the site of maimings and at least one death. It's time to fix this, one way or the other.
