Trent Lott: “the history of the geographic expansion of our great Nation is closely tied to the development of our network of…”

“the history of the geographic expansion of our great Nation is closely tied to the development of our network of railroad lines. Cities and towns sprang up and grew around the railroad tracks that provided transportation vital to their survival and economic future. While the development of modern automobiles, trucks and airplanes have provided alternate forms of transportation, railroads still fulfill important cargo and passenger transportation requirements across the Nation. However, in many cities and towns across our country, the increased need for motor vehicle transportation, and the road infrastructure to facilitate it, have led to increasing conflicts between railroads, motor vehicles, and people for the use of limited, and increasingly congested, space in downtown areas. Highway-rail grade crossings, even properly marked and gated ones, increase the risk of fatal accidents. Many rail lines cut downtown areas in half while serving few, if any, rail customers in the downtown area. Heavy rail traffic can cut off one side of a town to vital emergency services, including fire, police, ambulance, and hospital services. Downtown rail corridors can hamper economic development by restricting access to bisected areas. This situation is not the fault of the railroads. They own and have invested heavily to maintain their existing rail lines.”