The West Central Municipal Conference (WCMC) is a regional council of governments (COG) serving the communities of west suburban Cook County comprised of 40 municipalities, five townships, and two community colleges. The organization represents over 600,000 residents in Cook County, and member communities include those impacted by the O’Hare Flyer proposal, including: Forest Park, River Forest, Maywood, Melrose Park, Franklin Park, and Schiller Park.
Here’s the text of the letter:
On behalf of the West Central Municipal Conference, please be informed that our Regional Council of Government has serious concerns about the proposed “O’Hare Flyer”, a high-speed rail service currently in preliminary planning stages and expected to run through several communities in western Cook County. The proposed train speeds and frequency pose substantial challenges for residents and business constituents along the rail corridor.
The West Central Municipal Conference represents every suburb along the proposed route. In this regard, communities such as River Forest and surrounding municipalities similarly situated could face increased congestion and longer travel times, as frequent rail closures on major north-south corridors disrupt daily commutes and slow emergency response.
The Region’s commercial and industrial districts also depend on consistent traffic flow for freight and logistics operations; added delays at grade crossings threaten delivery schedules, worker access, and business productivity; driving up transportation costs. The proposal also potentially threatens unknown impacts on wildlife and the precious ecosystem.
Accordingly, we believe that the affected municipalities have not been provided with sufficient information or complete impact analyses related to traffic impacts, public safety, emergency response, noise, vibration, or infrastructure demands. In the absence of these essential studies, advancing the O’Hare Flyer would be premature and potentially harmful.
Until thorough, publicly available studies are completed and fully evaluated and approved by the appropriate federal, state and local entities, the project should not move forward in its current form.
Thank you for your attention to these important regional concerns. Continued transparency, collaboration, and community engagement are essential to ensuring any transportation initiative serves our residents safely and responsibly.
