My great grandfather and great uncle worked for the railroad and lived for a while in one of the little houses that were on Elm St next to the tracks. They both were RR carpenters and I have a wonderful tool box with all types of exotic, antique RR tools. The houses were removed last summer; their time had come. The people who have expressed reservations about raising the bridge, as well as myself, are not Luddites, and to me this is not a NIMBY issue (although I live a block from the yard & attend Calvary). The bridge is obviously a choke point for traffic going East/West. Raising it would make it much easier to ship from Savannah to Cordele to Alabama and back. This would save the RR much money and help Cordele, but how would Americus benefit? If I knew how many additional new people would be employed, I could tell you the economic impact. I spent over 20 years working to improve this area’s economy and if my skills are lacking, I know who to ask. 1. How many people work for HOG presently & how many new employees will be brought to Americus? 2. Will the existing yard be expanded, will it perform additional maintenance, will there be a transfer yard, more warehousing, more truck drivers needed, or will the trains just blow through town? 3. Who’s going to pay for the bridge? With politics the way it is, there will be a big push back from Conservatives & Tea Partiers if tax payer moneys are used (& they have a good point). Good infrastructure is the backbone of this nation. 4. Saying Calvary won’t be affected doesnt work; let’s see some drawings. A 4ft rise takes a long slope, probably up to & past the main church entrance. Calvary is the most beautiful building in Americus. 5. Raising the bridge will not keep Americus from “going down the tubes”, nor significantly build new houses, services, businesses, or tax revenues. Especially if the trains don’t stop. Somebody prove me wrong on this. Let’s kick back, not get personal, stop blowing smoke, and wait for more information. And I love trains. I grew up in Sumter City for gosh sakes.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:44:18 +0000
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