Cook County, IL —Cook County Commissioner Peter N. Silvestri discusses the merits of rail deregulation for the Chicagoland area in a new op-ed for the Daily Herald.
“Lost last fall amid the run-up to the election was the 40th anniversary of the Staggers Act, a landmark federal law with an especially strong connection to Chicago, the nation’s preeminent rail hub. Freight rail is center stage in a network that has functioned tirelessly to move essential goods during the pandemic.”
He argues that the bipartisan Staggers legislation catalyzed today’s “best-in-the-world freight rail network” by encouraging private investments by railroads.
“The four decades of progress brought by the Staggers Act were possible because leaders of both parties in Washington put their differences aside and came together in the national interest, a good example for what’s needed to confront today’s challenges in both Illinois and across the nation.
