Camas Prairie Railroad

["Wayne H Beebe" <whbeebe@turbonet.com>]

Last night on NWPR it was announced that the CPRR will be abandoning its rail line from Lewiston to Grangeville.  The use does not justify the cost of upkeep.  When I first heard about this I thought this would be a golden opportunity for rails to trails. 

 

Some one just proposed that as an alternative to an freeway highway a light rail system might be better--myself, I would prefer a fast rail system that would connect Southern Idaho with Northern Idaho.  But this would also entail some environmental degradation in the very areas that people want to preserve--the Salmon River and Whitebird (to say nothing about the Lewiston grade).

 

Northern Idaho has continued to be cut off from its Southern half.  The current highway was not designed for the traffic it handles and the result is it is now the most dangerous highway in the region.  As much as we may want to limit progress, will happen or it will pass us by--already Swift will not allow its trucks to use highway 95. As we argue about the pros and cons of a highway expansion BSU continues to siphon educational programs from the U of I. If we want to take advantage of NAFTA we need to have a system that will allow for the most efficient movement of commerce in the area.  Why should trucks have to go around the horn through Pendleton or up into Montana to move Idaho commerce north or south?  Why do cars have to risk being run off the road by large trucks? Why are we allowing our citizens to be killed on a goat trail?

 

I am very much for the environment as anyone on this board, but I do think we have to find a balance that will provide a safe road and which will allow for the free flow of commerce while protecting the integrity of the region.