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CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
MASSACHUSETTS


September 10th, 2014


Cynthia Scarano
Executive Vice President of Communications
Pan American Railways
1700 Iron Horse Park
North Billerica, MA 01862




Dear Ms. Scarano,

We are writing to request a meeting between Pan American Railways and
Northampton officials for the purpose of establishing a clear protocol for communication
between your company and our city in the future.

Recent events have shown the need for a discussion of this kind. As you know, this
summer a large number of cabin cars arrived in the North Street neighborhood of
Northampton to house workers during track upgrades that were part of the long anticipated
return of passenger rail to the region. The project and the workers who made it possible were
certainly welcome. However, the flow of information from Pan American Railways to our
community fell short of the standards both your company and the City of Northampton ought
to expect. Below are several examples of where communication might have been improved.

Northampton did not receive notice that the cabin cars would arrive and remain in a
densely settled residential neighborhood for an extended period of time. Upon their arrival, a
scramble was set off to assess the situation and address the problems of noise and emissions
from the trains diesel generators. This included steps such as searching for a liaison in your
company, a site inspection by the citys Health Department, and time-consuming back and
forth about possible mitigation options. As the construction period came to a close, finding
accurate information about a departure date was also challenging.

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Planning and communication between Pan Am Railways and Northampton at the
outset of the project would have made a significant difference in this case and saved a
substantial amount of work on both sides.

Improved communication will remain necessary even after the completion of the
aforementioned construction project. As you may know, diesel engines stopping and idling
for extended periods in the North Street neighborhood is a recurring problem. When this
occurs, the lack of a mutually understood protocol for resolving the situation and getting the
idling trains to move on not only inconveniences the neighborhood, but almost certainly
burdens Pan Am employees who spend a great deal of time receiving calls from residents and
multiple local officials. A plan to prevent or resolve these situations, established in advance,
would benefit everyone.

Thank you for your attention in this matter. We are confident that a fruitful discussion
about these challenges is possible and that we can jointly arrive at an effective and reliable
protocol for communication between Pan American Railways and the City of Northampton
for the future.


Sincerely,


Ryan R. ODonnell William H. Dwight
City Councilor, Ward 3 City Council President

ryan@ryanodonnell.org bdwight@comcast.net
(413) 570-3159 (413) 262-6710



CC: Members of the public
Mayor David J. Narkewicz
Meredith OLeary, Director of Northampton Department of Health
Ned Huntley, Director of the Northampton Department of Public Works
James Nash, Chair of the Northampton Rail Advisory Committee
Richard A. Davey, Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation
Michael Verseckes, Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Congressman James McGovern
State Senator Stan Rosenberg
State Representative Peter Kocot