BNSF facility the result of consumer demand

After reading all of the comments in this publication along with those on Facebook and listening to people I know, I can understand both sides of the argument. Would anyone really want this kind of facility near their homes? Probably not. I've driven by the Glendale yard many times and it's not pretty by any stretch of the imagination.

I also understand the BNSF Glendale facility has been outgrown and BNSF needs to create more space. They've said that they need to be near to the customers they serve just like Amazon, UPS, FedEx and any other business. I've also read and if I understand it correctly that this new facility has been kicked around since 2011 so it's not exactly "new."

Given everything I've read and heard, it seems like the area is a victim of its own success. warehouses being built at a record rate. Just drive down Loop 303, Northern, Cactus, Camelback or any other street near the 303 and all you see is warehouses built or under construction. Several of those warehouses are in a Inland Port Zone so they require lots of shipping in and out.  They all have to be served by shipping, which nowadays means containers since not much is actually produced in this country. That means more trains and more trucks. Imagine if we didn't have the railyards we do now, the truck traffic would be horrendous.

Am I happy to see all these warehouse building? No, not really, just like the ugly, windowless data centers being barfed out all over the west valley but they have to be somewhere I guess.

Consumers want cheap goods and quickly so shipping and receiving is part of that. More expense to ship and receive then higher costs to the consumer. Logistically it may not make sense to put this rail yard any further away from the 303 for a myriad of reasons. 

A couple of buffers could be, should be, put into place should BNSF build the yard. "No Commercial Trucks" signs on all side streets connecting to U.S. 60 and "No Jake Brakes" anywhere around city limits. I also wish Arizona cities and counties would start enforcing exhaust noise ordinances as I've seen many semi trucks without mufflers nowadays and they are loud!