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Tables Developed by the Brookings Railroad Safety Committee

New Single-Family Building Permits Issued in City of Brookings (Includes the 3-mile area)

Year	Permits	Permits South of Rail Line	Percent
1998	64	63	98%
1999	46	46	100%
2000	40	40	100%
2001	56	56	100%
2002	77	77	100%
2003	51	51	100%
2004	104	104	100%
2005	126	126	100%
2006	130	130	100%
2007*	40	40	100%
Grand Total	734	733	99.8%

The city’s rapid growth is concentrated south of the tracks

Brookings Registered Voters as of (April 10, 2007)

Precinct	Registered Voters	North or South of Rail Line
Precinct 1	1,391	North
Precinct 2	1,591	North
Precinct 3	1,690	Divided
Precinct 4	2,135	North
Precinct 5	2,793	South
Precinct 6	1,835	South
Total	11,435

As Brookings has grown to the south, the percentage of registered voters living north and south of the tracks has also changed. If Precinct 3 voters were divided equally between north and south, Brookings voters would be almost equally divided by the railroad tracks.

Brookings Six Major Employers*

Employer	Employees	North or South of Rail Line
South Dakota State University	1700	North
Daktronics	1600	North
3M	775	South
Larson Manufacturing	600	North
Brookings High School	335	South
Rainbow Play Systems	327	North

*From a 2006-2007 City of Brookings telephone survey.

While residential development has grown to the south, the vast majority of jobs in Brookings are north of the rail line.

Average Daily Traffic Counts (ADT) at Rail Crossings: A Comparison

Crossing	2001 Final Environmental Impact Study	2005 Brookings Traffic Count Map	Increase
22nd Avenue	12,703	**	**
17th Avenue	3,025	4,870	61%
Medary Avenue	6,440	8,565	33%
Main Avenue	7,988	11,290	41%
Western Avenue	2,630	4,235	61%

From 2001 to 2005, traffic counts grew by 31% to 61% at four crossings.

People Power Works

Tens of thousands of taxpayers joined forces to oppose giving a $2.33 billion federal loan to DM&E, a small company with big political connections, and in February 2007 the Federal Railroad Administration rejected DM&E's application, echoing our position in labeling the loan an "unacceptably high risk to federal taxpayers."

DM&E's ambitions have not changed, and informed citizens remain concerned about multiple aspects of the company's rail construction plans. What can you do?

Get Informed
Sign up to receive updates from the Track the Truth campaign.

Get Involved
Contact an organization that can use your support.

Make a Difference
Write an e-mail to your elected officials or a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.