Sick of Rail Crossings? Tell Congress

[joesap1]

That is the title of an article from the Riverside, CA - The Press-Enterprise by Doug Haberman. Here are quotes from the article:
" You find yourself stuck in your car at a train crossing, frustation mounting
as a train lumbers by.
" Riverside Councilman Ed Adkison has come up with a way to channel
your annoyance: The city is going to post signs at train crossings
urging motorists to call members of Congress and the U.S. Senate to
ask them to make the railroad companies pay a larger portion of the
cost of building overpasses annd underpasses. Lawmaker's phone
numbers will be included on a rotating basis.
" Railroad companies have to pay 5 percent of the cost of a federally
funded grade separation, the collective term for overpasses and
underpasses.
" The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway has had lines through the
inland region since 1886 so it predates most of the communities that
have grown up around the tracks, spokeswoman Lena Kent said.
" Railroad companies reduce truck traffic on freeways- one train can carry
as much freight as 280 trucks can- and contribute to a reduction in
air pollution, Kent said.
" The sign protype that Adkison has been displaying says that by 2020,
some crossing arms will be down as long as five hours a day.
" The Riverside City Council unanimously approved Adkison's proposal.
' You're going to have people dying at the train tracks in ambulances,'
Councilmember Frank Schiavone said."
Frank Schiavone's occupation is construction. Could he be fishing around for a big government contract?
It is always interesting that city, county, and state governments always promote the concept that the Federal Government has an unlimited supply of money. The gist of the article which I did not quote is that they want the Fed's to
pay for the grade separtions since they admit that the Railroads are "too powerful " to get anymore money from.
The article concludes with the following figures:
Over 100 grade separations needed in Southern California at the estimated cost of 2592 million dollars. So far only 974 million dollars have been alloted for these projects.
What do you think about all this? Grade separations are big news since the Glendale train accident. Do you have long waits at crossings in your state?

[eastside]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joesap1
It is always interesting that city, county, and state governments always promote the concept that the Federal Government has an unlimited supply of money. The gist of the article which I did not quote is that they want the Fed's to pay for the grade separtions since they admit that the Railroads are "too powerful " to get anymore money from.

The Feds don't pay for anything, it's us -- the U.S. taxpayer. California is dead-broke. So watch their congressional delegation try to stick us taxpayers in the other states with the tab.

[daveklepper]

Were not the railroads there first?

[mudchicken]

Typical Riverside.....(dealt with these clowns just enough to get annoyed with them, fortunately it was the roadmster next door's turf, I really got disgusted with Columbia Blvd.)....Same baloney, different year - no sympathy for folks who waste money for a lot less worthy public works programs.

To you non-locals....Riverside is where UP hops off the former ATSF Cajon Pass route to continue on into LA -VERY busy place.(lately a washout victim between Riverside & LA) ----Four Main tracks wide in places and on both railroads' transcon routes. There are underpasses downtown, suspect the bellyaching is towards San Bdno (Columbia Blvd.again?- Local landowners opposed an underpass in the '90s because some businesses would lose their street frontage and California PUC mothballed that grade separation)......Somebody bother to figure out that a big jump in that traffic is the Metrolink commuters that was not there before 1994 and has since been adding trains every year?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eastside

QUOTE: Originally posted by joesap1
It is always interesting that city, county, and state governments always promote the concept that the Federal Government has an unlimited supply of money. The gist of the article which I did not quote is that they want the Fed's to pay for the grade separtions since they admit that the Railroads are "too powerful " to get anymore money from.

The Feds don't pay for anything, it's us -- the U.S. taxpayer. California is dead-broke. So watch their congressional delegation try to stick us taxpayers in the other states with the tab.

Ya no ***!

[joesap1]

I knew you'd get a kick out of reading how local city governments waste their citizen's money- in this case the creation of some ridiculous signs.
I can understand some of their frustration, though. I remember one morning while commuting to work that I had to stop at a crossing for a train. This east bound freight was very long and by my watch it took 10 minutes to transverse the crossing. Then, just as the last car went by, a westbound freight held me up for another 10 minutes. I was twenty minutes late to work that morning and never used that street again until they, incidentally, put in an underpass. Now, I use it every day.
I would not have minded the delay, but my boss does like me to get to work on time.

Any other thoughts on grade separations?

[MP57313]

At least all this discussion in the news, city councils, etc. has brought back some positive comments about the Alameda Corridor. Sure the corridor cost a bundle, but once it opened long trains were re-routed away from other lines with lots of grade crossings.

As for Riverside, a future grade separation at Columbia? Hmmm. I can't imagine a grade separation at Cridge St. (near where the UP and BNSF separate) because it is too close to the rte. 91 bridge. I would think Center St. would be of greater concern, but that might be outside the city limits [Highgrove].

Further west along BNSF, in Placentia, a grade separation just opened at Melrose Ave a week or two ago. It was supposed to be the first in a series of grade separations, but the city went deeply into debt on this project and cannot afford to construct any others.

[Anonymous]

Not to get too political, but I would see all kinds of things that should deserve funding by the government before we really work on building more over and underpasses for trains, especially if one of the main reasons for doing so is just a lack of patience on the part of drivers.

Education, healthcare, my sad looking social security future, etc.

In my eyes, there are much more important things to have us taxpayers pay for first!

[jeaton]

I always find it interesting when politicians carry on about the things that would be nice to have in an effort to elevate them to things that are desparately needed. Of course, in the next breath, they are going to reiterate their promise to cut taxes. I mean, how else do you get elected or reelected.

Eliminating railroad crossing at grade would be fantastic, but who, pray tell, is going to put up the bucks for the job.

Jay

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

In a similar vein, the preliminary studies to extend Central Avenue through Clearing Yard are finally beginning. It has been decided that it will have to be an underpass since an overpass would be too high and the grade would extend too far in either direction. The crest of Clearing's hump is on a direct line with Central Avenue and the grade to the north is constrained in part by the southwest corner of Midway Airport at 63rd and Central.

I don't think that I'll see this project completed within my lifetime.

[jockellis]

G'Day, Y'all,
I remember a Model Railroader layout article by Linn Westcott in which he pointed out that the county had to pay for a grade crossing re-location on the pike because the railroad was there first. Now, grade crossing separations are much safer, but they are the only place one gets to fully enjoy the trains and count the cars. Personally, I'd rather have a few grade crossings. Here in Atlanta, they are almost (if not all) separated and one never even thinks about trains until one hears on the news the awful NS crash or the idiot in California who decided to kill himself in a spectacular manner and killed 10 others instead.
Jock Ellis

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

I always find it interesting when politicians carry on about the things that would be nice to have in an effort to elevate them to things that are desparately needed. Of course, in the next breath, they are going to reiterate their promise to cut taxes. I mean, how else do you get elected or reelected.

Eliminating railroad crossing at grade would be fantastic, but who, pray tell, is going to put up the bucks for the job.

Jay

Sounds like a job for the highway trust fund! ALL the benefits accrue to motorists. 'bout time we made the motorists start paying their way, doncha think?

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by oltmannd

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

I always find it interesting when politicians carry on about the things that would be nice to have in an effort to elevate them to things that are desparately needed. Of course, in the next breath, they are going to reiterate their promise to cut taxes. I mean, how else do you get elected or reelected.

Eliminating railroad crossing at grade would be fantastic, but who, pray tell, is going to put up the bucks for the job.

Jay

Sounds like a job for the highway trust fund! ALL the benefits accrue to motorists. 'bout time we made the motorists start paying their way, doncha think?

Grade crossing elimination is one of the programs Highway trust fund money is spent on.

[louisnash]

QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper

Were not the railroads there first?

Exactly!!!!

We don't hear it much now, but when a new development moves in close to the interstate or the airport around here, you always hear someone complain about the noise.

Brian (KY)

[coborn35]

Geez, wait 5 minutes or go to another crossing. Funny how people who know nothing about railroads always think they know everything!

[joesap1]

Right daveklepper and louisnash! The Railroads were there first. Remember when towns looked forward to getting the right-of-way to go through their town. The railroad meant commerce which translated to new businesses and new jobs.
What really gets my goat about all this is that the Riverside City Council approved the placement of these ridiculous signs. These are custom signs which will have to be made at great expense. Again, careless public officials who think money grows on trees.
Grr, tar and feather would be too good for them.

[coborn35]

If you run a red light who pays for it? You. If you do a crime, who pays for it? You. So if people are getting all mad about waiting for trains and want railroads to pay more money to improve them, they have a few screws loose. They should pay for it. The american railroads are a large part of the american economy so why should we make them pay money? I think railroads should flat out refuse to pay this outrageous propasal. What could the us do to them? Make them shut down? What good would that do to the already downtrodden us economy? Just my opinion.
Off topic, but, what is up with the new bnsf paint scheme?

[coborn35]

When I said "make them pay for it" I ment the feds.