![]() ![]() “So, the goal or intent of the rail operator is to keep those trains moving.”īut, that’s not easy with a regional rail network that the MPO describes as “highly concentrated” amid dense development, and “ with many areas of the region already congested” and expected to worsen.Īs of 2016, the MPO estimated that CSX operates about 70 trains per day in the region. When they’re sitting still, they’re not,” Baker says. “As they’re moving, they’re making money. Max Baker, director of research and analytics for the MPO, says, to start off, it is important to know that the train operators don’t want trains to sit still. At the same time, while dangerous situations - like losing lives as a result of hampered response times - are the last thing they want, MPO representatives say solutions aren’t always that simple. This raises concerns for the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is the agency that leads the way on Middle Tennessee’s federally funded transportation projects. Over a third of the complaints to the FRA note that pedestrians were observed climbing on, over or through the train cars, and 10% of the complaints indicated that first responders were observed being unable to cross the tracks. ![]() ![]() Amongst the FRA data, the Douglas crossing is the blockage with the highest number of complaints and is of particular inconvenience to those nearby. With nearly 800 members, Facebook users can post the date and times of the blockages (as well as when the road is clear). In fact, residents living around Douglas Avenue took the matter into their own hands in October 2021 via the creation of a de facto portal: a Facebook group entitled “Is a Train Blocking Douglas?” The data identifies Douglas Avenue, Sadler Avenue, Delmas Avenue, Elm Hill Pike and 4 th Avenue South as the five most-complained about blockages in Davidson County. More: Download the Tennessee blocked crossings data from the Federal Rail Administration spreadsheet. In Nashville, there have been 36 instances where a stopped train didn’t move for an entire day. Since the start of 2020, there have been more than 1,900 blocked crossings in Tennessee, including more than 500 that lasted at least an hour. It captured more than 18,000 blockages, and the FRA noted safety hazards such as pedestrians crawling through railcars and delayed trips to hospitals. In late 2021, rail authorities shared the blockage data they’d gathered for a period of nearly two years. 15.īut, until conditions change, frustrations remain. You can leave feedback about how the system is working, or how to improve it, at this Federal Register page until Aug. My plan to impose fines on trains that block crossings for more than 10 minutes was included in our infrastructure package but the Senate has refused to vote on it. Stopped freight trains should never block Nashville roadways, especially during rush hour. He has pushed for an end to blockages and is now encouraging residents to respond. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, says he has received “countless” complaints about trains. The website makes it easier to report trains that are parked at busy intersections. The Federal Rail Administration (FRA) is now asking for public feedback on its blocked crossings web portal. They’ve been keeping track of blocked crossings since 2020, including the timing and duration of blockages and whether first responders were hindered. Turns out, federal authorities want to know more as well. It’s a plight that has been vexing drivers for years and that prompted a question to our Curious Nashville project asking why these blockages happen. At times, the stoppage forces ambulances and fire trucks to find other routes. It can be a daily frustration in some Nashville neighborhoods: a freight train grinds to a halt and blocks the road. ![]()
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