DES MOINES, Iowa (KMTV — Concerned Citizens of Pottawattamie County and neighbors who live on the south side of Council Bluffs met with Iowa's attorney general and lawmakers about blocked railroad crossings. There are times when a triangular section of the south ends is completely blocked by trains; no one can get in or out of the neighborhood.
- "Everyone has a story of how they've been impacted by the blocked railroad crossings," Alicia Whitehill said.
- "At some point, the ultimate answer is a viaduct,” Rep. Brent Siegrist said. “But that's money and it takes some time. In the meantime, we're going to make sure we don't have a tragedy because people are blocked in there."
- The attorney general's spokeswoman said Bird plans to contact the U.S. Department of Transportation about the issue. The feds regulate railroads, so they need to be included.
WATCH BELOW
Union Pacific sent an updated statement on Wednesday afternoon:
"Union Pacific has met several times with city officials and other key stakeholders in Council Bluffs, and we have made adjustments to our operating practices to address concerns."
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Dave Bushaw: "A number of folks in that room have been stuck in that crossing and the triangle of death before."
I'm Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel in Des Moines. I'm here because Council Bluffs neighbors — who, at times, get completely blocked in by the railroad — are asking state officials for help.
"And I've been caught down there, too, for like 20 minutes. Where you're in there and you can't get out,” said Representative Brent Siegrist.
For months, I've been covering efforts in Council Bluffs to improve wait times at rail crossings on the south end. There are times, say locals, when a triangular section of the neighborhood can be completely cut off from the city, creating public safety concerns.
"Everyone has a story of how they've been impacted by the blocked railroad crossings," Alicia Whitehill said.
Representative Josh Turek said a constituent had a collision with a train in the triangle.
"And then the ambulance got stuck in there and she was stuck in there for almost an hour," he said.
Alicia Whitehill and Cindy Hanneman were among the neighbors at the capital Tuesday.
They told me about meeting with Attorney General Brenna Bird.
"Super glad that she was so receptive and had plans already in mind," Hanneman said.
I contacted Union Pacific Wednesday but haven't heard back as of my deadline. In December it sent a statement that read, in part:
"Union Pacific is in close communication with city officials and other key stakeholders... We're working to mitigate any related impacts, including enhancing safety and education outreach."
Several viewers have asked me: why not build a viaduct? So, I asked representative Brent Siegrist.
"At some point, the ultimate answer is a viaduct,” he said. “But that's money and it takes some time. In the meantime, we're going to make sure we don't have a tragedy because people are blocked in there."
Turek said state laws limit the time a crossing can be blocked: "All that we're asking for is enforcement of current law, which is ten minutes."
The attorney general's spokeswoman told me over the phone that Bird plans to contact the federal department of transportation about the issue. The feds regulate railroads, so they need to be included.
