Grade crossing rehab in District 1

[MEC407]

For the time being I'd prefer to keep them separate, since grade crossing repairs are often related to just the driving surfaces for rubber-tired vehicles and may not involve much rehab to the rails themselves. The other factor that makes grade crossing repairs different is that they usually involve non-railroad parties such as local municipalities and the state DOT.


From the Morning Sentinel:

FAIRFIELD - A solution may finally be in the works for the decrepit railroad crossings in town, which have been the subject of complaints for years.

This week, the town began working with the Maine Department of Transportation and Pan Am Railways to get cost estimates for repairs that could include closing one or two crossings and badly needed repair work on several more.
. . .
Town Manager Josh Reny said the town council will consider three options in which the town could close one or two railroad crossings, help pay to rebuild the crossings or simply allow the railroad to do the repairs on its own over a lengthier timetable that would span years.

Read more at: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/fair ... 11-01.html

[MEC&BAR]

Were working on State St crossing in Brewer yesterday.

[gokeefe]

A crossing in Auburn has been reported as under reconstruction as well in the PAR MoW thread.

Lots of work being done this year (and it's not over yet)!

[MEC407]

From the Kennebec Journal:

FAIRFIELD -- The state is preparing cost estimates for the possible closure of one or two of six railroad crossings on town-owned roads.

The federal government's railroad safety program provides grant funding to close railroad crossings, which are associated with accidents and deaths.

The town, the state and Pan Am Railways are working together to decide how to best take advantage of the program and to see what other railroad projects could be undertaken in Fairfield.

Read more at: http://www.kjonline.com/news/fairfield- ... 01-15.html

[MEC407]

Rep. Dennis Keschl, R-Belgrade, said more than a dozen people showed up at North Belgrade Community Center on Tuesday evening to meet with Pan Am executives.
...
During the meeting, Pan Am agreed to stop the fees until a bill is brought before the Legislature, according to Keschl.

That bill has arrived.

From the Morning Sentinel:

A battle between area residents and Pan Am Railways will reach the State House on Thursday, when legislators hold a public hearing on a bill designed to address the issue.

The outcome will affect anyone in the state who crosses railroad tracks to reach their private land.
. . .
In an effort to address the concerns, Rep. Dennis Keschl, R-Belgrade, introduced the bill, which is the subject of a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the State House.
. . .
The issue of increases in crossing maintenance fees is separate, said Scarano, and would not be affected significantly by the legislation as written.
. . .
Keschl said he crafted the bill with assistance from Pan Am lawyers.

He said he supports protection for camp owners and others, but didn’t include it in the legislation because the issue is so complicated that he didn’t know how to word it properly.

Read more at: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Pan- ... rsday.html

[MEC407]

From the Kennebec Journal:

A bill that would limit railroad liability for accidents at private crossings will not be approved as written, state legislators said Thursday after hearing from people opposed to the bill.

The bill, which would affect all private crossings along the state's 1,200 miles of railroad track, was criticized heavily during a public hearing of the state legislative judiciary committee.
. . .
Scarano, a Pan Am executive vice president, said the railroad has backed away from its initial efforts to collect maintenance fees and is open to a bill that would include maintenance fee regulations.

She said the initial round of letters were sent by the engineering department before administrators had screened them properly. The maintenance fees were assessed by a person who had been hired specifically for that job. A different person has since been chosen for that work, she said.

Read more at: http://www.kjonline.com/news/railroad-t ... 02-21.html

[gokeefe]

I think PARs work today goes down in recent history as one of the best damage control efforts ever seen from them.

[MEC407]

From the Morning Sentinel:

A legislative vote with consequences for anyone who crosses railroad tracks on the way to private land has been pushed back to the next legislative session.

State legislators say the bill, L.D. 154, represents a rare chance for the state to negotiate with railroad companies on behalf of residents.
. . .
Rep. Jarrod Crockett, R-Bethel, said the issue is too complex for the State House Judiciary Committee to recommend a solution this session.

Read more at: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Too- ... ssion.html

[MEC407]

From the Morning Sentinel:

FAIRFIELD — The town is considering closing two railroad crossings, which would leverage federal and state funding to fix up four other crossings in town.
. . .
Fairfield's Board of Selectmen recommended closing crossings on Willow and Elm streets earlier this month, after a public hearing.
. . .
Closing those two crossings will allow for the total renovation of the town's remaining railroad crossings on Burrill Street, Lawrence Avenue, Summit Street and Western Avenue, all of which have deteriorated badly.

Read more at: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Fari ... sings.html

[MEC407]

Oh boy... there will be a lot of unhappy campers about this...

From the Morning Sentinel:

Pan Am Railways has indicated that it will proceed with plans to pass liability insurance costs on to local landowners, just three weeks after its representatives said the company would not do so.

Legislators and affected landowners expressed disappointment with the decision, which could result in added insurance costs statewide for property owners who cross railroad tracks to reach their private property.

Read more at: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Pan- ... wners.html

[gokeefe]

Oh boy... there will be a lot of unhappy campers about this...

Yeah, that's a super big deal up here. We know people who are or are going to be affected by this. Not good.

[gokeefe]

It looked to me as if PAR was basically unhappy with the Legislature's failure to act and therefore is now imposing the requirements for insurance. The involvement of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association probably did not help the situation.

[BM6569]

"Projects in New Gloucester in Cumberland County total an estimated $747,890 and include highway resurfacing on Bald Hill Road and Route 122; and signal improvements and reconstruction of the Morse Road Railroad Crossing on the Pan Am Railways Mainline."

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/river-va ... ll/1365488

[gokeefe]

"Projects in New Gloucester in Cumberland County total an estimated $747,890 and include highway resurfacing on Bald Hill Road and Route 122; and signal improvements and reconstruction of the Morse Road Railroad Crossing on the Pan Am Railways Mainline."

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/river-va ... ll/1365488

I'm interested to understand exactly what they mean by signal improvements. Sounds to me as if they're going to add warning lights (at a minimum). At present the Morse Road crossing only has crossbucks.

[Mikejf]

The signals would eliminate the stop signs that no one pays attention to. This road has had an increase of traffic due primarily to the Pine Land redevelopment, and GPS telling everyone it is a short cut to somewhere.