It was an end-of-the-year debrief for neighbors affected by railroad crossings in Council Bluffs. In particular, for those in a triangular neighborhood on the southside that is sometimes completely blocked by trains.
- Jacque Stork, a surgery technician, knows first-hand what it’s like: “I had nowhere to go. I tried gettin’ out of there and finally, I had to call the hospital and say, ‘I can’t make it for that c-section, you’re going to have to call somebody else.'”
- One solution is the high-tech, and high-priced, Trainfo that warns drivers when a crossing is blocked. “300, 400-thousand isn’t cheap and then there’s $35,000 a year up-keep after that,” said Dave Bushaw, an organizer with United Today Stronger Tomorrow.
- Previous reporting | Railroad crossing frustrations: Council Bluffs neighbors see progress with Union Pacific
Council Bluffs neighbors worried, frustrated by long trains and wait times at railroad crossings
What’s the solution to long waits, blocked railroad crossings on Council Bluffs’ south end?