Unsolicited Testimony

I haven’t introduced this blog to the trains yet. Advocacy around freight trains has become part of my identity, something I never anticipated.

When I moved to the area, I knew there was a train problem. When you move near a freight rail line, you know freight trains are going to come through. What you don’t expect is for them to stop. You especially don’t expect them to stop for hours at a time, blocking what can be miles of at-grade crossings and disrupting daily life.

It’s been a road, to say the least. But I want to share this part of my life here because the trains started my civic advocacy and helped me establish myself as what one person affectionately described as a “credible pest” about the situation.

We formed a committee to find solutions so we could coexist with freight trains more meaningfully. Trains are the safest way to move large amounts of commodities over long distances; they provide jobs and spur economic development. All good things. The issue is their operations and the congestion that comes with living in an area that was once heavily industrial and sits near the port.

Through that committee, we’ve become deeply educated on freight rail operations in our area. We were able to confirm we’re the worst in the United States for freight rail congestion. We started documenting trains using a surveillance camera and gathered significant data. Everyone knew there was a train problem, but the railroads brushed it off. Once we had video evidence and hard numbers, the railroads started paying attention, and so did many others.

Some of what we’ve accomplished:

• Got the Federal Railroad Administrator to host a precedent-setting town hall in our neighborhood — twice within six months
• Got two FRA inspectors assigned to the area
• Helped form additional committees focused on the issue
• Secured a $39 million grant to close the funding gap for grade separations, so people can safely get around the trains

The small but mighty committee has become a force.

The latest fight is against a railroad merger that would bring even more trains through our area. I’m grateful that our elected officials are looking to us for next steps, and that the city and county are participating in a meaningful way for the first time ever.

Our work was cited in a letter that helped inform the Surface Transportation Board to reject the initial merger applications. Every other letter came from competing railroads with full teams of lawyers, and there we were, a little civic group, adding meaningful weight to the conversation.

There’s still a lot of work to do. But we’re making this as difficult as we can.