Frequent Train Whistles Irk Syracuse Residents
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE -ÊResidents living along Medusa Street in Syracuse are tired of the growing number of trains that blow their whistles constantly.
Wednesday, Dennis Beadle told the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce that neighbors along Medusa Street will discuss the problem of the frequent whistle-blowing at the Syracuse Town Council meeting July 20.
Beadle said since the train traffic has increased two or three times, whistle-blowing has increased five times. And the trains start blowing their whistles a mile before they get to the train crossings, he said.
He said, "Why they're blowing that far away, that's a long ways away ... it's the excessiveness that's driving me nuts."
He said CSX needs to put up gates at all crossings and/or the town needs to approve an ordinance limiting whistle-blowing.
"I'd like to see the chamber send a representative to the next town council meeting where this will be discussed," Beadle said. "Everyone I talked to on Medusa is interested in this. Even the people across the lake say ... it's worse for them."
Town manager Brian Redshaw said crossing arms will be on the railroad tracks on Front and Main streets by the time school begins. The state is paying for the crossing arms. CSX is voluntarily paying for crossing arms on Oak Street.
Redshaw said whistle-blowing is a federal mandate. "You can't regulate those intersections until you have arms on them," he said. Even if all railroad crossings have arms on them, and the town has a whistle-blowing ordinance on the books, Redshaw said, the state would still need to approve the ordinance to see if it creates an undue safety problem.
He did say CSX is reviewing its whistle-blowing policy.
"The bottom line is safety for us," Redshaw said. "I've been a strong advocate of that since I've been here."
Dr. Richard Brungardt said the whistle-blowing is a safety measure. He said if a train engineer saw someone die from colliding with a train, the engineer is likely to be more cautious and blow the whistle more often.
Chamber treasurer Steve Ehle said he thought it was too early for a whistle-blowing ordinance.
"I don't think there's anything we can do until the gates go up," he said.
David Cates said it would be more beneficial to thank CSX and the town council for taking the first step in putting gates up at the railroad intersections. He moved that the chamber resolve to express appreciation to CSX and the town board for their efforts in attaining crossing arms as a step in improving safety in Syracuse. The motion was approved unanimously.
In other business, the chamber approved a resolution concerning the community center building for Syracuse.
The resolution states the chamber accepts the concept of a community building for the Syracuse-Wawasee area. It instructs executive director Shelly Bickel to help community education and public relations efforts in connection with the project and is effective immediately.
The community center building is expected to cost approximately $2.3 million, said chamber president Tim Yeager. The town council approved a resolution by a vote of 3 to 2 in June stating the need exists for the community center.
Ehle questioned the wording in the resolution approved by the chamber.
"If our representative is out getting signatures (to support the community center), does that mean we support the current park board project? I'm not sure that's where we want to be," he said.
Yeager said their resolution approves only of the concept and nothing more. Ehle said it may not be perceived as such.
Redshaw said the project is in danger of being shelved if the town council doesn't think the support is there for the project. He also said the only service organization going in with the park board on the community center is the Lakeland Youth Center, but that is not definite.
"If the Youth Center is out, I'll guarantee you see that building cut in half," Redshaw said.
In other business:
• Bickel said the Nelson Golden Glo chicken barbecue will be Aug. 7 beginning at 10 a.m.
• The chamber has 133 paid members.
• The annual chamber dinner is Nov. 4 and they are considering hiring a magician for entertainment. [[In-content Ad]]
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SYRACUSE -ÊResidents living along Medusa Street in Syracuse are tired of the growing number of trains that blow their whistles constantly.
Wednesday, Dennis Beadle told the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce that neighbors along Medusa Street will discuss the problem of the frequent whistle-blowing at the Syracuse Town Council meeting July 20.
Beadle said since the train traffic has increased two or three times, whistle-blowing has increased five times. And the trains start blowing their whistles a mile before they get to the train crossings, he said.
He said, "Why they're blowing that far away, that's a long ways away ... it's the excessiveness that's driving me nuts."
He said CSX needs to put up gates at all crossings and/or the town needs to approve an ordinance limiting whistle-blowing.
"I'd like to see the chamber send a representative to the next town council meeting where this will be discussed," Beadle said. "Everyone I talked to on Medusa is interested in this. Even the people across the lake say ... it's worse for them."
Town manager Brian Redshaw said crossing arms will be on the railroad tracks on Front and Main streets by the time school begins. The state is paying for the crossing arms. CSX is voluntarily paying for crossing arms on Oak Street.
Redshaw said whistle-blowing is a federal mandate. "You can't regulate those intersections until you have arms on them," he said. Even if all railroad crossings have arms on them, and the town has a whistle-blowing ordinance on the books, Redshaw said, the state would still need to approve the ordinance to see if it creates an undue safety problem.
He did say CSX is reviewing its whistle-blowing policy.
"The bottom line is safety for us," Redshaw said. "I've been a strong advocate of that since I've been here."
Dr. Richard Brungardt said the whistle-blowing is a safety measure. He said if a train engineer saw someone die from colliding with a train, the engineer is likely to be more cautious and blow the whistle more often.
Chamber treasurer Steve Ehle said he thought it was too early for a whistle-blowing ordinance.
"I don't think there's anything we can do until the gates go up," he said.
David Cates said it would be more beneficial to thank CSX and the town council for taking the first step in putting gates up at the railroad intersections. He moved that the chamber resolve to express appreciation to CSX and the town board for their efforts in attaining crossing arms as a step in improving safety in Syracuse. The motion was approved unanimously.
In other business, the chamber approved a resolution concerning the community center building for Syracuse.
The resolution states the chamber accepts the concept of a community building for the Syracuse-Wawasee area. It instructs executive director Shelly Bickel to help community education and public relations efforts in connection with the project and is effective immediately.
The community center building is expected to cost approximately $2.3 million, said chamber president Tim Yeager. The town council approved a resolution by a vote of 3 to 2 in June stating the need exists for the community center.
Ehle questioned the wording in the resolution approved by the chamber.
"If our representative is out getting signatures (to support the community center), does that mean we support the current park board project? I'm not sure that's where we want to be," he said.
Yeager said their resolution approves only of the concept and nothing more. Ehle said it may not be perceived as such.
Redshaw said the project is in danger of being shelved if the town council doesn't think the support is there for the project. He also said the only service organization going in with the park board on the community center is the Lakeland Youth Center, but that is not definite.
"If the Youth Center is out, I'll guarantee you see that building cut in half," Redshaw said.
In other business:
• Bickel said the Nelson Golden Glo chicken barbecue will be Aug. 7 beginning at 10 a.m.
• The chamber has 133 paid members.
• The annual chamber dinner is Nov. 4 and they are considering hiring a magician for entertainment. [[In-content Ad]]