*This article was first published in print in the Thursday, Dec. 16 edition of the Saratoga Spotlight.
Canadian Pacific Railway sent a letter Oct. 29 to the Town of Ballston stating it wanted to close three railroad crossings in the town at Connolly Road, Saunders Lane and White Beach Road, all private roads.
The crossings have passive warning devices and four Amtrak passenger trains and 16 freight trains pass over the crossing daily at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, according to information from CP. The rail company said it plans to operate an additional four freight trains per day on the line in the near future and that the crossings are located in the State’s proposed high speed rail corridor, where future Amtrak trains could reach speeds of 79 miles per hour.
CP said it `unsuccessfully sought to engage in meaningful discussions with homeowners regarding the safety, use and maintenance of the crossings` and that in the absence of a private crossing agreement that residents have `refused to negotiate,` the railway believes it has the right to close the crossings.
Many residents like longtime homeowner Herb Jackson, though, are crying fowl. Jackson has lived on White Beach Road for some 40 years and can still remember riding the school bus down the previously unpaved road. He insists residents have been the ones trying to negotiate and voice safety concerns and says CP has not stepped up.
`The railroad is hollering about safety and they’re so worried about it, but they go through there quite frequently and don’t even blow the horn which they’re supposed to use as warning device by law,` said Jackson. `We’ve spent thousands of dollars to put signage up to protect people from the crossing; the railroad has done nothing to make it safe down here, only put up cross arms signage back in the ’20s or ’30s.`
Jackson said it’s his understanding that some type of alternative route would have to be created to allow residents to reach their homes, something he said would further hamper safety because it would take longer for vehicles to reach the residences in an emergency situation.
Breanne Feigel in public affairs for CP said that the railway has continuously sought to negotiate with residents but have finally decided closure is currently the only option.
`There’s not benefit to the railway to have crossings at all. It doesn’t benefit us because in this case, we’ve been working with landowners and the Town of Ballston and haven’t been able to reach an agreement where they understand there needs to be certain safety precautions to make for safe passage,` said Feigel. `In fact, it’s a liability if someone gets hurt, it’s a concern to us.`
Connolly Road and Saunders lane are unpaved gravel roads and Feigel said they would need to be paved and upgraded to support an alternative solution to actual closure; that work would fall on the shoulders of residents financially, not the railway, she said.
A public hearing concerning the matter has been set for Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. at Ballston Town Hall where residents and the community can voice their concerns. CP representatives will be there, said Feigel, who said the railway is still open to finding an agreement that works for both parties involved.
`CP continues to be willing to meet with local administrators and the community to resolve issues and if there’s a way that makes sense where they remain open, certainly that’s on the table for consideration but they won’t be able to remain as they are today, so work will have to be invested into these crossings to make them safe and legal per transportation agreements,` said Feigel.
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