Blog
Market Street Train Problem Topic Of Meeting
By DeAntha Wright-Thornburg
HWC Engineering staff of Indianapolis held a Public Input Meeting at Fusion 54 on Tuesday evening in another attempt to find a better solution for the train problem at the Market Street crossing.
Since April, a survey has been posted on the city website asking for public input. The survey includes such questions. Have you ever been stopped or delayed by the train? Have you ever been late for work or picked up your child from daycare because of a stalled train? The public can still respond to the survey until July 11. Thus far, more than 1,500 residents have responded to the online survey.
Forty-three percent said they drive this route at least 10 times a week. Ninety-six percent said they were delayed, while 72 percent say they have been late for work. Thirty-one percent said they had been late getting a child to school or daycare. Ninety-five percent said they take an alternative route when the train is stopped. Sixty-three percent have seen drivers drive around the crossing arms.
This has been problematic for years. HWC staff asked the public if the trains have negatively impacted their lives.
There is no easy solution; past administrations have tried. The city is seeking a solution to the crossing. Mayor Todd Barton invited the HWC Engineering staff as an avenue to apply for FRA Federal Planning Grant. The city is building a case for why this project should be addressed. Once the information is gathered, the grants are submitted from all over the U.S. One is selected as the best possible use of monies. Grant monies will be awarded the following year.
Ninety-nine percent of the population favored finding a solution to the stalled trains. HWC began monitoring the Market Street crossing more than nine months ago. During that time, more than 1,341 were cargo trains, 207 were passenger trains and 157 were maintenance vehicles. More than 14,960 vehicles cross the track every day.
HWC staff will complete the survey data and submit the grant application in October. The National Committee will review the grant application. HWC Staff shared that the recipient will be awarded a grant sometime in 2024.
Barton encouraged all residents to take the five-minute survey. Public input can make a real difference in our being awarded the grant. The website survey is; https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/crawfordsvillerailroadwill take you directly to the survey site.