Ahead of townhall, Council Bluffs mayor, Union Pacific talk railroad concerns

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) - Two groups in Council Bluffs want the city to take steps to address the Union Pacific railways in town.

Concerned Citizens of Pottawattamie County and United Today, Stronger Tomorrow are inviting the public to a townhall meeting next week over trains blocking railroad crossings around town.

Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh is aware of the concerns.

“Over the years, the city of Council Bluffs has built three different viaducts that go over the top tracks.”

However, he said not everyone wants to travel to take the viaducts, so they take the shorter route only to get stuck by a train on the tracks.

Over the last year, the US Department of Transportation has received 43 complaints about trains blocking crossings in Council Bluffs. Many of them reported they lasted an hour or more, and that they saw pedestrians climbing over or through the trains.

That’s just the number of those who took the time to complain though.

“The ones that really have difficulty are those businesses that are serviced by commercial semitrucks,” Walsh said. “Our streets are standard 66-foot-wide streets, and that’s not enough for a semi to U-turn. So oftentimes, they can get stuck for a long duration.”

One specific area Walsh highlighted is where tracks along 16th Street split in different directions near 23rd Avenue after trains leave the railyard and then come back together around 10 blocks later. It’s an area he said residents call the “triangle of death.”

“If they happen to have two trains on those tracks, then it traps those people inside that four-block-wide area eight to 10 blocks long, and public safety can’t get in there,” he said. “So if an ambulance needs to be called, there’s no way to get in.”

The two groups raising the red flag on this issue want to see the city use data collection devices produced by Trainfo, a rail safety technology designer, which can monitor highly trafficked intersections and blocked rail crossings.

“Another feature that their equipment has that I really liked was that it can broadcast a signal to a beacon,” Walsh said. “If there’s a beacon at the end of that street where the viaducts terminate, then people can see a lighted beacon and go straight to the viaduct and not have to drive and find out there’s a train there.”

Walsh believes Union Pacific has been receptive to the town’s concerns about this.

Union Pacific gave 6 News a statement saying, in part:

“Union Pacific’s goal is to keep trains moving safely and efficiently - a stopped train isn’t good for our customers or communities. We are committed to working with the city of council bluffs to find solutions that address congestion concerns.”

They encourage residents to report any issues. You may do so here or by calling the 24/7 emergency response center at (800) 877-7267.

Tuesday’s townhall meeting about the railroad crossings will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Council Bluffs Police Department.

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