HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) — Drivers in Howell say trains stop on the tracks multiple times a week and cause traffic to back up on Michigan Avenue. They're tired of it.
Steve McCoy owns Spartan Tire which butts up to the south side of the tracks. He said the trains have been stalling at the railroad crossing “the last two or three months," and it's been "a little bit longer and longer."
"Before it was 5 minutes, 10 minutes. Now it’s getting to be a half hour to an hour," McCoy explained.
He said the train usually stops between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. so that train cars can be transferred nearby.
Noelle Inman lives next to the tracks on the north side.
“I actually sat at the gas station and talked to the girl at the vegetable stand for like 45 minutes because I couldn’t get home,” she said. "I will see it sit on the tracks multiple times a day... it will stop. Sometimes it’s been there for an hour."
She recalled, "I’ve heard on the police scanner that there’s a train blocking Michigan Avenue. Well, what do they do? People start getting very angry.”
McCoy said, “And you can see the frustration of the people and every now and then a horn brigade starts.”
He said the stalled trains occasionally impact his business.
“Some of our techs, when they go for a test drive they’re on the north-hand side of the tracks, and they get stuck over there for a half hour to an hour," McCoy said. "(My techs) obviously can’t get their work completely because they’re on the other side of the tracks."
So what is being done?
Congresswoman Elisa Slotkin’s office said it is helping. Slotkin's District Communications Director Lynsey Mukomel shared the following statement.
We’ve heard from constituents and Howell city leaders who are understandably frustrated by the railroad crossing delays, and Congresswoman Slotkin is advocating on their behalf. This includes connecting CSX with the city and sharing the city’s concerns directly with the Federal Railroad Administration, which is the federal agency that has oversight on issues like these. It’s our understanding some progress is being made to determine what exactly is causing these delays and what can be done to address them. We will stay on top of this issue — including with outreach to the Department of Transportation — and hope these traffic headaches are resolved quickly.
Slotkin's office also shared a resource for people to report issues at blocked crossings. It can be found by clicking here.
The city met with CSX railroad to discuss possible solutions, including limiting the use of the siding and transfer tracks.
Also, the railroad may provide shuttle vans for conductors who routinely walk the length of the train to perform inspections after the train cars are transferred. The use of shuttles is reportedly expected to cut delays by 15 minutes.
The railroads also need to follow a federal rule that requires train cars to stop short of blocking crossings if they’re going to be stalled for long periods of time.
Inman said, “People are trying to go to work, or they're on lunch hour and they’re trying to get home and they can’t.”
7 News Detroit reached out to Great Lakes Central (GLC) railroad and CSX.
GLC has not reached us back, but CSX shared the following statement:
CSX strives to be a good neighbor to communities where we operate, and we work hard to minimize the impact of our operations. We understand there are challenges that exist in Howell, and we apologize for the inconvenience that stopped trains may cause the local community. CSX is reviewing our operations in the area to determine any potential improvements that can be made, while also keeping an open line of communication with community leaders and first responders.
