City leaders seek repairs to rail crossings and bridges

NEWARK – Mayor Jeff Hall’s administration is seeking city council support in compelling railroad officials to repair four crossings and four downtown railroad bridges, citing citizen complaints and safety concerns.

Service Director David Rhodes on Monday said railroad crossings at South 21st and Union streets and O’Bannon and Oakwood avenues are deteriorating and need repairs, as are the railroad bridges over South Second, South Third, South Fourth and South Fifth streets.

Residents have complained to the city, and city officials to the railroad company and to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Rhodes said, but so far with no results.

Rhodes said deteriorating crossings could damage cars and jerk them out of travel lanes. Concrete deterioration on the railroad underpasses might be aesthetic for now, he said, but could “lead to concerns of stability. We’d rather catch it early.”

Rhodes asked the council’s Service Committee on Monday night to forward to the full council a proposed resolution in support of compelling those repairs and asking PUCO to act on the complaints.

The committee voted 5-0 to forward that request, which full council should consider Oct. 20.

“I think it’s a good first step,” said Councilman Bill Cost Jr., D-at large, and Service Committee chairman. “At least it puts them on notice that it needs to be done.”

Rhodes said that, after council approval, the resolution will be forwarded to both PUCO and the Ohio Central Railroad.

Councilman Jeremy Blake, D-2nd Ward, said the issue is not new. A PUCO inspection from 2011 noted deterioration at the South 21st Street crossing. Blake said he supports the Hall administration’s efforts to “put their feet to the fire.”

Blake and Rhodes commended last year’s extensive upgrading of the South 30th Street crossing, which included extending curb ramps and sidewalks over the crossing to allow people in wheelchairs to cross the tracks. They said similar improvements should be made to the South 21st crossing.

jwilliams6@newarkadvocate.com

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