The Federal Railroad Administration is making it easier for residents and law enforcement officials to report blocked railroad crossings at highways.
The FRA is starting an effort to get broad public input to better understand the issue and identify solutions.
A dedicated website, www.fra.dot.gov/blockedcrossings, will ask for several information points like date, time, location and duration of the blockage. It could take around three minutes to complete the online report. The FRA reminds drivers to go online and fill out the report “in a manner that is consistent with the safe operation of a vehicle.”
Back in 2018, the Kansas Court of Appeals reversed a district court decision out of Chase County, with the appellate court saying Burlington Northern Santa Fe was not limited to the 10-minute maximum in state law before trans have to be moved or occupied. BNSF had appealed the Chase County decision, saying federal laws like the Federal Railroad Safety Act supersede and pre-empt state law.
