SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Council is asking for residents in westside neighborhoods to share their stories about being stuck waiting for a train.
It's a frequent frustration with drivers, cyclists and pedestrians trapped at train crossings. While Frontrunner trains move fairly quickly through the crossings, freight trains sometimes slow or stop.
To highlight the problem, Salt Lake City Council member Alejandro Puy, who represents some westside neighborhoods, did a satirical photo shoot in front of a train blocking traffic. While he waited for 45 minutes for a train to move, he pretended to barbecue, work on his tan, build a cairn and other activities. The images are being shared on social media by the council to solicit people's stories.
"There’s a lot of stories behind this problem and we want to capture those struggles," Council member Puy told FOX 13 News on Wednesday. "People missing work, picking up their kids late to school, having issues getting to the hospital. All sorts of issues from missing a concert. We want to capture those stories to make a change about these trains that interrupt our lifestyle."
Council member Puy said he has even heard of someone that gave birth waiting for a train to pass instead of being able to get to a hospital. It has also impacted emergency responders, he said.
The council has built a map of the most problematic train crossings and is asking residents to submit their train tales on a special section of the city's website. Council member Puy said they will then take the information to state and federal transportation officials and even the railroad owners to come up with solutions. Those could be overpasses and underpasses or other ideas.
"This is impacting us more than we think it is. It’s just not a minor inconvenience," he said. "This is a barrier, a wall in our community."
