LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas is the latest state to consider a law limiting how long trains can block grade crossings.
House Bill 1752, introduced on Tuesday by Rep. Denise Jones Ennett (D-Little Rock) would prohibit trains from blocking a crossing for more than 15 minutes. It sets penalties from $400 to $1,000, escalating to no more than $250,000 “if an unlawful delay causes death or injury.”
The bill is on the agenda for a meeting today (Thursday, March 30) of the House Transportation Committee.
The legislation comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to hear an Ohio appeal of a state Supreme Court ruling that struck down its blocked-crossing law last year. Nineteen other states have filed a brief supporting that appeal, and the court recently asked the federal government to offer its view on whether states should be able to regulate grade-crossing issues [see “Supreme Court asks federal government for opinion …,” Trains News Wire, March 21, 2023].
I just now commented in the adjacent 3-30-23
post about an engineer being stabbed, which MIGHT be seen as a related road-rage incident.
….because every other attempt at local regulation was so successful…
That’s where laws and regulations start….
One more step towards re-regulation.
While railroads operate under interstate commerce laws governed by congress, we are a representative form of government. If enough states press the issue, their representatives in the house and senate will be forced to act. That, will lead to re-regulation; good, bad or indifferent.