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Officials urge action after trains block Cox Lane, raising emergency access concerns
Summary
Commissioner Jackie Penney and Mayor Everett told the board that trains frequently block Cox Lane, leaving the neighborhood without ingress or egress; they urged the city to work with railroad and state and federal officials to find an emergency exit.
Commissioner Jackie Penney told the Aug. 17 meeting that trains regularly block the only ingress and egress to his home on Cox Lane and that the situation has persisted for years. Penney said on at least one occasion he could not drive to the meeting because a train blocked access to his house and said the city and the railroad need to address the issue to avoid a life‑and‑death emergency.
Mayor Everett reinforced the concern, saying he has seen the fire department forced to crawl across a trail to gain access to the neighborhood and urging that the board take the issue to state and federal officials and the railroad. The board did not take formal action at the meeting but members characterized the issue as urgent and in need of intergovernmental engagement to identify an emergency exit or procedural fix when crossings are blocked.
The transcript records no immediate remedy or timeline; both Penney and the mayor asked that city staff pursue the matter with relevant railroad and government agencies.
