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Residents urge action after downtown derailments; council to contact CSX
Summary
Speakers told the council a downtown rail line has derailed multiple times in recent years; council agreed to ask staff to contact CSX and explore regulatory and citizen-led options, including possible rail‑to‑trail long‑term planning.
A business owner and longtime downtown advocate, John Barber, urged the council to press CSX and federal regulators after recounting multiple derailments on the downtown rail line and arguing the track is obsolete and hazardous.
"The rail line, is is out of date. It's obsolete. It's in horrible condition. It has derailed 4 times in the last 10 years," Barber said, asking the city to contact CSX directly rather than the short-line operator and to involve federal regulators such as the Surface Transportation Board and Federal Railroad Administration. Councilmembers agreed to start with CSX contact and to pursue parallel citizen engagement; staff said the city would also consider forming a citizen advisory committee to study options including possible rail‑to‑trail conversion as part of long‑range planning. No formal vote was taken, but council directed staff to initiate contacts with CSX and federal agencies and to engage the public.
