TRAINS: How slow can they go?

My rant is about the ability to travel every morning and having to cross railroad lines four times each way during the day. I am speaking of the routes that involve Rathdrum proper and the Highway 53 intersections.

BNR, since placing their depot on our aquifer, has increased train capacity significantly. The crossing at McGuire Road has a pad for six cars comfortably to wait for trains to cross. I oftentimes have waited there for up to 10+ minutes and watched two school buses and another 12 cars which do not fit in the turn lanes that block Highway 53 waiting behind me. My husband has also been in these traffic obstructions and has been late to work.

I understand that the government is trying to make the railroad more efficient and therefore more profitable. However, as a mom who transports children to school and observes buses with children having to wait on a state highway route that is busy before and after school, it causes me to think that some adjustments are necessary. I am looking for some answers from BNR, Rathdrum City Council, Hauser and Post Falls city councils, all of which I travel through each day.

In other states, some cities have limits to the number of cars that are allowed or time amount for blockage of roads before fines are imposed. These trains have 150+ cars on them and when they slow down to less than 1-2 mph or stop, traffic cannot cross efficiently. I would hate to have an emergency.

VICTORIA HENKE

Rathdrum