Council okays 15th-and-Custer rail upgrades

Those new railroad crossings on N. 15th Street and Custer Avenue hopefully will be in place before the end of the year, Farmrail System President and General Manager Judy Petry said Monday.
The improvements were approved at the last City Council meeting by a 4-0 vote even though Councilman Bobby Stewart questioned the cost and the need for them.
“Yes, I guess we’ve got the money,” Stewart said in voting for the railroad additions after questioning a new fire truck the city is buying and being assured there’s money available to pay for it. The fire truck is one former fire chief Danny Cox wanted that will carry a small amount of water and foam to put out vehicle fires if it arrives before one of the department’s bigger trucks.
“Is it going to work?” Stewart asked of the fire truck, which will cost $137,540 with the city’s share $49,452. The other $88,088 will come from a federal Community Development Block Grant.
“Yes, it’s going to work well,” Fire Chief Forrest Valentine assured. “It’s going to work awesome.”
The railroad improvements will cost $491,775 with the city’s share $33,799.90. As the Clinton Daily News reported Sept. 16, they will include smoothing the street surfaces on both 15th Street and Custer Avenue, as well as installation of red lights and crossing arms to bar traffic from proceeding, also on both streets.
Costs will be divided among the City of Clinton, Farmrail, the State of Oklahoma’s Crossing Fund, and federal aid.
Farmrail’s share will be $15,385.60. Ms. Petry said Monday her company also will pick up all maintenance costs going forward.
The $15,000-plus Farmrail is paying plus the nearly $34,000 the city is paying means the state and federal governments will pay nearly $443,000 of the $491,775 total for the improvements.
Ms. Petry said the council will be asked to close both 15th and Custer for about two weeks while the work is being done. She said Monday, now that the council has approved the project, Farmrail will have to make application to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission which will give the public an opportunity to speak on the proposed plan, after which the OCC will give its approval.
“I hope we can get finished before the end of the year,” she said.
“I think it’s a good plan,” said Councilman Don Rodolph. “Those are well traveled streets.”
“Why is it just coming up now?” asked Stewart. “Has a train ever run over anyone there?”
No, was the combined answer from several people. While that’s true, a train did collide with an automobile years ago on Custer. However, it was fortunately traveling at a slow speed, as virtually all trains do on that part of the line, so no one was killed or severely injured.
When someone said something about how much better the east end of Gary Boulevard is today after improvements to the auto driving surface were made at rail crossings there years ago, Ms. Petry said those are concrete and these will be timber so they won’t be quite as smooth.
“But the speed of the traffic is not as great,” said City Manager Mark Skiles. Petry concurred that it isn’t.
“It’s still a good plan,” said Rodolph.
Mayor David Berrong pointed out that the automobile traffic is heavy at that location and it’s on a principal route to the local hospital.
The vote then was called for, and it came out 4-0 with Stewart making his remark about guessing the city has the money for its part of the project.