XPost: alt.railroad, misc.transport.rail.americas, sac.politics
XPost: alt.politics.socialism.democratic, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.politics.economics
From:
leroysoetoro@barackobama.com
https://www.foxnews.com/us/homeless-encampments-increasingly-affecting- california-train-traffic
The explosion of homeless encampments alongside railroad tracks has
contributed to a spike in delays for California's rocketing passenger ridership, an outbreak of accidental fires and deadly collisions,
frustrating executives who call the impact on passengers "unacceptable."
In a recent note to passengers, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers
Authority said on-time performance on the route between Sacramento and the
Bay Area has taken a hit in the past six months due to a combination of
track signal problems, mechanical issues, bridge closures and trespasser incidents.
Capital Corridor trains ran between 92 and 95 percent on-time as of 3
years ago, but have recently slipped to an on-time rate of 90 percent,
Managing Director David Kutrosky told Fox News on Tuesday.
"The Capitol Corridor’s service in the past year, and particularly over
the past six months, has not been up to the levels you are used to and
have come to expect from us," Kutrosky said in his note to riders. "I
know this is frustrating for you. It is frustrating, and unacceptable, for
us as well."
A Capitol Corridor train rolls through Martinez, California in Feb. 2015. Officials say there has been an increase in the homeless population along
the rail corridor recently that's impacting operations.
A Capitol Corridor train rolls through Martinez, California in Feb. 2015. Officials say there has been an increase in the homeless population along
the rail corridor recently that's impacting operations. (Reuters)
But it's the trespassing incidents, where individuals unlawfully walk on
or near railroad tracks and sometimes are hit by an oncoming train, that Kutrosky told Fox News on Tuesday has "accelerated" in 2018.
Those incidents can prove to be the most disruptive because they require
an investigation by authorities that can take hours to clear up,
especially if someone is killed. That causes rippling delays along the corridor, which saw 1.56 million passengers in 2016.
"You cannot move the train without authorization of the coroner's office," Kutrosky told Fox News. "That's where there's issues with train service."
From 2016 to 2017, trespasser fatalities along the Capitol Corridor went
down from 22 to 16, but injuries rose from two to four, according to a
yearly report by the agency.
Railroad officials reported a rise in homeless encampments near railroad
tracks in Northern California.
Railroad officials reported a rise in homeless encampments near railroad
tracks in Northern California. (KTVU)
"It bears repeating, being on or alongside railroad tracks is not only
unwise, but it is also illegal because technically that area, also called
the 'right of way,' is owned by UP(Union Pacific)," Kutrosky said in his
note to riders.
HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT DISCOVERED ON TOP OF CALIFORNIA AMTRAK STATION
Even if no one is struck by a train, rail officials say that incidents
along the railroad right-of-way, such as fires on adjacent properties or
debris on the tracks, may require service to be disrupted while
authorities investigate.
If a person is on the tracks, or appears like they may step in front of a train, Kutrosky told the Sacramento Bee that engineers will have to go
into "emergency braking applications" that may take 10 minutes to reset
the train's engine once it comes to a stop.
Union Pacific spokesman Justin Jacobs told Fox News on Monday that the
topic of homeless encampments is not a new issue, but has been receiving
more attention.
"Recently we have seen an uptick in the trend and location in the last
couple of months, especially as West Coast weather becomes more favorable
for that type of lifestyle," Jacobs said.
A homeless encampment in East Oakland, Calif., which crews removed in
August 2017.
A homeless encampment in East Oakland, Calif., which crews removed in
August 2017. (KTVU)
In California, the problem has been focused in the Bay Area, around Los Angeles, and the corridor between San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento,
according to Jacobs. The Pacific Northwest is also starting to become a "concern."
"Anytime you have people on or near the railroad right of way, we worry
about collisions," he said.
Union Pacific, which has its own police department, works "very hard" with local authorities to touch base with the populations to educate them on
safety hazards and try to partner organizations, including nonprofits, to
work to assist people living in those areas. Last August, the railroad
evicted people from a large encampment that was located in East Oakland,
KTVU reported.
Besides the danger posed by people getting struck by trains, UP has also
had to deal with trestle and bridge fires in the past year due to the
homeless population, according to Jacobs. In November, 200-feet of a
wooden train trestle located near a homeless encampment in San Jose was
damaged by a fire, The Mercury News reported at the time.
"There are multiple layers to this whole thing," Jacobs said.
City officials have begun what they are calling a slow and methodical
clean-up and removal of a large homeless encampment along the Santa Ana
River Trail in Anaheim.
City officials have begun what they are calling a slow and methodical
clean-up and removal of a large homeless encampment along the Santa Ana
River Trail in Anaheim. (Reuters)
The impacts of striking a person is also felt on the emotional level by
the railroad workers operating the train involved. Jacobs told Fox News
that, in the event of a deadly trespass incident, UP has an internal
program that an engineer and conductor go through to handle any trauma.
The CCJPA is now asking riders to report any encampments or large piles of trash that may be located along the tracks in an online feedback form. The
rail authority said it will work with UP to get clean-up crews to respond
to the scene.
“Frankly, we have a business to run, a service to the public. If people
can’t depend on the train being on time, they will choose other options,” Capitol Corridor board chair Lucas Frerichs told the Sacramento Bee.
The Capitol Corridor authority said it recently received a state grant to discourage trespassing and encampments by installing "protective fencing
along particularly vulnerable areas of the route" in addition to hiring a
crew this month dedicated to regularly clearing vegetation and removing
trash and other debris along the tracks.
Kutrosky said the abatement crew will go after "trouble spots" where encampments are located at spots along the right of way, in addition to
adding fencing to deter people from nearing trackside areas. The agency
will also begin compiling a database to keep track of where additional resources may be needed.
"This will be another element in our arsenal to keep the threats off the
right of way, and focus on improving our service performance," he told Fox News.
COMMUNITY FIGHTS BACK AS CALIFORNIA OVERRUN BY HOMELESSNESS, HUMAN WASTE, NEEDLES
For those who live in the encampments near the tracks, the space is
considered a spot where no one bothers you.
“It's kind of out in the boonies,” Joe Stenman told the Bee.
Stenman, who is 62 and has been homeless for 20 years, said he was told to leave from another spot a few weeks ago but resettled in a spot between UP
and light rail tracks.
“Some people walk along the side of the tracks,” he told the paper. “But
people don't mess with the trains. Most people are smart enough to tell if there is a train coming, or not, you know.”
--
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
The Obama-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) approved Uranium One in fall 2010. With a little luck, we'll see
compulsive liar Hillary Clinton in jail before she dies.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)