Clinton, Iowa, adopts remote safety resolution
CLEVELAND, July 29 -- The Clinton, Iowa, City Council adopted a remote control safety resolution on July 22, joining a list of 31 other communities in calling for improved safety of remote control train operations.
Including Clinton, 23 cities and nine counties have enacted remote control safety resolutions. The Clinton resolution requests that the Federal Railroad Administration “investigate the safety of remote control locomotives and develop comprehensive regulations for the use of remote control locomotives.”
The FRA has issued recommended guidelines intended for use in remote control “pilot projects.” However, railroad companies have seized the opportunity to use the non-binding guidelines, not for pilot projects, but for full-scale implementation of remote control in their yard operations.
Brother William Peart, a member of BLE Division 125 (Clinton, Iowa), served as spokesman for the group that lobbied in favor of the resolution. He described the effort to lobbying effort as a “pretty tough fight.”
While the BLE members involved had hoped to secure a resolution with “more teeth,” Brother Peart said they were successful in achieving their main goal.
“At least we made the City Council and the citizens of Clinton aware of remote control implementation,” he said, noting that the issue received coverage in the local newspaper.
Brother Peart recognized those who were involved in organizing the lobbying effort: Bob Harvey, BLE Regulatory Research Coordinator; Tim Windsor, Regional Mobilization Coordinator; Steve Fye, Local Chairman of Division 125; W.J. “Bill” McClimon, Acting Legislative Representative of Division 125; Dan Jacobsen, Division 125; Art Wilkens, Division 125; and Shane Nixon, Division 125.
Peart also noted that members of the United Transportation Union helped the BLE in its lobbying effort. The UTU Brothers contacted members of City Council privately by telephone in support of the remote control safety resolution, but did not attend public meetings and did not wish to have their names published.
“The guys who have the contract to operate remote control don’t think it’s safe, but they don’t have a choice,” Peart said.
Brother Peart also thanked members of the Clinton City Council for their patience and for adopting the safety resolution.
A copy of the resolution is available at:
http://www.ble.org/pr/pdf/clinton.pdf
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
bentley@ble.org
