Fort Madison, Iowa, passes remote control safety resolution
CLEVELAND, May 20 -- The City of Fort Madison, Iowa, unanimously passed a remote control safety resolution on May 18, thanks in part to the lobbying efforts of the BLET's Iowa State Legislative Board.
Fort Madison, Iowa, is the 56th community in the United States to pass a remote control safety measure. The Fort Madison resolution seeks to effectively ban the operation of trains by remote control within city limits until numerous safety improvements are made. The resolution also calls to prohibit the transportation of hazardous materials by remote control locomotives.
Chuck Hintz, Chairman of the BLET's Iowa State Legislative Board, thanked Division 391 (Fort Madison) Legislative Representative Jeff Kurtz for bringing the resolution before City Council. Chairman Hintz also thanked Mayor Joe Kowzan, Councilman Neal Boeding, and Councilman Dave Sallen for supporting the BLET's safety efforts and for approving the resolution. Chairman Hintz said that Councilman Sallen's father, U.F. Sallen, is a retired locomotive engineer and member of BLET Division 391.
In addition to Fort Madison, 40 U.S. cities have adopted similar resolutions: Baton Rouge, La.; Detroit, Mich.; Shreveport, La.; Marysville, Mich.; Boston, Mass.; Cleveland, Ohio; Pine Bluff, Ark.; North Little Rock, Ark.; Beardstown, Ill.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Woodbridge, N.J.; Maple Heights, Ohio; Alliance, Neb.; Evansville, Ind.; Dupo, Ill.; Durand, Mich; Flat Rock, Mich.; Woodhaven, Mich; Flint, Mich.; Sparks, Nev.; Commerce, Calif.; Clinton, Iowa; Montebello, Calif.; Saginaw, Mich.; Mankato, Minn.; Wamac, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; River Rouge, Mich.; Melvindale, Mich.; Redford Township, Mich.; Irvington, Ill.; Berwyn, Ill.; Allen Park, Mich.; Central City, Ill.; Carteret, N.J.; Toledo, Ohio; San Francisco, Calif.; Houston, Texas; Janesville, Wisc.; and South Salt Lake City, Utah.
Also, 15 counties have passed similar remote control resolutions. They are: Douglas County, Wisc.; West Baton Rouge Parish, La.; Point Coupee Parish, La.; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Huron County, Ohio; Erie County, Ohio; Whitley County, Ky.; Unicoi County, Tenn.; Contra Costa County, Calif.; Knox County, Tenn.; Clinton County, Iowa; Harris County, Texas; Roanoke County, Va.; Greenup County, Ky.; and San Francisco County, Calif.
A PDF of the resolution is available at:
http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/FortMadisonRes.pdf
For more information about remote control trains, go to:
http://www.ble-t.org/remotecontrol
Thursday, May 20, 2004
bentley@ble.org
