Representatives of the three railroad companies that operate in Richmond, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) were present at a Town Hall Meeting in the Richmond City Council Chamber on Saturday, March 27, to discuss citizen’s concerns. The meeting was chaired by Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia.

Although the meeting began after lunch, approximately 60 attendees were fed generous helpings of baloney by representatives of the railroad companies. The issues on the agenda included:

• Train horns and whistles
• Long trains and blocked grade crossings
• Garbage within rights of way

There are a number of actions that the City of Richmond and Contra Costa County can take to resolve these issues and improve the quality of life for residents. Two of those are on the Richmond City Council agenda for April 6.

Four PDF files ate attached:

• Agenda items for April 6 City Council meeting initiating quiet zones and petitioning the Surface Transportation Board to facilitate track sharing to eliminate long trains.
• Summary for the April 4, 2004 “Lining With Trains” Town hall Meeting
• Pre-meeting notes for the April 2003 Train Summit
• Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors resolution regarding long trains

Resolution_Long_Trains_and_Quiet_Zone.pdf

County_Train_Resolution_001.pdf

Train_Meeting_Notes_061103.pdf

Living_With_Trains.pdf