Senator Patterson offered the following concurrent resolution:
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 29.
A concurrent resolution to memorialize the United States Congress to address the issue of traffic stoppages at railroad crossings.
Whereas, Local communities have long tried to address the issue of minimizing traffic stoppages caused by trains traveling within their municipal borders. Slow trains moving through a community bring traffic to a standstill. Even worse, trains may sometimes stop completely, bringing an entire city to a halt and backing up road traffic for blocks in all directions. Commuters, shoppers, and even emergency vehicles can be trapped on one side of a railroad track, unable to reach the other side for long periods of time; and
Whereas, The State Legislature provided local governments with the means to regulate the length of time that trains may permissibly halt vehicle traffic. The authority to levy fines on train companies that block traffic for too long held the promise of compelling railroad companies to work with local governments to minimize the disruption to lives and commerce that had become routine. Unfortunately, the courts have struck down this state law, arguing that only the federal government may regulate the speed and length of trains operating in interstate commerce; and
Whereas, With local and state options to resolve this local problem foreclosed, it is imperative that the United States Congress exercise its authority to compel a reasonable solution at the federal level; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That we memorialize the United States Congress to address the issue of traffic stoppages at railroad crossings; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.