WE DID IT!
Advisors note: After a tragic accident involving one of Bobcat Beat’s reporter Teagen Bradshaw his friend Tanner Nicol, a group of MHS students decided they needed to help solve a problem with the highway where the accident happened. Bradshaw was driving North on Highway 20 and ran into the back of an fuel tanker that was stopped at the tracks. Wednesday morning, their hard work paid off and the railroad tracks where the accident took place now is posted as Exempt. Bobcat Beat Editor Bridger Stoddard was one of these boys and wrote how they turned the horrible loss of their friends into something that could potentially stop accidents like this one from happening again. In Stoddard’s own words:
After the deaths of two of our best friends, we were angry and upset, but instead of taking that negative energy and causing trouble, we asked ourselves what we could change and how we could focus our anger into making the world a better safer place.
With the help of Courtney Liddiard, one of my friends dad, we pinpointed the issue to the railroad tracks that cross highway 20 by he St. Anthony south exit, and how trucks and busses have to stop on those tracks while other traffic speeds passed at 65 mph. This creates a huge hazard to traffic.
We came up with 2 goals with those tracks. The short term goal is to have the tracks be exempt which means trucks and busses no longer have to stop on the tracks. The second, a long term goal is to get those tracks tore out and re routed.
We went to a meeting at the courthouse in St. Anthony where we could discuss our goals with the commissioners. That’s where we met Jason Minzghor from the Idaho Transportation Department. He loved what we were doing and got on board to help us.
Minzghor talked with the railroad while we did our own research. We talked with Simplot who uses the track, and contacted Cole Hall from Teton Petroleum transport. They gave us a letter in support of making a change to the track.
“As shown by the research done by Stoddard and Vickers, we agree that the requirement for fuel trucks to stop for the train tracks causes a significant driving hazard,” Hall said.
Other research showed that there have been three wrecks in the last 18 month, 2 oil tankers and a bus. We talked to towing companies and the South Fremont director of transportation. Fremont county has 9 school busses that cross the tracks 27 times everyday, putting students and drivers at great risk every time they have to stop.
This morning at a Capitol for a Day meeting, we addressed Governor Otter and Governor elect Brad Little. We all read them letters about our concerns. Otter then stood up and had Hanes from the railroad and Minzghor of the ITD come to the stand.
They announced that the railroad on highway 20 has been exempted. This was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. We were able to make the best of a horrible situation and make a change.
The News release from Idaho Department of Transportation:
St. ANTHONY – Effective immediately, buses and restricted trucks will no longer have to stop at the railroad crossing on US-20 just south of St. Anthony at milepost 344.4. With this crossing now exempt, the train will now have to stop before crossing the tracks.
ITD will post electronic advisory signs on the northbound and southbound lanes to warn drivers they no longer need to stop at the crossing.
After a double-fatality crash involving two local high school students August 7, the Eastern Idaho Railroad, ITD and local residents worked diligently to find a quick solution to the issue, and agreed to exempt this railroad crossing.
Once the train proceeds to cross, ALL vehicles will still have to stop and wait for the train to cross to a safe distance.
