Rochester is the largest city on the DM&E; with tracks through the heart of the city. Long trains, short trains, fast trains, slow trains, coal trains, or empty trains all divide our city and cause intolerable traffic tie-ups and safety concerns. It is a Rochester problem and should be solved by our city with the railroad acquiescing to the solution.
The best solution would be to find a 200-foot path around the city, north or south. An acceptable solution would be to have the trains run in a trench as proposed by professional engineer, Mike Siverling, in a P-B article on June 17. A trench would allow any street to cross the tracks with a short span, affordable bridge. Any spill or derailment would be confined and new continuous steel tracks would make passage through the city much safer.
Dividing our city every day cannot be tolerated forever. Solving the problem would be more beneficial on a daily basis than flood control. It is a Rochester problem and we should initiate the solution. If financing could be found for flood control, certainly money can be found to end the daily strangulation of our city.
Robert; Sheridan
Rochester;
