The railroad crosses east and west through Elma, passing by parks and houses and crossing over many of our south and north roads. The railroad is a key part of Elma’s past and will become a big benefit for our future.
As the Port of Grays Harbor plans for additional industrial growth, traffic in the rail corridors will increase. That increase in rail traffic will be vital to the economic recovery for communities like Elma. Along with the growth and better economy, comes impacts that the community will need to mitigate. In order to be successful, the stakeholders will need to be responsible neighbors and work to provide a safe community for the people of Elma. Our city council will need to create a good working partnership with the rail operators, cities within the region, the port, and the state.
Key issues to mitigate will be surrounding access for the public and first responders and safe movement of freight.
Access
Elma is likely to see an increase in the number of trains throughout the day, and in turn will see an impact with a heightened number of crossings blocked. When the crossings are blocked, access around the community will become more difficult. In partnership with regional stakeholders, I will explore options such as grade separations and crossings using the latest safety technology.
Blocked crossings not only cause an inconvenience to residents, but also impact our first responder’s and their ability to move between the north and south parts of Elma safely and without delay. Elma and the regional must find the resources to provide proper training and equipment respond to a rail emergency.
Freight
Finally, the freight being hauled must be transported using the latest available best practices. A spill or accident involving some types of freight could cause a great deal of harm to Elma and the environment. The City and regional stakeholders must work together and find solutions that provide for the safe and efficient transportation of freight, putting the safety our residents first.