Attorneys general from 18 states and the District of Columbia have asked that the U.S. Supreme Court restore the rights states and local governments once had to regulate how long trains can block railroad crossings.
Absent that power, the public is put at risk, the attorneys general say in their brief. Countless people have died when emergency vehicles were delayed at rail crossings, The Kansas City Star reported this month in an investigation of railroad safety lapses.
The problem has only gotten worse in recent years for many communities across the country, the Star reported, as the rail industry’s practices have made blocked crossings more common.
