The Problem
In Salt Lake City, train crossings cut westside neighborhoods off from the remainder of the City and place additional constraints on the lives of historically marginalized communities. Without knowing when and how long train crossings will be blocked, westside residents and visitors are constantly ambushed by unexpected delays, which can impact their livelihoods in many ways.
Blocked train crossings can often last up to an hour or more and can seriously affect our daily lives.
This is valuable time that could be spent with cooking dinner with loved ones, studying for an exam, relaxing after a long workday, or enjoying one of our many parks and trails.
Why do we need your stories?
You and I, know this issue first hand, but many will never know know bad it is, if they don't live in the area. We need to start gathering personal stories on how this impact us every day, so we can highlight it. Organizing our efforts start by gathering your impact stories.
We have all been affected by the blocked trains
That's why I launched a campaign to raise awareness about the issue and its significant impact on Westside residents and visitors.
In the photo essay, I wanted to comically demonstrate all the activities one could reasonably accomplish during the extended traffic blockages. Sometimes they go by fast, sometimes they take 30-45 min or more.
Public Safety Issue
In addition to being a nuisance, blocked train crossings are putting all of us at risk. In emergencies, blocked train crossings impact how quickly first responders can respond to emergencies. In most cases, every second counts, and even a small delay can cause the loss of a life that could have been saved otherwise.
Coverage
By keeping the issue public we have been able to get more people to share their blocked train story. Thank you to the hundreds that have shared their own story, please share this with your friends.
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