Construction on the eastern leg of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail was expected to begin in 2020, but the project was delayed by more than just a pandemic.
“We are hung up currently with Amtrak,” said David Rachowicz, the Director of Kalamazoo County Parks that oversees the K-R-V-T at a virtual meeting in May.
At issue are two railroad crossings the KRVT will intersect along the 4.5 mile stretch from Galesburg to Augusta. The Michigan Department of Transportation approved the route five years ago.
“We received the orders and permits for construction and then when we went to actually build the trail segment, Amtrak balked at it and would not allow us to build that section of trails,” Rachowicz explained to those who attended the virtual meeting. “We are crossing at existing road crossings, we're not creating separate crossings, so it seems like it would be fairly simple.”
The KRVT may not be the only reason to improve the crossings.
“The other reality is we know that people are currently walking and biking across these connections, so it seems a no-brainer that anything you do is going to make it safer for people than just sort of turning a blind eye to it,” Rachowicz said.
Roads, sidewalks, and trails that cross railroad tracks go through a detailed approval process involving several agencies. A DSTR, or Diagnostic Study Team Review, assess conditions around the train tracks to determine safety needs and the overall necessity of a proposed crossing or change to an existing crossing.
MDOT spokesperson Michael Frezell said in an email that a DSTR convened on May 23, 2017, to review the proposed route along M-96. When completed, the trail will pass by Galesburg-Augusta High School on its way east, ending close to the Fort Custer Recreational Area.
“The DSTR was attended by Kalamazoo County Parks staff, the proposed trail consulting staff, and representatives from MDOT. Although invited to participate, Amtrak did not attend the meeting,” Frezell said in the email. He went on to say that “it was determined the trail facilities were necessary, feasible, and could be made reasonably safe. Amtrak was ordered to extend its crossing surfaces to accommodate the trails. The trail authority was ordered to install pedestrian mazes, railroad crossing signs, stop signs, and pavement markings for trail users. All recipients were given 15 days to file any objections to the results of the DSTR report in writing. No such written objections were received.”
In a statement to WMUK sent on May 24, Amtrak did not explain why it didn’t participate in the DSTR or submit any concerns or objections when it received the proposal in 2017, but said talks with MDOT to find a resolution are ongoing. The statement went on to say that “since MDOT produced its decision regarding the crossings, new federal funding for crossing improvements has been made available and federal safety regulators have begun a rulemaking that affects pedestrian crossings on higher speed routes such as this one. All parties want to make certain the safety of pedestrians, rail employees and passengers is paramount. We look forward to a resolution soon.”
In the meantime, Kalamazoo County Parks is considering other options to finish this portion of the trail.
“We very well may proceed with completing from the high school to Augusta and then figuring out either new temporary routes around those rail crossings or use the roadways just for those very short stints,” Rachowicz said, “but we're hoping to have that sort of wrapped up and be able to complete that last four and a half miles a trail that will really complete the original vision of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. And I think one of the things we're excited about is it will give us the opportunity to then focus on some new projects and new trail segments in the county.”
