It's Nice To Know Certain Things Never Change, Isn't It?

 

What I've noticed over the past ten years about CSX, the railway transportation company that owns the train tracks that run through downtown, is that they could be a better neighbor.  We all deserve better treatment from them, though an equal part of the blame should be directed at Hudson City Hall.  This year seems like a good time for long overdue improvements in communication, relations and respect between CSX, City Hall and Hudson residents.

There are six CSX rail crossings that affect pedestrians most directly: two on State, two on Columbia, one on Warren and one on Union.  Walking on snow and ice -- for days or weeks -- at at least two of those six sidewalk crossings is a perennial wintertime tradition.  Why?  Because CSX never -- NEVER -- removes snow from their own crossings. Sometimes others do the work, but it's never CSX.  (Okay, they deserve some credit: their trains might accidently do some snow clearing between the rails if the snow is deep enough!).  

CSX cares! So does City Hall!

CSX's crossing on the north side of State Street is particularly bad every year because they never touch the snow or ice on their long stretch of sidewalk in front of the wide and deep vacant lot they own adjacent to their tracks. NEVER!  Last night, I gingerly measured the untouched snow which turned to ice several days ago. 20 strides from the tracks to the One City Centre parking lot entrance equals about 60 feet. 60 feet of FUCK YOU from CSX and Code Enforcement to the people of Hudson for the past ten days (and several years, if not decades)! Keep in mind that it was eight days ago when it last snowed.

The sidewalk rail crossing and its environs on the south side of State usually gets cleared of snow either by the brewery or by the property owner on the other side of the tracks who keeps his sidewalk very clean.

Then there is Columbia Street, with another stretch of untouched but walked upon ice (mostly) and snow, also about 60 feet in length.  But it's much worse than State Street. Right now, and for the past several days, the situation adjacent to and between CSX's rails on the north sidewalk of the truck route is the absolute worst, most disrespectful dangerous unwelcome fucking disgrace that I have seen there, and maybe anywhere, in the past ten years.  It is as if someone decided to make the sidewalk as dangerous and impassible as possible.  Go attempt to navigate that icy mess for yourself if you want to put a smile on your face and get a feel for a property owner and a City Hall that don't give a shit about you or your loved ones' safety or lives.  Wear a helmet if you know what's good for you. While it's almost always bad at that sidewalk crossing following a snow -- particularly if the snow remains long enough to turn to ice, as we've had for the past 6 or 7 days -- CSX and City Hall/Code Enforcement have taken things to a whole new level of WE DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY PEDESTRIANS, BE THEY RESIDENTS OR VISITORS, YOUNG OR OLD, DISABLED OR NOT.   (Notice the pedestrian walking in the street in the lead picture!  Smart guy!  He knew it was safer for him to walk in the truck route than on the sidewalk.). 

 

CSX's rail crossing on the opposite side of the street, alongside the 7th Street park, is always cleared of snow immediately after any snowfall.  No problem there ever!  Why, you ask?  Because DPW is responsible for the sidewalks surrounding the park, that's why!  DPW doesn't have to sweep the snow around and between CSX's two rails, but they do it anyway.  The same goes for CSX's crossing on the Warren Street side of the park.  It's never full of snow or ice, not even for one day.

As for CSX's sidewalk crossing on the south side of Union at 7th, I really don't get over there enough to know what's going on.  It's probably bad.  Assume CSX is ignoring it!

And also assume that Code Enforcement will continue to ignore CSX's negligence and inability to do their part to keep their crossings and our sidewalks clear of snow and ice as if they have some sort of exemption in the city code.  Unless, of course, our new mayor has a talk with the entire staff at Code Enforcement where the words THIS IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE are spoken to them.  Wouldn't that be a welcome change and considerable progress?

Navigating this at night is particularly pleasant.
Does CSX get away with this kind of bullshit in
 all municipalities where it has sidewalk crossings?

The question is, how can Code Enforcement possibly get CSX to do what all property owners in Hudson are expected to do within 24 hours of accumulated snow on sidewalks, and get them to do it after every snowfall without exception?  Will Craig Haigh send CSX a reminder or violation notice regarding their responsibilities to their crossings on our sidewalks?  Will Craig mail the envelope to CSX's headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, and hope for a reply from the company's CEO?  Has he already done so?

Funnily enough, it turns out that our friends at CSX are more than a railway transporter.  According to Wikipedia, "CSX is an American holding company focused on rail transportation and real estate in North America."  

CSX is "focused on real estate"!  Really?  Aren't sidewalks considered real estate?  Well, perhaps they are in New York, but certainly not in sunny Florida!