News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Matt Skinner-Public Information, m.skinner@occmail.occ.state.ok.us

Phone: (405) 521-4180

 

August 16, 2002

 

MEDIA ADVISORY-COMMISSIONERS TO HOLD TULSA SESSION ON APPEAL REGARDING RAIL CROSSINGS

 

 

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission will meet in Tulsa on Wednesday, September 4 to hear a case involving the proposed closing of 7 rail crossings in west Tulsa.  The session will be held in the auditorium of the Kerr Building (State Office Building), 440 South Houston, at 9:30 a.m.

 

The Commissioners will hear an appeal from the Sand Springs Railway Company to the denial by OCC Administrative Law Judge Charles Dudley of the company’s request to close the crossings.  In his finding, Judge Dudley stated that while the condition of the crossings in question make each a candidate for closure under existing rules, the Railway failed to show closing the crossings would answer the safety concerns posed. Rather, Judge Dudley found that such closures could increase the danger to the public by cutting the number of available crossings, and increasing the traffic to the four that would remain.

 

Judge Dudley further found that closing the seven crossings would cause problems for emergency vehicles needing to make a quick entrance and exit in the area. 

 

The 7 crossings in question are located at 38th, 39th, 40th, 45th, 51st, 53rd and 61st west avenues in Tulsa. 

 

The Sand Springs Railway Company delivers materials to some 35 customers between Tulsa and Sand Springs.

 

 

-OCC-

All OCC news releases are available for review and / or downloading from the OCC web site at www.occ.state.ok.us