News from the Oklahoma Corporation
Commission
Phone: (405)
521-4180
RAIL CROSSINGS IN WEST TULSA
SHOULD STAY OPEN, SAYS OCC JUDGE
(Oklahoma
City) – Oklahoma Corporation Commission Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Charles
Dudley has denied a request from the Sand Springs Railway Company to close 7
crossings in west Tulsa. 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.
Parties
to the case can appeal the ALJ’s decision to the full Commission. An appeal
date is expected to be set in the near future.
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-
EDITORS:
Judge Dudley’s report is attached.
All OCC news releases are available for review and / or
downloading from the OCC web site at www.occ.state.ok.us