Representatives of Union Pacific Railroad are working with Canby officials to address their concerns over the extended train stoppages — which can last for hours, blocking many, or all, of the roads connecting the north side of town.
Canby Fire Chief Jim Davis has tracked at least four such events dating back to April. While some Canbyites who know various ways around town see the delays as a minor annoyance, officials fret that they could seriously impact residents’ and visitors’ ability to circulate within the city — or even hamper emergency response.
After Saturday, when a Union Pacific train blocked several street crossings for four hours in the early afternoon, Davis and Canby Police Chief Jorge Tro reached out to railroad officials to learn more about the train stops and see if something could be done.
A UP public relations official, Aaron Hunt, met with Tro and Davis via phone conference Wednesday morning, along with Canby Fire Division Chief Matt English and City Attorney Joe Lindsay, to discuss their safety and quality of life concerns.
“We had a very positive discussion, and he will get back to all of us to see what he can determine as to why this is happening,” Davis said. “Canby Fire did point out to Mr. Hunt the impacts that emergency medical call delays will have on seriously ill people calling 911.”
Davis asked citizens to report any future episodes to Canby Fire at 503-266-5851. In the case of a train blocking the town’s intersections for an extended period of time, CFD will stage a medical unit at its not-yet-completed station on Territorial Road to improve response times to emergencies in the north side of town.
