Centre Street railroad track improvements underway

Submitted by Susan Hardee Steger

The long awaited project to improve pedestrian access across the Centre and Ash Streets railroad crossings is underway thanks to public pressure from downtown merchants, concerned citizens, persons with disabilities, and Massachusetts resident Jennifer Niles who was “thrown out” of her wheelchair while crossing the tracks in March of 2013.  (Click for previous article.)

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For now, Centre Street vehicular traffic is being detoured at 2nd and Centre. Multiple signs remind shoppers that stores located between 2nd and Front Streets are open. At Front Street, foot traffic is being directed to the west of the Train Depot where a temporary pedestrian crossing is located.

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The Centre Street railroad repair project is expected to end by April 21, but yesterday’s heavy rain did interrupt progress.

An ADA complaint was filed by Niles after the March 2013 incident. Niles noted the lack of access for the disabled to the waterfront, and access limitation to the popular eatery Salty Pelican.  A long standing property dispute between the City of Fernandina Beach and Patricia Toundas is preventing sidewalk construction from Centre Street to the Salty Pelican.

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Last week, assembled tracks were placed in a staging area in preparation for the repair project.

April 16, 2014  8:36 a.m.

13 Comments
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Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
9 years ago

Great to see this progress being made and just in time for Shrimp Festival.

tony crawford
tony crawford (@guest_18937)
9 years ago

Much thanks to The City Manager Joe Gerrity, and especially to Rex Lester for working in conjunction with Mr Wayne Parrott and Road Foreman Jeremy Moats From Florida First Coast Rail Road. Without the joint cooperation of these people the Rail Road crossings would not have been fixed.—–Thank You

Marlene Chapman
Marlene Chapman(@crew2120)
9 years ago

I find it ironic that everyone is so free in handing out pats on the back to those in the city and railroad who should have addressed this situation before it got to the point of filing complaints. Why are you not giving thanks to those in wheelchairs and those who have been complaining for years about the condition of the tracks? They are the ones who got this moving!
Now we need to do the same thing with the sidewalk from Centre St to the Salty Pelican! Al and TJ did what they were mandated to do. …installed a sidewalk. Ms Toundas continues to park ON the sidewalk next to her restaurant without any recourse. I believe that it’s illegal to park on a sidewalk, is it not? Why is she allowed to do this?
So, after everyone is finished patting each other on the back, maybe we can address the much needed sidewalk!

tony crawford
tony crawford (@guest_18939)
9 years ago

Marlene, You sound upset. I agree you have many reasons to feel upset about this situation. I also feel sad for those who have been injured and for the length of time it has taken for the crossing to be fixed. The Fact is the Rail Road was ready to move on this as part of Forward Fernandina. When the funds were given back, the project pretty much died. Florida First Coast did however have funds in its 2014 capital program to install new crossings. This was removed from their capital program due to other priorities within the system. The repair work that is now being done is a cooperative project between Florida First Coast and the City. This was brought on, not by any legal action, but by good old fashioned communication between the City and the Rail Road. Hard to believe, but it is that simple. A meeting was arranged between the City Manager, Rex, Parrott, and the local Road Foreman Moats. The question was simple– what can we do to fix the crossing? The end result was a cooperative effort between Rex and Florida First Coast as to how best to accomplish this goal. The thanks is being given in appreciation for those efforts and the cutting through of the red tape so at the end of the day this dangerous situation is fixed, and we can scratch an item of the City’s to do list and move on to other issues. We have to remember the folks who are coordinating this and set this up aren’t political, they are working to help get this fixed. It is their efforts and hard work that deserve the thanks.

Marlene Chapman
Marlene Chapman(@crew2120)
9 years ago

Tony,
Thank you for your reply. I am upset and do understand what you’ve said. It seems so coincidental that this repair happened after years of talk and not long after a young woman was hurt. We hold a very personal stake in this as our daughter is in a wheelchair an we see how the lack of attention to the crossing limits her ability to enjoy the waterfront.
We can only hope that something like this never happens again in any situation.
Now, let’s move on the sidewalk so that our daughter and others can safely get to the Salty Pelican!
Hapoy Holiday to all!

tony crawford
tony crawford (@guest_18948)
9 years ago

Marlene, yes it does seem very coincidental, but those are really the facts that lead up to this mess being fixed. The meeting I referred to was held at City Hall on Feb 27th. Once the issue was talked about that day both the Rail Road and the City expedited this project to get it done prior to Shrimp Fest.
I honestly know nothing about the sidewalk issue. I believe that Florida First Coast is going to put a paved cross walk so there will be accessibility to go from the waterfront to the Pelican. I hope this is in there plans. That would make it a lot easier for those in wheelchairs, as well as non handicapped folks to get in and out safely.
It is really hard to imagine what hurdles those who are in wheelchairs face day in and day out. The City has to be very sensitive to these needs and do all they can in the future to address issues like this in a timely manner. Great conversation and input. Thanks and Happy Easter

Marlene Chapman
Marlene Chapman(@crew2120)
9 years ago

Tony,
Again, my thanks for your information and input. This entire situation hit so close to home because of our daughter but also because of others who we’ve come to know due to this mess.
Coincidence or not, the time it took to get to this point is absurd. I hope from here on in that we all learn not to put on the back burner what should be handled immediately. …especially for the safety and welfare of our families, friends and visitors.
Happy Easter to you also!
Marlene

Peggy Bulger
Peggy Bulger(@peggy-bulger1949gmail-com)
9 years ago

I appreciate the detailed discussion here, but I still wonder why the issue of the sidewalk has not been addressed. How long does it take to enforce the law? Whoever “owns” that strip of land, the safety of the public is at issue. If someone falls and is hurt, do they sue Ms. Toundas? The City? Both? . . . . Let’s not get to that point! This issue should be on the City Commission agenda each meeting until resolved.

Marlene Chapman
Marlene Chapman(@crew2120)
9 years ago

Peggy, I have asked that same question many times and the answer is always “It’s in the courts”. What is sad about that, is the length of time it’s been in the courts! Meanwhile, safety is definitely the main issue.
We’ve gotten the tracks on their way to repair, next the sidewalk and hopefully anything in the future that needs to be addressed won’t take years.

Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
9 years ago

Marlene,
As was stated, the sidewalk issue centers around the dispute of whether the land in question is a City right-of-way or belongs to Ms. Toundas where there was a vacating of part of the ROW to the railroad. Unfortunately, with the changes in judges matters in our local courts have moved a bit slow. Hopefully, now that Ms. Bass has been appointed to fill Judge Davis’ position, things will move on a bit quicker. I can assure you there have been a number of efforts made over the last couple of years to resolve this issue with, unfortunately, no success. I am sure that if property that you believed was yours was being threatened you wouldn’t just give it up. Likewise, the City believes it has retained that section of the ROW but with some conflicting documents dealing with the property transfers, it has to be sorted out in the courts.
I think we all agree that the improvements to the RR crossings are long overdue and visitors and residents have been greatly inconvenienced, with some injured, as a result of this deterioration. We can play the blame game forever for the past, but I prefer to celebrate the present and future accomplishments with the hope and expectation that things won’t be permitted to reach this state in the future.

Marlene Chapman
Marlene Chapman(@crew2120)
9 years ago

Dave,
Just to clarify, we definitely are celebrating the repairs to the RR, we just want to be certain, in the future, similar issues will not go on for years at the cost of people being hurt.
I’m not sure that anyone is happier that our family! We can soon go, as a family, to the waterfront!
With that said, we are going forward and will stay involved with the goings on on our island:)

Jennifer Niles
Jennifer Niles (@guest_19024)
9 years ago

While “they” pat each other on the back with one hand, the other hand will be forced into action by the feds.

The only reason the railroad crossing is being addressed is due to the impending arrival of the federal investigators. Period.

Jennifer Niles