SLS 15RS-1521 ORIGINAL 2015 Regular Session SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 81 BY SENATOR NEVERS TRANSPORTATION/DEV DEPT. Directs the DOTD to require the Canadian National Railway Company to open all railroad crossings in Tangipahoa Parish between Kentwood and Ponchatoula. 1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION 2 To authorize and direct the Department of Transportation and Development to require the 3 Canadian National Railway Company to open all railroad crossings along Canadian 4 National Railway Company-owned track in Tangipahoa Parish between Kentwood, 5 Louisiana, and Ponchatoula, Louisiana. 6 WHEREAS, the Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway 7 headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, that serves not only Canada but also the midwestern and 8 southern regions of the United States; and 9 WHEREAS, the Canadian National Railway Company is a public company that 10 reports employing some 22,000 employees, and which operates under the reporting mark 11 "CN" in both the United States and Canada; and 12 WHEREAS, the Canadian National Railway Company owns and maintains more 13 than 20,000 miles of track, including extensive trackage in the central United States along 14 the Mississippi River valley from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico; and 15 WHEREAS, over the past ten years, the Canadian National Railway Company has 16 closed a great many of the railroad crossings currently existing in Tangipahoa Parish 17 between Kentwood, Louisiana, and Ponchatoula, Louisiana; and 18 WHEREAS, it would greatly benefit the citizens of Tangipahoa Parish to have better Page 1 of 2 SCR NO. 81 SLS 15RS-1521 ORIGINAL 1 access over those railroad tracks to their homes, residences, and businesses by being able to 2 safely cross these existing railroad crossings using public roadways and the railroad 3 crossings, rather than having to find lengthy alternative routes; and 4 WHEREAS, opening these existing railroad crossings would also allow emergency 5 vehicles more efficient routes to reach the citizens of Tangipahoa Parish requiring 6 emergency medical assistance; and 7 WHEREAS, Canadian National Railway Company, as a transcontinental leader in 8 the railroad industry, possesses both the resources and the employees to effect the opening 9 of these existing railroad crossings along its track for the benefit of the citizens of 10 Tangipahoa Parish. 11 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 12 authorize and direct the Department of Transportation and Development to require the 13 Canadian National Railway Company to open all railroad crossings along Canadian National 14 Railway Company-owned tracks between Kentwood, Louisiana, and Ponchatoula, 15 Louisiana, in Tangipahoa Parish by December 31, 2015. 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the 17 secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development. The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Julie J. Baxter. DIGEST SCR 81 Original 2015 Regular Session Nevers Directs the Department of Transportation and Development to require the Canadian National Railway Company to open all railroad crossings along Canadian National Railway Company-owned tracks between Kentwood, Louisiana, and Ponchatoula, Louisiana, in Tangipahoa Parish by December 31, 2015. Page 2 of 2