Trains are a fact of life in Columbia and at USC, especially on the south side of campus.
A previous report on this subject in The Daily Gamecock estimated that there were almost 30 railroad crossings within a one-mile radius that affected our student body. Freight trains with hundreds of cars frequently block major roads with no set schedule to work around and no way to reroute toward campus. They often stop on the tracks for large stretches of time.
I've personally experienced this problem quite a bit over the last two years, both on foot and in my car. I've missed tests, missed class and even resorted to climbing across a stopped train despite knowing the danger. I know I'm not alone — I've seen students doing this every time I've been blocked. At some crossings, there is no other way to get to campus anytime soon and no way to know when the train will eventually start up again.
What is a student to do when their midterm exam is taking place, but they can't take the test because a train has stopped on the tracks, leaving them no pathway to campus? Train-related delays are not yet an excused absence on the university attendance policy, though given the propensity of trains perhaps they should be.
Some students, rather than take the risk that they will be stopped, have to adjust their routine every day just on the off chance they will be stuck.
This may seem like a minor inconvenience, and I try to convince myself of that every time I get stopped.
But there is a darker side to this story. What happens when a student gets injured trying to cross a stopped train or hurrying to beat one barreling down the tracks? What happens when an emergency vehicle has to be rerouted, costing valuable seconds?
Based on past reporting done by this paper and multiple reports by students at our journalism school, the problem is clear. Students know this is a problem. Train engineers and conductors know this is a problem. City emergency officials know this is a problem. The rail companies know this is a problem.
Despite this consensus, politicians have dragged their feet. In 2003, Congressman Jim Clyburn tried to secure federal funding for a rail relocation project to the tune of $1 million. That same year, $5 million was allocated for a traffic study on the same subject. In 2008, City Council established a task force urged by then-Mayor Bob Coble.
In 2012, it looked like something would finally be done. Mayor Steve Benjamin pushed for a penny sales tax, revenue from which would help to fund a rail relocation project that, according to The State, had been "discussed for years as the solution to traffic tie-ups on the south side of town." Despite the initiative passing, no progress has been made on the train issue near campus, and there are now serious questions as to whether the revenue is being spent legally.
I'm not quite sure who can solve this, but it's sure not going to be Norfolk Southern and CSX, the companies who own the tracks. They have shown no urgency in solving the traffic problems and anger about the situation.
Maybe it's the mayor who needs to step up. Maybe it's Congressman Clyburn. Maybe it's the university administration. Maybe it's the Student Government candidates — here's a chance for them to take on an issue that affects lots of USC students.
Somebody has to step up and solve the train issue plaguing USC and Columbia before tragedy strikes or anger boils over. It's time for the tunnel vision to end.