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Click to download page as PDF file.

Safety & Economic Development

Bingen POintCommunity and business leaders have voiced their concerns over the safety of the access roads that lead to Bingen Point. For many, the issue extends beyond safety and into questions regarding how the absence of safe access routes could impede much-needed economic development in the community. Nearly two-thirds of the industrial land available at the Point remains undeveloped, presenting a viable opportunity for attracting new businesses to the site. Building an overpass would not only improve issues such as train and trafic congestion that might deter potential investors, but also provide a safe method for evacuating the Point in the event of an emergency.

SAFETY FACTS & FIGURES

Two public crossings exist for accessing Bingen Point – Maple Street and
Walnut Street. Two other private crossings exist, but they are narrow and
not well known to the community. Maple Street crossing is the primary
access route for the 1,000+ individuals who work on Bingen Point.

  • In the event of a train derailment or accident, three of the four crossings
    would be blocked, prohibiting access for rst responders and trapping
    everyone on Bingen Point.
  • The current response time for reghters to engage is 10 minutes. Steel
    truss failure in buildings begins around 10 minutes; after 10 minutes
    buildings start to collapse. If a train blocked the main crossing, the
    damage could be immense.
  • Should Maple Street be blocked by a train accident involving hazardous
    material, the plume of toxins would put the lives of everyone in Bingen
    Point in danger.
  • An emergency situation at the Point could result in gridlock at the main
    public crossing, increasing the likelihood of a train and car collision. The
    congestion could also prevent emergency responders from accessing
    Bingen Point.

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[fusion_testimonial name=”Kahlil Gibran” avatar=”male” image=”” image_border_radius=”” company=”” link=”” target=”_self”]Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.[/fusion_testimonial]
[fusion_testimonial name=”Ernest Hemingway” avatar=”male” image=”” image_border_radius=”” company=”” link=”” target=”_self”]Never confuse movment with action.[/fusion_testimonial]
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THE MAPLE STREET CROSSING BY THE NUMBERS

  • The average number of daily trips over
    the Maple Street crossing is 5,8001
  • More than 35 trains pass through
    Bingen daily
  • Trains blocking the Maple Street
    crossing while loading at the local
    lumber yard or changing tracks is
    common, causing a wait time of up
    to 20 minutes

AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAILY TRIPS AT THE MAPLE STREET CROSSING:

5,800

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  • The industrial land supply in the Columbia River Gorge is extremely limited.
    Less than one third of the 360 acres of land at Bingen Point is currently
    developed. An overpass would strengthen the usability of this area and
    help to build the local economy.
  • The overpass would create a more attractive entrance to Bingen Point,
    potentially luring more businesses to the Point (the current entrance
    passes the wastewater facility and a recycling center).
  • At the Maple Street Crossing, a 20-minute wait can occur while a train
    passes or ofoads at a local business. This wait directly impacts local
    commerce.

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1 Data source 2014. Estimate adapted from Intergovernmental resource center; Tenneson Engineering Co; PORT OF KLICKITAT ACCESS STUDY; Vancouver, WA, 1991.

 

ABOUT BINGEN POINT

  • Approximately 1,000 people at work
  • More than a dozen industrial buildings,
    including a wastewater facility, sawmill
    and heavily utilized recycling station
  • Two public parks

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THE WASHINGTON SIDE OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER IS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST’S MAJOR CRUDE-BY-RAIL ARTERY, WITH 18 OIL TRAINS WEEKLY

RAILWAY RISK ASSESSMENT

  • Oil-by-rail shipments have increased dramatically in the U.S., rising from
    fewer than 5,000 carloads in 2006 to an estimated 400,000 in 2013, and
    this trend will continue to grow.
  • Crude oil has been implicated in a string of high-prole explosions since
    2013, including:

    • In April 2014, 13 cars of a train carrying crude oil from the Bakken oil
      fields exploded in downtown Lynchburg, VA. The ery explosion caused
      a 20-block area of the city to be evacuated. Fortunately, no one was
      killed.
    • The most tragic oil train wreck occurred in July 2013 when a Montreal,
      Maine and Atlantic Railway broke free of its brakes and rammed into the
      center of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, killing 47 people.

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