So, when is Plainfield going to spend the money to upgrade these crossings? I know its fun to give out tickets all day under the guise of 'safety', but the residents that are not brain-dead are getting irritated that you are wasting your time with this, while at the same time not planning a single safety upgrade to the tracks.

Perhaps the village needs to setup a 'working group' of trustees to travel to nearby towns in the area to see what a safe rail crossing looks like, instead of using an unsafe crossing as an excuse to generate revenue.

Did Tim get another ticket?

Since paint and decals are going to be on the cars ANYWAY, I fail to see how good looking decoration is neccesarily more expensive than bad.

So I called Plainfield police to make trespassing/impersonating cops charges on Canadian National, Union Pacific railroad police and BNSF who own no tracks in Plainfield and have no jurisdiction. Where are the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Rwy Co. police that own the tracks.

They sold it to the chunuks...you living under a rock?

http://www.fra.dot.gov/
go to railroad safety---click safety data---click crossing top left---click Query by Location\Railroad Put in Plainfield Ill
17 public crossings ALL Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Rwy Co.

Notice in the pull down for Illinois towns there are 100s of towns that don't have these dog and pony shows. The chunuks must have a special place under the city hall desks.

My question is why did some get tickets abd others get warnings? My son and a courtroom full of others all were hit with either 50 hours of community service hours or a $650 fine!

Why are people so f-ing stupid that they know these enforcements are being conducted, not to mention when was it safe and part of your driving instruction to park either across the tracks or within the gates...they deserve tickets. I agree the fine is pretty rough, but u deserve it for stupidity....

Anyone have video of how the cops illegally tricked the gates to come down often enough to get 21 vehicles trapped? Whoops the vehicles weren't inside the gates at all were they?

Your a moron BP.....you actually think that is occurring?

I do agree with Tim, CN does need to spend some cash to improve this RR crossing. I'm sure it does generate money for the Village and CN, but what do these people expect when they stop on the tracks or within the grade crossing. I do know from previous articles about this, the PPD and CN do photograph and videotape these enforcements. I've seen a pic posted on the patch.

Almost EVERY other community upgrades their tracks, Plainfield seems more interested in writing tickets than actually making the tracks safer. There is a reason these always happen at the same crossing on rt 126. The single lane road, gets incredibly congested during the day. Plenty of large trucks, construction and semi, travel on this road. When you cant see in front of you it is not because the people are 'stupid' that they end up on the tracks, it is because there has been absolutely zero attempt to redesign that area of road since the village had 1800 people.

Go to Downers Grove sometime, and see how they handle it. Stoplights near the tracks, specifically to stop traffic BEFORE the gates come down. Think only more urban areas can afford to do this? Travel to Plano, and see the same upgrades done years ago.

Plainfield obviously doesn't care about safety. They haven't addressed this problem in over 30 years, while towns surrounding them have. Setting up these 'enforcements' while not lifting a finger to even attempt to make the crossing safer, is a punch in the face to the residents that not only have do deal with an unsafe crossing, they get ticketed for the villages lack of action for decades to do anything about it.

Decades ago Plainfield stuck it's head in the sand and pretended if they didn't pay attention, all these "other people" would go away. Go luck with that. I see it's really working for you.

Stop gripping behind your computer and start attending board meeting and let you voices be herd.

For the 2nd time in a couple of weeks I have to agree 100% with Tim. I'm starting to worry.

The town is interested in raising money not public safety. This crossing is such a poor design it's like shooting fish in a barrel.

I agree with the crossing, it's not only the Villages decision on improving these RR crossing. You need funding and the CN has to be on board with it.

If you get stuck on a crossing you are an idiot. No excuse. You do not travel through the crossing until there is room on the other side. Simple.