Dec. 6 -- NEW PARIS -- Railroad tracks at the southern portion of Elkhart County are the first to go live with Blocked Crossings LLC's new innovative software that helps drivers determine what routes may be most efficient based on which train crossings are open.
"We're looking forward to using this more as we get used to it," said New Paris Fire Chief Bill Dunlap. "It definitely can save us time because now our biggest issue is if (trains) stop here it could take us five to 10 minutes extra delay to get [to] a heart attack or a fire."
A total of eight crossings in New Paris have been beta-testing the software for about a year now. The software uses a web-based system and camera to view whenever train crossing lights are flashing, indicating a blocked crossing, and send the information to www.blockedcrossings.com, where travelers can easily access it and determine a best alternative route.
"Communities are built around railroads and New Paris is no stranger to that, but you've got eight crossings here that are affecting first responders and those that live here," Elkhart County Commissioner Brad Rogers said. "So this is a big project and I think a big deal for people to be empowered."
In mid-November, the program went live and was made available to the public.
Crossings at U.S. 6, C.R. 50, C.R. 14, Market Street, C.R. 23, C.R. 142, C.R. 29 and C.R. 42 have been equipped. It's from just north of the county line at U.S. 6 up to the south end of Goshen.
Glenn Gilbert, of Blocked Crossings LLC, based in Goshen, said around 100 trains pass through Elkhart County every day.
"This area is ripe for this kind of supervision," he said. "We don't think this community is unique in this way. There are many other communities in railroad corridors that might benefit from this technology, but at this point, there aren't many options to monitor."
The agreement to install and run the equipment cost the county around $60,000 for the initial project and will cost around $100 per month per crossing, totaling roughly $9,600 per year for maintenance. Starting in 2025 the New Paris Trustee will take over the $9,600 maintenance cost.
Dunlap said there are also hopes that in the future the website will be able to determine how long it will take until a train passes through an intersection as well to determine whether it's faster to wait or find another route.