Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a bill on June 4 to fund the hiring of rail safety inspectors. The new law, Senate Bill 162, would impose fees on rail companies to hire six new state rail safety inspectors. The total annual fees collected is capped at $2.9 million. Inspectors will be employed by the state’s Office of Rail Safety, established in legislation passed last year. BLET worked to lobby for passage of both bills.
It is expected that each new safety inspector would conduct at least two inspections per week. The new law also provides funding to hire a data analyst. The goal, over time, is to create a database of train safety information, including factors such as train length, wayside detectors, blocked public crossing locations, and maintenance activities.
“One of our primary goals is to ensure we have a state rail safety inspection program in place especially considering what is happening at the federal level,” said Paul Pearson, BLET Colorado State Legislative Board Chairman.
Pearson thanked all BLET members in Colorado who worked to help secure passage of the bill, and said that Emma Bliesener, a rail safety lobbyist with the Colorado AFL-CIO, was instrumental in lobbying to get the bill passed.
The new law primarily pertains to Amtrak, BNSF, and Union Pacific.
For more information see this article in the Vail Daily.