(The Associated Press issued the following on July 11.)
HAMMOND, Ind. — The Norfolk Southern Railroad has agreed with the Lake County prosecutor to settle more than 1,500 tickets for blocking streets in Hammond.
Norfolk Southern attorney Geoffrey Blazi says there’s also an informal agreement to reduce the amount of time city railroad crossings are blocked by trains. Both sides have also agreed to meet every two months.
The settlement was reached after a three-hour meeting on Tuesday. Many citations date back to 2004.
The railroad initially had faced more than $850,000 in penalties, but wrote a check for $50,000 to settle the tickets. The agreement is subject to court approval.