<p><strong>To the editor:</strong></p>
<p>On Aug. 26, the Daily Journal reported that the Louisville and Indiana Railroad had offered to pay Johnson County $1 million to close County Road 150S south of Franklin to allow for the construction of a railroad siding.</p>
<p>“The county is considering using that money, eventually, to design a bypass road in the same area, which would allow quicker access to Interstate 65 using the roads south of Franklin, said Luke Mastin, Johnson County Highway Department director.” I am a fan of railroads and while it may inconvenience a handful of residents who live on the affected road, I have no problem with the railroad’s plan to build a siding to facilitate their north/south train traffic.</p>
<p>I live in this area south of Franklin and have a different suggestion for the use of this million dollar “windfall,” however. Anyone who crosses the railroad tracks at 250 South on a regular basis knows that even when the vegetation is cut back around the intersection, it is difficult to see both ways down the tracks to check for trains without nearly driving onto the tracks. This is a dangerous railroad crossing and could definitely be improved with early warning crossing lights.</p>
<p>There are probably other rural crossings that could benefit from added lights and/or crossing arms as well. I know that some of the crossings in Johnson County are slated to receive crossing lights and arms in the coming years, but with the added train traffic and increased speeds, those can’t come soon enough.</p>
<p>I don’t feel that we need a “bypass road” in this area. That would just eat up more precious farm land, and most likely could not be constructed for $1 million anyway. I believe that putting these newfound funds to use to make our rural crossings safer would be a much wiser investment in our community. In my opinion, one life saved would be worth well more than a million dollars.</p>
<p><p><strong>Jerry Edwards</strong></p>
<p><p><strong>Franklin</strong></p>
