In response to mounting concern from Park Circle area residents, Kuhn, a Republican who represents portions of North Charleston, plans to propose an amendment later this year in the Statehouse, upping the fine from $20 to $200.

Meanwhile, residents are planning a meeting of their own at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 to address the issue, which has become a hot topic for several area neighborhoods, bounded on almost all sides by railroad tracks. Residents say idling trains are making them late for everything, from work to church.

"At a very minimum, it should be first offense $200, second offense $500 and third offense $1,000, so the railroads recognize that there is an obligation to keep the tracks clear," said Kuhn, who has met with residents in recent weeks. "It really is a safety hazard."

At issue are three intersections around Park Circle where residents say trains routinely block traffic, not by traveling slow, but basically by parking for as long as 30 minutes at a time. The intersections causing the most grief are North Rhett Avenue near Interstate 526; Montague Avenue near Gaynor Avenue; and Braddock and Durant avenues near Pittman Street, where one train often blocks both streets.

Norfolk Southern owns the line crossing North Rhett Avenue, and CSX owns the other two lines. Representatives from both companies, along with city and state leaders, not to mention U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C., have been invited to attend the meeting, which will be held at the Park Circle Community Center.

"It's terrible," said John Pharis, president of the Olde North Charleston Neighborhood Council. "I think the people who have lived around it for so long know the side streets and the ways to get around the trains. But with all the new people moving in, they are getting upset about it."

Under state law, police officers first have to notify a train conductor of the need to move, after which the conductor has five minutes to do so. Only if the conductor fails to move a train in that time can a citation be issued, which in South Carolina, cannot exceed $20. Some say the "Mickey Mouse" fine, as Councilman Kurt Taylor described it, makes it prohibitive for police officers to enforce.

"I don't think the railroad companies are fully aware of the problems," said Kuhn, who thinks the community and companies can work together to solve the problem.

WANT TO GO?

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Park Circle Community Center.

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