Full article (MPR News)New federal rail safety rules are getting mixed reviews from officials in Minnesota, including one state lawmaker who calls the regulations "baby steps compared to what we need to have happen."
Even those pleased that the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama remain skeptical of its reach. Some state officials are already preparing to seek tougher rules at the state Capitol this spring.
The federal law requires all states to develop plans to improve safety at rail crossings, a concern that's become critical in recent years with the big jump in oil train traffic driven by the growth of North Dakota's Bakken oil fields.
The law also requires states to look at other safety improvement, including reducing the amount of time trains block crossings.
The law, however, doesn't come with the funding needed to make the safety improvements, said Bill Gardner, director of the freight office at the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
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