The city of Lithonia Ga is a small town, approximately one square mile totaling about 2700 residents. Here in Lithonia we have a strong senior community where most of our seniors are retired and some are even disabled and without transportation, so there way of getting around is walking and the use of electric scooters.

Beginning about March 2021 the train that runs through this small town has been leaving its train on the tracks for days at a time, blocking the safest route that most of the residents on the Bruce st. end of the tracks take to go to shops and grocery stores in town. 

This train sitting on the tracks for days on end also is blocking emergency vehicles from gaining access to emergency situations, every second an ambulance or police vehicle is delayed arrival to a scene could mean life or death. 

There are only two alternatives to getting into town for those without transportation: 

1) Climb over the train 

2) Walk down to Max Cleland Blvd, cross under the bridge and come back up swift street. 

The first alternative, which is climbing over the train, is easier for the younger residents.

The second poses a problem for the seniors that commute by electric scooter due to Max cleland blvd being a busy street, with no side walks. Max cleland blvd has also been made busier due to the train cutting off most of the routes that vehicles take to get through the city.

The residents in Lithonia are upset at the blatant disrespect and complete disregard for the safety of our seniors that CSX has shown for this community. 

If you were to go a few miles down the street you would never see a train just sitting for days on end in the city of conyers.

We would like for the tracks to remain clear except for trains passing through, for safety of all the residents who choose to climb over the train and those who who choose to go around it onto a busy street.