West Birmingham residents upset that CSX didn't involve them in expansion plans | News

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- A group of West Birmingham residents are coming together to see how CSX's plans to build a bridge to bypass trains over their neighborhood would affect their area and voice their concerns about the project.

About 80 people attended a meeting Tuesday at city hall to hear again the CSX presentation on the proposed plans. CSX representatives reiterated the benefits of building elevated trestles, saying that there will be less disruption, train horns won't be used because there will be no crossing at intersections on the street; 50 construction jobs will be created; and the trestles would reduce travel through Birmingham by six to eight hours.

But residents say there are very upset because they say CSX didn't involve them in the proposed changes until after the plans had been finalized.

"From the very beg of this project there hasn't been a whole lot of transparency. CSX has been doing a lot of things to get involve now. Earlier…it was overwhelming. We felt unaware about something that was going on right in our neighborhood and that's frustrating," Aaron Jackson said.

Residents will be holding their own meeting to discuss the plans Tuesday night at 6:05 at the First Baptist Church in Mason City. They say CSX is not invited.

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