Sharraxaadda

Tonight as I was coming towards 2nd Ave on Chestnut I came upon the train stopped on the tracks (this happens often enough for me not to be surprised). Rather than going around this time, I decided to wait and see how long the train would block Chestnut. I waited from 8:35 to 9:07PM at the train tracks to get through. During that time the train came to a FULL stop ....TWICE. Keep in mind that the train was fully stopped when I got there at 8:35 so I have no idea how long it was stopped prior. This is not just my experience. Two other neighbors have told me they experience these long delays frequently on their way to work so this is not an isolated incident. A quick search on See Click Fix will also show that I'm not alone in my frustration. There are other neighborhoods that this train passes through and causes the same long delays. I would have to think that this also is a safety concern for neighborhoods as law enforcement and ambulance traffic are impeded by the train as well. Public transportation is also blocked as there is no way for a bus to turn around at this location when the train is stopped.