Crossing RR Tracks

Is it still considered trespassing to cross the railroad tracks to get to fishing holes in Wisconsin?

Yes. The first attempt passed through the Assembly and Senate only to be vetoed by the Governor. The second attempt died in the Senate.

What state?

Wisconsin

There is a petition to restore the rights of people to be able to cross the RR tracks. If you want to sign up on the petition or need a sign up sheet, I would get you one. Thanks. Shawn

Attachments:

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If these are upside down or sideways could someone make it right? It’s important people know about this and sign the petition. Thanks. Shaen5.

Attachments:

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Yep. Pics upside down. Sorry about that. Seems they all turn out that way. But in any case.

Any RR tracks in the state of WI are illegal to cross if they don’t have an established crossing. This is a state wide issue not only along the border of the Mississippi, but state wide. Just think of the public land the RR has taken away from the people. If this goes uncontested what will the RR do with the land no one can cross. They have an agenda somewhere if they win the rights to be able to block access to public crossings and access to public land.
Shawn

Why don’t they just put in more public crossings instead of trying to rewrite the laws that I’m sure the rr paid a lot of money for, think how much it lowers the chance of a wrongful death suite against them.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

Why don’t they just put in more public crossings instead of trying to rewrite the laws that I’m sure the rr paid a lot of money for, think how much it lowers the chance of a wrongful death suite against them.

If you lived down here and knew actually how many crossings you would need to access all the areas where people cross you would know how crazy that is…
It was perfectly legal for over 100 years,this was not law until 2005,it’s still perfectly legal in every other state MN,IA included and not here?
How many wrongful death suit’s have there actually been?

If it affected you maybe you would think differently….

Along the river alone, that would result in a crossing every quarter mile. No way the RR pays for that. On hunting land, I bet it would be higher because some hunt the RR property.

I understand what you guys are saying, but there is no reason for a crossing every 1/4 mile, walk a little further.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

I understand what you guys are saying, but there is no reason for a crossing every 1/4 mile, walk a little further.

Well besides the fact there are some people(like me) who cannot walk as far as we used to….and there are quite a few…
Add to that,sometimes the terrain does not allow walking very far…..
Again…..people have been doing this for many,many years (I’ve been fishing the river for 50 years) with no problems…..
You might think differently if it affected you….But it doesn’t, since in MN there is no such BS law…….

Have to wonder if the REAL issue is “If there’s an accident we have to stop the train for a couple of hours, and that costs the railroad money…” And it’s the money that the WI governor and legislature follow.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

Why don’t they just put in more public crossings instead of trying to rewrite the laws that I’m sure the rr paid a lot of money for, think how much it lowers the chance of a wrongful death suite against them.

Much of the land the RR Companies own was GIVEN to them by our government years ago when the country was trying to be developed. Now taxpayers can’t access public land to hunt or fish. This is not right.
Anyone should be able to use RR right of as long as it is to access public land and water.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

I understand what you guys are saying, but there is no reason for a crossing every 1/4 mile, walk a little further.

Dustin you don’t understand what us guys are saying. PM me and take a walk with me on the river. PM a lot of the guys here along the river. Take a walk with them. Access is not easy when you can get to a spot. Some spots are already a couple milee or so walk.

The RR wont pay for the access. $50K per railroad access and locals need to pay for it? That won’t happen.

People that use the public lands on the west side of the tracks are not the ones that are hit by trains. It’s the people that want to committ suicide. Don’t punish the general public.

Like I said, we need the signatures. Anyone want to help that would be great. I can mail petitions and they only need to be mailed back. $.47 stamp and I could send a stamp with.

Keep in mind, this is not only on the WI MN border but state wife in WI. Doesn’t matter where. Inland or border. One day it will affect all of you if you cross a RR track. Bird watching, trapping, fishing, sight seeing, putting a penny on the track. It doesn’t matter. You won’t have access to the other side. Includes land owners. Thanks. Shawn

I’m in Minnesota and we have more railroad deaths at designated and drop arm crossings than we do in between the crossings, which is what those in Wisconsin cannot do. I’d bet that Wisconsin sees the same with regard to where rr related accidents occur.

Where’s the logic in this law?

Tom Sawvell wrote:

I’m in Minnesota and we have more railroad deaths at designated and drop arm crossings than we do in between the crossings, which is what those in Wisconsin cannot do. I’d bet that Wisconsin sees the same with regard to where rr related accidents occur.<p abp=”570″>

<p abp=”571″>Where’s the logic in this law?

Same here Tom.

That is what we are fighting about. Where is the logic in this law? Thanks for the feedback and support. Shawn

Bassn Dan wrote:

Have to wonder if the REAL issue is “If there’s an accident we have to stop the train for a couple of hours, and that costs the railroad money…” And it’s the money that the WI governor and legislature follow.

. Nailed it . If big business and money is involved , you will get no help from gov droopy dog

Mike Martine wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bassn Dan wrote:</div>
Have to wonder if the REAL issue is “If there’s an accident we have to stop the train for a couple of hours, and that costs the railroad money…” And it’s the money that the WI governor and legislature follow.

. Nailed it . If big business and money is involved , you will get no help from gov droopy dog

It’s another agenda also. Power stroke for them.

All that are silent now don’t come asking later what happened. If you need a petition to sign and pass around I’ll send one. Thanks. Shawn.

For portraying himself as an ‘avid outdoorsman’, I just cannot understand why he would veto this.

Probably got vetoed because it was inserted into the budget bill. Those of us that followed this closely last year and wrote lots of letters and e-mailed legislators were surprised to find so much resistance from urban state reps. and senators from SE WI.

Duke

Duke M wrote:

Those of us that followed this closely last year and wrote lots of letters and e-mailed legislators were surprised to find so much resistance from urban state reps. and senators from SE WI.

I’d write them back and remind them that in the next election where they are seeking re-election your vote may depend on whether this ban is lifted before the election starts.

My understanding was that this came about by the Wisc legislature passing of an anti-terrorism law and then railroad posted land and calling in law enforcement to begin enforcing no trespassing laws against local fisherman. Many fiends and myself have been crossing the tracks (like others) in prior years to fish the public lands adjacent to Mississippi. It has been very common practice for many years. Some old timers say they have been crossing the tracks for 50+ years.

Here’s the Wisc statute:

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/192/32