The city of Wisconsin Rapids' new rail crossing alert system is scheduled to go online Nov. 1. City Engineer Joe Eichsteadt confirmed the launch date on Oct. 30 and said the sensors and the app were fully operational.
The launch was delayed several times, first by coordination with utilities and then by damage. The most recent damage was on 17th Avenue South, near Carey Street, where a new pole was put up and sensor equipment was re-installed, Eichsteadt said. Training had been under way for a couple of weeks as of Oct. 28 while workers fine-tuned the equipment.
Sensors will monitor train movement at 12 crossings in the city. The system tracks trains continuously and sends warnings through an app before a train reaches a crossing, giving drivers advance notice and helping fire and ambulance crews plan routes and avoid blocked crossings.
The Nov. 1 launch covers only the phone app. Message boards that are to be placed around the city to warn drivers about blocked intersections have also been delayed and will come later.
The app is called TrainLinq and is available in the Google Play store for Android phones and the App Store for iPhones. Training materials are to be posted on a Frequently Asked Questions page on the city's website beginning Nov. 2. Linq Thingz, the company the city contracted with to install the system, planned to send the launch materials to the city Oct. 30.
