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[Austin Lavin/The Daily Pennsylvanian] Philadelphia residents jog across the ground-level railroad crossing into the Schuylkill River Park. CSX has sued the city to block those access points to the park.

While the city of Philadelphia has spent a tremendous amount of resources on developing the Schuylkill River Park, it is being sued for not fulfilling its contractual obligation to build an effective barrier between the land east of the Schuylkill River and the nearby railroad tracks.

CSX Corporation -- one of the largest providers of train transportation services in the eastern United States -- has requested permanent barriers to be built at two sites on Locust and Race streets, preventing access to the tracks -- and also to the park.

The first part of the park was completed last year, creating a 1.2-mile lighted and landscaped path on the river. The park stretches from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Center City and attracts many runners and cyclists, including some from the Penn community.

The park is currently accessible near the PMA and from stairwells and paths leading down from the bridges crossing the Schuylkill, as well as the current "grade-level" crossings in question on the two streets.

There are currently openings in the fence between the park and the railroad tracks that allow for easy crossing.

According to Mike Eichert, the chief deputy city solicitor, the problem is that CSX wants these barriers permanently closed so that the park is inaccessible from Race and Locust streets, even when trains are not there -- and the city would like to leave them open.

Officials want to build movable gates that can open when trains are not present, allowing at least partial access to the park, and providing some measure of safety.

CSX has said that any crossing could be unsafe and a liability to the company.

This dispute has created numerous conflicts for the company, the city and civic organizations.

Sarah Clark Stuart, who is the co-coordinator of the Free the Schuylkill River Park Coalition, uses the park path everyday to walk her kids to school and said that it was essential to improve the grade crossings of the train tracks.

And those who have profited from easy access to the park are also similarly concerned.

Locust on the Park -- a loft apartment building near one of the crossings in question -- is home to a number of residents who use the new park.

The close and easy access "is a selling point that I always use and a huge advantage," said Locust on the Park leasing consultant Natalie Wolfinger said.

Many civic organizations and government groups are getting involved in the fight over park access.

Stuart estimated that over 1,000 people have written letters to CSX, elected officials, and others through the Free the Schuylkill River Park Coalition's letter-writing campaign.

Representatives from CSX did not respond to interview requests.

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