The city of Binghamton was recognized for its coordinated effort to improve aging railway infrastructure on Thursday. Mayor Jared Kraham accepted the New York Conference of Mayors’ Local Government Achievement Award for the Railroad Bridge Improvement Project.

In August 2023, Kraham released a 914-page report finding that most of the city’s railroad bridges faced major structural issues. Of the 25 bridges surveyed, only three were in “good” condition.

Norfolk Southern, a private railroad giant operating 19,500 miles of track nationwide, owns most of Binghamton’s railway bridges. Unlike roads, railways in the United States are largely owned by private companies, posing a challenge for local government oversight. Over a month after the report was released, Norfolk Southern agreed to begin repairs on seven bridges.

“It’s an honor to receive this award from NYCOM recognizing our work to improve crumbling railroad bridges in Binghamton and hold negligent railroad companies accountable,” Kraham said. “This project provided an innovative solution to a decades-old problem, serving as a model to municipalities across New York State and beyond. I’m proud Binghamton is once again in the spotlight for taking action to fix complex problems and improve quality of life for everyone who lives here.”

Copies of the report were also sent to elected officials. On Sept. 18, 2023, Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand penned a joint letter to the Federal Railroad Administration calling for a “separate, federal audit and inspection of the bridges.” Two days later, the agency launched an investigation into Binghamton’s railway infrastructure.

Since then, several bridges have been repaired throughout the city, like one on Glenwood Avenue between Clinton and Brown Streets on the West Side. Last September, crews replaced the concrete columns and protective siding on the Jarvis Street underpass.

In April, a deteriorating overpass on Front Street was replaced. The bridge, built over a century ago, suffered from severe structural deterioration.

More repair work at other sites is expected in the “coming weeks,” Deputy Mayor Megan Heiman wrote to Pipe Dream.

In 2023, Binghamton received the same award for its Affordable Homes Program, partnering with the Broome County Land Bank to convert “vacant single-family properties into safe, quality housing for income-eligible residents.” The city directed $2 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to the program.

NYCOM represents 578 cities and villages across the state. Kraham was appointed to the conference’s executive committee in January.

“The City of Binghamton’s creative and comprehensive approach to improving infrastructure is truly commendable,” said RuthAnn Loveless, the conference president and mayor of Hamilton, New York. “By documenting unsafe and unsightly conditions and holding private companies accountable, Binghamton has improved quality of life for residents while protecting the public interest.”

“I commend Mayor Kraham and his team for their leadership and tenacity,” she concluded.