Trains affecting Claremore economy

CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) – Traffic delays caused by trains passing through Claremore have left residents and business owners frustrated, and a study finds the wait also has hurt the city’s economy.

The 2015 Claremore Industrial and Economic Development Authority study determined that the gross product of Claremore was 2.6 percent below potential during 2014, because of the delays at railroad crossings.

The Claremore Daily Progress (http://bit.ly/1O3pior ) reports that the study assumed all employees work nearly 2,100 hours a year and that Claremore has almost 1,300 commuters. Claremore experienced an estimated gross product loss of $55.8 million, because of the lost time.

City Manager Jim Thomas says the city is working to collaborate with several organizations in order to find solutions to the traffic congestion.