Relocating the railroad tracks from downtown Madisonville has been an ongoing project in Mayor Cox's office since January 2007. On February 14, 2008 CSX Transportation submitted a letter to Mayor Cox expressing continued support and stated, "CSX Transportation believes such a project would significantly enhance public safety while also bolstering the City's potential for future economic development."
On January 4, 2008 Mayor Cox submitted the City's 2008 Legislative Priorities to State Representative Eddie Ballard and Senator Jerry Rhoads. The list of priorities highlights two significant projects for the city including the funding of a feasibility/planning study for the removal and relocation of the CSXT mainline from the downtown district as well as partial funding for the completion of Phase 1A of the South Main Sewer Project.
Additionally, the citizens of Madisonville and Hopkins County participated in listening sessions last year and displayed public support for the track relocation project. The result of this support is represented in the NewCities Insitute Final Report (http://www.newcities.org/UserFiles/MadisonvilleBooklet.pdf) which highlights the importance of successfully relocating the tracks from the downtown district. The report suggests that the space be converted to a shared-use pathway for pedestrians and bikes.
