Many residents at a community meeting regarding the possibility of closing six railroad crossings in Southside seemed to have made their minds up before they got to the gathering. The crossings need to be repaired, they said, but closing them would be a problem.
City officials are considering closing six crossings at Second, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, 10th and 17th streets.
On Monday evening there was a healthy turnout at the Townsend Community Center, where more information about the proposed closures was shared and citizens had their first chance to ask questions.
In the past, Kansas City Southern Railroad has given the city $50,000 for a closure. Seventh Street South resident Sid Caradine asked if KCS would again give the city money to close crossings.
“This is not about money,” Kevin Stafford, of Neel-Schaffer engineering firm, said. “It’s about safety.”
Most of the discussion from residents and from Ward 1 councilman Gene Taylor, who led the forum, was concerned with safety. For Taylor, closing the crossings was a scenario in which the crossings could be revamped and made safer, but noted he would reflect the will of his constituents if the proposed closures came to a vote.
Stafford broke down the results of a traffic study the firm did based on 2006 traffic conditions. That analysis considered five crossing closure scenarios. Under one of the plans six crossings would be shut off to allow for maintenance.
According to the study, the crossings that would remain open would see mostly minimal increases in traffic.
The existing daily traffic on Fourth Street would go from 222 to 563. On Fifth Street, there would be an increase from 1,166 to 1,427. Traffic would nearly double, from 736 to 1,288, at the Seventh Street crossing.
Eleventh Street would see very little change, going from 3,589 to 3,674. On 15th Street, that number would change from 2,353 to 2,518. On 22nd Street, the amount of 733 would increase to 988.
The combined net increase in traffic for the crossings staying open would be about five percent.
Stafford said MDOT considered many factors when approaching the city to fund the crossing improvements.
“It’s a financial burden on MDOT, but it’s a safety issue with MDOT, too,” Stafford said. “What they see as safe is having bells, lights, whistles and horns in place as opposed to what you see right now, where it’s the driver’s will to cross.”
Another task MDOT will pay KCS to perform at no cost to the city is the replacement of the crossing grade itself with timber, which would be easier to maintain long-term.
On average, about eight trains a day travel the railroad. Regulations mandate that drivers blow their horns at every crossing. An option that comes with the improvements is a quiet zone, Stafford said.
“Now from 22nd all the way through here, they would not have to blow their horns at all if these upgrades are made, and also median dividers or barriers are put in as well. That would have to be done by the city,” he said. “Right now, the railroad and MDOT estimated that cost to be about $60,000.”
Stafford said it would cost MDOT about $250,000 per crossing to get each one up to standard and the closings would be in effect for the remainder of the year if approved.
For many residents, blocking the crossings presented a safety issue: lack of accessibility.
“What about people on the south side of the tracks that have an emergency and have to get to the hospital?” Caradine said. “It seems to me they’re going to be at a disadvantage.”
Mayor Robert Smith, who was sitting in the audience, stood to address Caradine’s question before approaching the podium at the front of the room.
“All of that would be taken under consideration before a final decision is made,” Smith said.
“What kind of situation are we talking about when it comes to a person’s life and emergency vehicles?” Caradine asked.
“The citizens will make a suggestion and then the elected officials will make a final decision,” Smith said. “Right now it’s already a problem as far as the citizens who live across the track. There are times the train will hold up traffic for at least 45 minutes to an hour right now.”
Sanders Weatherby also voiced concern, saying closing the crossings would “put a blind spot in that area.”
“The people in that area, they have a different limelight on the way a lot of public officials see things. If you’ve been living in that area all these years, you will know the pros and cons that go back and forth in that area,” Weatherby said. “This proposed plan, I think it would hinder the progressive growth of this area. When we have people coming in this town, visiting us … and they come down the street and it’s all blocked off, they say, ‘It used to be this way. It used to be that way, but now it has changed.’ What progress has that done? … We believe if you do get money from that railroad you’re going to put that money somewhere else, and we don’t think it would take much to keep up the maintenance on this railroad.
“Those people living in that area, they are happy. They are proud of their community,” he added. “If you close those streets, you will put a blind spot in that area. They want free access in and out with no restrictions whatsoever.”
Columbus Fire Chief Ken Moore said the closures would not present a hazard to first responders.
“We’ve looked at this for several months now, and I want the citizens to know we have studied this and there’s some major thoroughfares we use on a daily basis, anyway. It doesn’t matter where the call is,” he said. “Fifth, Seventh, 11th, 15th, those are just main thoroughfares that are wide enough that we don’t have to worry about cars parked on the side of the road … To say it’s not going to affect but one or two peoples’ houses in a particular spot, I can’t say that. Overall, it’s not going to be a major impact.”
Still, the proposal was met with resistance, including concerns from Fifth Street South resident Doris Hall.
“The railroad tracks and the crossings have been in need of repairing for years and years,” she said. “My interest is once they go back and air what the public wants and they refuse to do exactly what the public wants and then they come up saying they’re going to ask them to repair the track, what guarantee are we going to have that the tracks are going to get repaired or completely fixed? I don’t want to get trapped in my neighborhood and not be able to get out at a reasonable time in order to get done what I have to do.”
Smith acknowledged that “about 95 percent” of the feedback he’s received has been against the closures. He encouraged residents to attend Thursday’s public hearing so they could speak with representatives with MDOT and KCS. The hearing will be at the municipal complex.
Answering another resident’s question, Smith said, “You tell (KCS) that you don’t want (the crossings) to close, but at the same time, you ask them to repair them. Then, when they say they’ll repair them, ask them how soon you can repair them, and they are the ones who can give you the answer.”
Taylor said robust public debate is what is needed in order for councilmen to make the best informed decision.
“The tracks need to be fixed. We’re not here to put something on your plate that you don’t deserve to have there,” Taylor said. “It’s not my decision to close any railroad unless the citizens say so.”
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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Related Photos
Sanders Weatherby Sr. speaks out about his concerns on the proposed railroad crossing closings in Columbus at the Ward 1 community meeting Monday at the Townsend Community Center. His wife, Violet, sits on the right and District 4 Supervisor, Jeff Smith listens on the left. Photo by: Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff
