Union Pacific Railroad Provides Another Step For Downtown Bryan’s Quiet Zone

Image from Union Pacific's Twitter account.
Image from Union Pacific's Twitter account.

Union Pacific Railroad (U-P) provides another step in the Bryan city council’s 16 year effort to complete a quiet zone through the downtown area.

U-P is allowing the city to proceed with modifying train crossings at Martin Luther King Jr., 24th, and 29th streets.

City engineer Paul Kaspar shared with the council, which includes five new members, that efforts for the downtown quiet zone date back to 2007.

Kaspar said U-P has not approved city plans for rebuilding crossings at Groesbeck, which is the largest single piece of the project.

Kaspar also said the railroad wants crossings closed at 15th and 22nd Streets.

As for the new medians at quiet zone crossings, Kaspar says that is also a safety measure because drivers won’t be able to go around crossing gates unless their vehicle climb the medians.

Mayor Bobby Gutierrez reminded the council there will still be noise from the passing trains. Kaspar invited the council to go to Midtown Park, where train horns are not operated, to hear a sample of the sound when the quiet zone is completed.

Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the April 11, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

Click HERE to read and download background information from city staff for the April 11, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

Click below to hear comments from Paul Kaspar and Bobby Gutierrez from the April 11, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

 

Image from a city of Bryan document showing modifications to the Union Pacific railroad crossing on 29th Street.
Image from a city of Bryan document showing modifications to the Union Pacific railroad crossing on 29th Street.

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