OKC seeks railroad quiet zone downtown...

[catch22]

They track unique web views. So no matter how many times you opened it on the same computer it'd only count as one view.

[Urban Pioneer]

How did the dialogue go at Council yesterday?

[BoulderSooner]

I continue to be impressed with Cathy O'Connor and the job she is doing with the Economic Development Trust.

That newly-formed group seems to be operating just as hoped: combining lots of different resources to focus on specific initiatives.

O'Connor seems to be very sharp and a great leader, while also playing the politics needed to get consensus and forward movement.

i very much agree with this

[HangryHippo]

How did the dialogue go at Council yesterday?

Anyone?

[HangryHippo]

i very much agree with this

As do I. She definitely continues to impress.

[LakeEffect]

Anyone?

I didn't think it was to be discussed. I thought Steve's article said it would go to Council within a month...?

[BB37]

This project may have started. I was driving south on I235 this morning and chanced to glance west around NE 11th and noticed a new steel barrier blocking the grade crossing. There was another barrier a block south on Park Place. The signal and gate arm were still in place on Park, and there were temporary barricades and "Road Closed" signs up, so these had to have been put up recently.

[Steve]

Nope. The crossing improvements are unrelated to the quiet zone.

[UncleCyrus]

Do we know if those crossings will reopen? I noticed the new steel barriers on the 14th street crossing as well. I know that the 12th street crossing has been closed for some time now.

[LakeEffect]

Nope. The crossing improvements are unrelated to the quiet zone.

Not entirely. I noticed that BNSF installed permanent barricades at 14th, and I think they are doing so at 11th and 12th. Part of the quiet zone plans were/are to permanently close those three crossings. Quiet Zones are often implemented against the will of the railroads, so they advocate for closings as many crossings as possible.

[BB37]

Those barriers look pretty permanent.

[OKCisOK4me]

Gonna have to get down there to see those!

Just looked at Google Maps and realized that 12th has been blocked for a while..at least since Google's last aerial update.

[UncleCyrus]

Here is the 14th street crossing as of Thursday.

[Tier2City]

Resolution approving a funding plan for a Downtown Sealed Railroad Safety Corridor, in the area east and west along the north-south Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line between NE 7th Street and NE 16th Street. Ward 6.
Councilwoman Salyer

SIRE Public Access

Approved 7-1 at City Council just now.

[LakeEffect]

Resolution approving a funding plan for a Downtown Sealed Railroad Safety Corridor, in the area east and west along the north-south Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line between NE 7th Street and NE 16th Street. Ward 6.
Councilwoman Salyer

SIRE Public Access


Approved 7-1 at City Council just now.

7-1? Who was the no vote?

[Tier2City]

7-1? Who was the no vote?

Pete White. Doesn't like pork, canal was a success but he was/would be against that on principle, too much spent downtown with MAPS 3, etc., etc. Pat Ryan was against it earlier but he was very pleased to see the $600K private sector contribution. Pettis would like to see it extended north to 122nd, etc. BNSF is anxious to close SE23rd (major safety issues) and would pay for that.

Meg recused herself.

[LakeEffect]

Pete White. Doesn't like pork, canal was a success but he was/would be against that on principle, too much spent downtown with MAPS 3, etc., etc. Pat Ryan was against it earlier but he was very pleased to see the $600K private sector contribution. Pettis would like to see it extended north to 122nd, etc. BNSF is anxious to close SE23rd (major safety issues) and would pay for that.

Meg recused herself.

Pete is surprising me, and not in a good way. Investments in downtown now mean more sales tax later and making a better place for future OKC residents who want to be closer to downtown. Pettis' wish wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish except for the horrible intersection of Western & Britton. Building the correct quiet zone configuration there would be very tough. Doable, maybe, but tough.

[adaniel]

Pete is surprising me, and not in a good way. Investments in downtown now mean more sales tax later and making a better place for future OKC residents who want to be closer to downtown. Pettis' wish wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish except for the horrible intersection of Western & Britton. Building the correct quiet zone configuration there would be very tough. Doable, maybe, but tough.

Hasn't Pete White always been a bit of a fly in the ointment?

[HangryHippo]

Where does the quiet zone go from here? Finishing up the rest of the crossings?

[bluedogok]

Pete is surprising me, and not in a good way. Investments in downtown now mean more sales tax later and making a better place for future OKC residents who want to be closer to downtown. Pettis' wish wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish except for the horrible intersection of Western & Britton. Building the correct quiet zone configuration there would be very tough. Doable, maybe, but tough.

I would bet his vote reflects that of his constituents, many of the suburbanites have no desire to invest in downtown, they don't see the benefit of that investment because they never venture down there. They don't seem to understand or have forgotten how the city used to be when downtown was a black hole.

[hoya]

I would bet his vote reflects that of his constituents, many of the suburbanites have no desire to invest in downtown, they don't see the benefit of that investment because they never venture down there. They don't seem to understand or have forgotten how the city used to be when downtown was a black hole.

I have no patience for people who are willfully ignorant.

Actually I have no patience in general, but it's especially non-existent for people who are willfully ignorant.

[OKCisOK4me]

Where does the quiet zone go from here? Finishing up the rest of the crossings?

More like redoing the crossings. The ones they keep will be made into fully gated crossings, meaning no dodging trains by weaving through the gates.

[LakeEffect]

More like redoing the crossings. The ones they keep will be made into fully gated crossings, meaning no dodging trains by weaving through the gates.

I'm not so sure of that. BNSF had previously indicated that making them all quad-gates wouldn't work due to their signal timing network. I think the plan was to do those at 10th and 13th and use alternative means at other intersections. I could be wrong - technology hopefully advanced since I worked on it in 2008/2009.

[Rover]

I would bet his vote reflects that of his constituents, many of the suburbanites have no desire to invest in downtown, they don't see the benefit of that investment because they never venture down there. They don't seem to understand or have forgotten how the city used to be when downtown was a black hole.

So, are you saying they didn't support the Maps votes either? It was downtown residents that passed it over the wishes of the suburbanites?

Someday we have to get past this us vs them mentality. It is offensive to so many of us who don't live downtown but vigorously support it over and over.

Railroad routes through the city should be safe and quiet regardless of where in the CITY it is. That's what we should support.

[Dubya61]

So, are you saying they didn't support the Maps votes either? It was downtown residents that passed it over the wishes of the suburbanites?
Someday we have to get past this us vs them mentality. It is offensive to so many of us who don't live downtown but vigorously support it over and over.
Railroad routes through the city should be safe and quiet regardless of where in the CITY it is. That's what we should support.

Amen, Rover. This tribal mentality is best for sports and stupid for EVERYTHING else.