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GDOT, CSX present safety plan for five grade crossings; commissioners ask for traffic and community impact study
Summary
State and railroad representatives proposed closing three at-grade crossings and upgrading others near Laney Walker and Wrightsboro; commissioners requested traffic-impact analysis and community meetings before any permanent closures.
Representatives from the Georgia Department of Transportation and CSX presented a railroad-crossing safety package Tuesday that would close three at-grade crossings on a corridor between Walton Way and Wrightsboro Road and upgrade control equipment at another crossing.
GDOT and CSX officials said the proposal is a menu of safety measures funded in part by a federal rail-highway program; the state would match railroad incentive payments up to $100,000 per closed crossing. The team proposed closing Miller Street, Marks Street and Holly Street at the track and upgrading equipment at an additional crossing, Dantignac, while installing gates at Laney Walker Boulevard if geometry allowed.
Commissioners welcomed the safety focus but raised concerns about traffic rerouting, business access and neighborhood impacts, particularly near Holly Street and Laney Walker Boulevard’s tight geometry. Commissioner Don Clark and others asked staff to prepare traffic-impact analyses and to schedule neighborhood meetings so affected residents, businesses and institutions could weigh in before the commission considered closure approvals.
Why it matters: Reconfiguring at-grade crossings changes local traffic patterns and can affect emergency response routes, local businesses and connectivity for neighborhoods. GDOT representatives said closing crossings is a cost-effective safety investment, but commissioners insisted on traffic and community studies before endorsing closures.
Next steps: Engineering staff said they will coordinate traffic studies and community outreach with GDOT and CSX and return with a consolidated plan and impact assessments.
