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Plan Commission approves partial street closures along North Quincy to reduce rail conflicts; Vanderbrack held for more review
Summary
The Green Bay Plan Commission approved partial lane and intersection closures along North Quincy Street and Eastman Avenue to reduce vehicle–train conflicts, approving two of three proposed closures and holding the Vanderbrack Street closure for additional review. The action moves to City Council for final consideration.
The Green Bay Plan Commission voted 5-2 on Sept. 29 to approve most of a city proposal to reduce conflict points between motor vehicles and trains along North Quincy Street, leaving one requested closure at Vanderbrack Street held for further review.
City staff described the proposal as reductions of travel lanes and specific closures where the railroad crosses local streets, saying the measures were requested in coordination with the Office of the Commission of the Railroad and the railroad operator. The plan calls for the outer lanes of a four-lane section of North Quincy to be cross-hatched (preventing general travel), closure of the westbound lane of Eastman Avenue between North Jackson and North Quincy, and a closure at the North Quincy–Vanderbrack intersection.
The commission’s action implements staff’s recommendation to move forward on two closures while holding the Vanderbrack portion for more information. City staff said the Traffic, Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission recommended approval on Aug. 18 and that the Office of the Railroad Commission had been working with the city for roughly two years and had issued orders that prompted the action. The staff presentation noted the measure aims to reduce incidents and near-misses where the tracks cross intersections and that traffic volumes on the affected streets are low enough to absorb closures based on existing counts.
Valerie Justin, director of the Department of Public Works, attended the meeting and staff noted coordination with emergency services. The Green Bay Fire Department submitted a conditional written comment saying it had no objection to the closures provided that any dead-end created (specifically at VanDeBrock/Vanderbrack) be provided with an approved turnaround in accordance with the International Fire Code (comment referenced as "IFC 20 21 5 0 3.2 0.5" in the staff summary). Fire officials told staff they could use the cross-hatched outer lanes for emergency access if paving is retained rather than removed, and staff said a long-term solution could be a hammerhead turnaround or an ingress/egress easement with an adjacent property owner.
Neighbors and businesses were contacted by staff; New Water (the local utility) said it had no objection provided pavement in the right-of-way remain so crews can maintain infrastructure without costly traffic control. WPS reported no objections. Two nearby property owners—Vanderbrock LLC (owner at 825 Vanderbrack) and Kevin Keane (owner of 724 Vanderbrack and Keane Printing at 401 N. Quincy)—called staff to express concerns about how closures would affect truck movements and operations. Kevin Keane testified at the public hearing that parked box trucks near the railroad frequently block sight lines and that removing those trucks from the right-of-way would address much of the safety problem. Keane said semitrailers regularly use the area for loading and turning and that preventing truck access could harm industrial operations.
Commissioners pressed staff for the factual basis for selecting the specific crossings targeted for closure. Staff said the Office of the Railroad Commission and the city’s traffic engineer provided data identifying those crossings as higher-risk based on the angle and proximity of the rail crossing to the street intersections, and that the city had sought and received multiple extensions from the railroad commission while working toward a solution. Commissioners also discussed operational impacts—snow plowing, garbage pickup, and emergency response—and the short window to complete striping before seasonal painting ended.
Motion and next steps: Commissioner Darius Daniels moved to approve the staff recommendation but to hold the Vanderbrack closure for further review; the motion was seconded and carried 5-2. The record shows the action will be forwarded to the City Council (with staff noting a Council review date in early October). Staff said the proposed striping work is scheduled this season and delaying beyond the painting season would push some work to next year.
The commission record includes outreach and written responses from utilities, the fire department and affected property owners; staff recommended continued coordination with public safety and utilities while the city implements the approved elements of the plan.
