Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Quiet Zone topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Goshen staff outline quiet‑zone progress, say railroad denials have delayed pedestrian crossings
Summary
Director of public works Dustin Sailor told the council that draft quiet‑zone applications have been exchanged with Norfolk Southern and the FRA but some pedestrian‑crossing permit requests were denied; staff aim to resubmit by midsummer and expect final FRA approval roughly 8–12 months after a clean submission.
Dustin Sailor, Goshen’s director of public works and utilities, updated the City Council on May 18 on efforts to create a rail quiet zone and several pedestrian crossings tied to it. He said the city has completed diagnostic meetings with Norfolk Southern and the Federal Railroad Administration, submitted draft application materials for stakeholder comment, and adjusted the application after receiving feedback.
Sailor told the council that two permit requests to Norfolk Southern for crossings—one on the Wyoming Trail (a multi‑use path serving Waterford Elementary and linking south toward Kercher Road) and a College Avenue crossing—have been denied. He described the Wyoming Trail crossing as a gated, “maze”‑style pedestrian crossing intended to force users to look both ways. Sailor said the College Avenue crossing is particularly critical because it is connected to federal funding for College Avenue improvement work.<br><br>“We’ve had a couple meetings in January and April and are trying to find points of agreement,” Sailor said, adding that the city hopes to finalize an application by midsummer and that, if the submission proceeds without procedural missteps, FRA approval generally takes eight to twelve months.
Councilors and staff discussed whether a pending Norfolk Southern merger could affect approvals; Sailor said the city’s primary channel is the FRA and that Norfolk Southern’s internal administration has not been confirmed to have changed the permitting stance. Several council members noted that the redevelopment commission has worked on crossings for years and urged continued effort. Public commenters and council members encouraged outreach to state and federal representatives and coordination with neighboring municipalities also dealing with Norfolk Southern.
The council did not take a formal vote on the quiet‑zone item at the meeting; staff said they will continue outreach to the railroad and regulators and keep council apprised of resubmission timing.
