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Cibolo council approves skewed Main Street railroad crossing design, authorizes Union Pacific variance request
Summary
The Cibolo City Council on June 23 approved a preferred design (Option 2) for the Main Street sidewalk and crossing that skews the pedestrian crossing to align with the roadway, and authorized staff to submit the concept and a variance request to Union Pacific Railroad. Staff and consultants said Option 2 avoids costly signal equipment upgrades required by the standard crossing.
Cibolo — The City Council voted June 23 to approve a preferred design concept for the Main Street sidewalk and pedestrian crossing that skews the crossing to align with the roadway and minimizes changes to Union Pacific Railroad signal equipment.
Consultants presented two schematic options: a standard 90-degree crossing that would require pedestrian flashers and replacement of signal cabinets, and a “skewed” crossing (Option 2) that keeps pedestrians facing the tracks and avoids additional signal equipment. Consultant Nolan summarized the recommendation: "We're recommending option 2. It is viable for safety and cost and will require UPRR to approve a variance for that design to go through." (Consultant Nolan).
Staff said Option 2 reduces the need for expensive railroad signal work and lowers the project's contingency exposure. The council voted to designate Option 2 as the preferred concept and authorized staff to submit both options, diagnostic notes and a variance request to Union Pacific for review. Officials estimated a routine diagnostic review response would take about 30–45 days; variance requests could take 3–6 months.
Mayor Sanchez Stevens and staff stressed that final design and construction would require additional engineering and permitting budgets. The consultants estimated remaining design costs for civil work near $60,000; potential additional costs would come from railroad-controlled signal design if Union Pacific requires Option 1 or additional signal engineering.
Next steps: staff will submit the concept and variance request to Union Pacific and return to council with updates and cost estimates as the railroad and internal design work proceed.
