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Residents urge replacement of Highway 90A noise screening after landscaping removed
Summary
Council members and residents raised concerns after landscaping that had screened train noise along Highway 90A was removed during TxDOT work; council asked staff to contact TxDOT and explore replacing foliage or other mitigation to restore noise screening.
Residents and councilmembers raised concerns that landscaping and foliage that once screened rail noise along Highway 90A is gone following recent TxDOT maintenance. "If you're gonna take down the soundproof wall, put something else in its place," resident Cliff Cowperthwaite told the council, saying his home near the tracks still feels train rumble and that the prior screening helped mute sound.
Staff and council discussed that TxDOT performed landscaping work and that the shrubbery had died (possibly during the winter freeze). Council directed staff, including the city engineer and Director Riggs, to reach out to TxDOT to explore replanting or other solutions; any work on TxDOT right-of-way will require TxDOT approval and could involve funding and a longer timeline. Councilmembers expressed preference for foliage over a concrete wall for aesthetic reasons but acknowledged TxDOT's approval and potential cost implications.
