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Council flags unfinished Safe Routes recommendations; railroad crossing complicates fixes
Summary
Mayor and staff pointed to a 2016 Safe Routes to School report with many unfinished recommendations and highlighted specific hazardous crossings (Westfield/James and a railroad crossing) that will require county and railroad cooperation and substantial engineering dollars.
Mayor Jason Frylinger told the joint session that the Safe Routes to School recommendations remain largely undone: "it's interesting that, you know, 90% of it is still undone," he said, urging partnership on priority crossings. Council and district staff stressed that many high‑priority pedestrian improvements require county or railroad permissions and upfront design work to be eligible for grant funds.
Officials flagged the Westfield/James intersection and a nearby railroad crossing as particularly challenging: staff said Union Pacific (and the party that sublets the line) has required large preliminary costs to engage on engineering; the mayor described a $50,000 preliminary engineering ask from the railroad to initiate talks and said comprehensive crossing upgrades could reach hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Both boards agreed to pursue design work and county/ODOT coordination to strengthen future funding opportunities.
