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One of the key components of the city’s adopted Community Transportation Plan is improvements to all of Decatur’s confusing and unfriendly railroad crossings.  Tonight, the city commission votes on providing up to $267,000 to fund a master plan for future improvements where Candler and McDonough Street cross the CSX tracks.

According to a note from Asst. City Manager Hugh Saxon that is part of the materials (pdf) for tonight’s city commission meeting…

The work includes an extensive community participation and master planning effort. Specific improvements are dependent on approval of the master plan but will be designed to improve pedestrian accessibility and safety around and across the two CSX railroad crossings in downtown Decatur.

To be a bit more specific about what might be addressed by this projected $1.5 million construction project, here are the stated problems of each of these intersections according to the transportation plan. Read the rest of this entry »