Last month Hugh Saxon promised our city commissioners “extensive community participation and master planning effort” as part of the $1.5 capital bond project – detailed in the Community Transportation Plan – to improve railroad crossings at Candler/College/Trinity and McDonough/College/Howard.  Today we learn a few more details about those meetings.  From the city website…

A community workshop to discuss the railroad crossing improvements will be held on Thursday, November 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the City Commission meeting room of Decatur City Hall, 509 North McDonough Street, in downtown Decatur. We hope you will be able to join us to learn more about this project.

As part of its capital improvements program, the City of Decatur is considering options for improvements to the railroad crossings at Candler and McDonough Streets in downtown Decatur. The purpose of the work is to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians, bicyclists and others using these facilities. Measures required to implement a quiet zone in the railroad corridor will also be considered.

Also, here are a few more budget and timeline details specific to the intersections from the city’s webpage, which I had not seen before.

Candler/College/Trinity

• Budget: $1,200,000
• Status: Preliminary

• Bid Date: November 2011
• Construction: January 2012 – August 2012

• TE project – $1,000,000 awarded in February 2008
• DOT facility / CSX facility
• Quiet zone?

McDonough/College/Howard

• Budget: $600,000
• Status: Preliminary

• Bid Date: November 2011
• Construction: January 2012 – August 2012

• TE Project – $480,000 awarded in February 2008
• DOT facility / CSX facility
• Quiet zone?

Note that the question of whether to make these two intersection “quiet zones” has yet to be decided.  A great reason to attend and participate in the November meeting!

h/t: The Decatur Minute