Title
Consider authorizing letter to SCDOT in support of closing existing railroad crossings at Community and Mill Streets upon completion of a new, safer crossing at Quantz Street.
Body
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and Norfolk Southern Railroad have identified the existing railroad crossings at Community and Mill Streets as unsafe and have recommended their closure. Both Community Street and Mill Street are state-owned roadways. It is the policy of SCDOT to seek the consent of local governments prior to closing railroad crossings. SCDOT has made this request on several occasions over the past 12 years. Norfolk Southern’s preference is that the two crossings be closed and that no new crossing be provided.
The impact of closing these two crossings has been studied extensively. From a traffic standpoint, the closing of these crossings has minimal impact on surrounding streets and intersections. The most significant impact is on the adjacent neighborhoods and the convenience of travel for residents and businesses. With no rail crossings in this area, travel times to Dave Lyle Boulevard, I-77 and other important community destinations would increase significantly for neighborhood residents. Businesses located in the former Aragon Mill would be cut off from easy access to Dave Lyle Boulevard; truck traffic would have to be rerouted through residential streets. Access to neighborhood churches and schools would be more difficult. Essentially the neighborhood would be divided in two, north and south, without easy connections.
Due to the impacts on neighborhood residents and businesses, a replacement crossing is strongly recommended. In 2002-2003, York County officials met with neighborhood residents to discuss a replacement crossing at Quantz Street. In late 2003, York County voters approved a capital projects sale tax referendum, known locally as “Pennies for Progress,” that provided funding for closure of the Community and Mi...
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