Terminal Subdivision – Crossing Closures

• Bonner Street, Parker Street, Roy Street, and Thompson Street
• Bringhurst Street
• Burnett Street
• Colorado Street, Henderson Street, Johnson Street, and Sabine Street
• Gregg Street and Hailey Street
• Liberty Road
• Sherwin Street
• West Street

*Public benefit could only be estimated for crossing closures which would be rerouted to a grade separated crossing. However, all crossing closures produce a public benefit of improved safety.

Bonner Street, Parker Street, Roy Street, and Thompson Street

Bonner Street, Parker Street, Roy Street, and Thompson Street are each currently two lane roadways that cross the UPRR Terminal Subdivision south of I-10 in Houston. Approximately 300 vehicles cross the railroad daily at each of these locations. These four roadways provide access to and from Washington Avenue for the residential, commercial, and industrial areas to the north of the Terminal Subdivision. Closing these crossings would increase the travel distance to access Washington Avenue by less than one mile.

Due to the closures of Bonner Street and Thompson Street, traffic would be rerouted west on Schuler Street and south on Patterson Street to reach Washington Avenue. Due to the closure of Parker Street, traffic would be rerouted west on Schuler and south on Durham Drive to travel to Washington Avenue from Parker Street. Due to the closure of Roy Street, traffic would be rerouted east on Allen Street, south on Durham Drive, and west on Schuler Street to travel from I-10 to Washington Avenue via Roy Street.

Environmental Constraints

The environmental constraints located in the vicinity of these streets include residential and commercial properties and a fire station located north of I-10. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties will not be required since no new construction is required.

Cost

The crossing closures are each estimated to cost $50,000. The estimated public benefit could not be calculated for the closure of Bonner, Parker, Roy, and Thompson Streets because traffic would be required to reroute to other at-grade crossings; however, the closures would produce a safety benefit for the traveling public.

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Bringhurst Street

Bringhurst Street is currently a two lane roadway that crosses the UPRR Terminal Subdivision east of US 59 and north of I-10 in Houston. Approximately 300 vehicles cross the railroad at this location daily. According to collision data received from the H-GAC Traffic Safety Program and the FRA, one crash occurred at the Bringhurst Street crossing between 1990 and 2003. Bringhurst Street provides access for residents north of the railroad to and from schools south of the Terminal Subdivision.

Bringhurst Street is identified to be closed and provided with a pedestrian bridge at the intersection with the UPRR Terminal Subdivision. The proposed pedestrian bridge would overpass the railroad and separate pedestrian traffic from the railroad, thereby reducing public safety hazards associated with the existing at-grade crossing.

Environmental Constraints
Some of the environmental constraints located in the vicinity of Bringhurst Street are residential properties, churches, schools, and a fire station. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent residential properties should be minimal, if required at all, since the pedestrian bridge should be able to be constructed within the existing right-of-way of Bringhurst Street.

Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via the existing roadway network. Traffic may be rerouted to the west along either Lyons Avenue or Liberty Road toward US 59 which overpasses the railroad.

Cost

The crossing closure at Bringhurst Street is estimated to cost $50,000, while the pedestrian bridge is estimated at $400,000. The estimated public benefit calculated for the closure of Bringhurst Street is $380,000, which is 84 percent of the estimated cost to implement the closure and pedestrian bridge.

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Burnett Street

Burnett Street is currently a two lane roadway that crosses the UPRR Terminal Subdivision north of I-10 and east of I-45 in Houston. Accommodating approximately 300 daily vehicles, Burnett Street provides access to and from residential and industrial areas to the north of the Terminal Subdivision.

Closing the crossing would increase the travel distance to access these residences and businesses from Main Street by less than one-half mile. The vehicular traffic along Burnett Street could be rerouted to cross the railroad at Main Street.

Environmental Constraints
The environmental constraints identified in the vicinity of this street consist of transmission lines and adjacent industrial properties. Right-of-way acquisition of adjacent properties will not be required since no new construction is required.

Cost

The crossing closure is estimated to cost $50,000. The estimated public benefit could not be calculated for the closure of Burnett Street since traffic would be rerouted to another at-grade crossing; however, the closure would produce a safety benefit for the traveling public.

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Colorado Street, Henderson Street, Johnson Street, and Sabine Street

Colorado, Henderson, Johnson, and Sabine Streets are each north-south running roadways that cross the Terminal Subdivision north of I-10 and west of I-45 in Houston. According to collision data received from the H-GAC and the FRA, one crash occurred at the Henderson Street, and two crashes have occurred at the Johnson Street crossing between 1990 and 2003.

Colorado Street and Johnson Street are each currently two-lane roadways north of the railroad and a four-lane roadways south of the railroad that provide access to and from residential and industrial areas. Closing the crossings would increase the travel distance to access these residences by less than one-half mile. Approximately 300 vehicles cross the railroad at both Colorado and Johnson Streets daily. Traffic could be redirected east on Shearne Street, south on Houston Street to overpass the railroad, and west on Edwards Street to access the other side of Colorado Street.

Henderson Street is a two lane roadway that provides access to and from industrial areas along the roadway, at which approximately 3,100 vehicles per day cross the railroad. Closing the Henderson Street crossing would increase the travel distance to access these businesses by less than one-half mile, as traffic could be rerouted west on Summer Street and south on Sawyer Street.

Sabine Street is currently a two-lane roadway north of the railroad and a four-lane roadway south of the railroad that provides access to and from residential and industrial areas. Approximately 300 vehicles cross the railroad at Colorado Street daily. Closing the crossing would increase the travel distance to access these residences by less than one-half mile. Traffic could be redirected west on Summer Street, south on Silver Street, and east on Bingham Street to access the other side of Sabine Street.

Environmental Constraints
Some of the environmental constraints located in the vicinity of Colorado, Henderson, Johnson, and Sabine Streets are commercial and industrial properties, churches, schools, and fire stations. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties will not be required since no new construction is required.

Cost

The crossing closures are each estimated to cost $50,000. The estimated public benefit calculated for the closure of Colorado Street is 380,000, 84 percent of the estimated cost to implement the crossing closure. The estimated public benefit calculated for the closure of Johnson Street is $80,000, which is 60 percent greater than the estimated cost to implement the crossing closure. The estimated public benefit could not be calculated for the  Henderson Street and Sabine Street since traffic would be rerouted to other at-grade crossings; however, the closures would produce a safety benefit for the traveling public.

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Gregg Street and Hailey Street

Gregg Street and Hailey Street are each currently two lane roadways that cross the UPRR Terminal Subdivision east of US 59 and north of I-10 in Houston. Approximately 5,300 vehicles per day cross the railroad at Gregg Street, which provides access for residents north of the railroad to and from schools south of the Terminal Subdivision. Approximately 280 vehicles cross the railroad at Hailey Street daily, which is directly adjacent to Gregg Street. Closing the crossings would increase the travel distance to the schools by approximately two miles. However, pedestrian access across the railroad is maintained via a proposed pedestrian bridge located at Bringhurst Street, approximately 500 feet east of Gregg Street.

Due to the closures of Gregg Street and Hailey Street, traffic may be redirected west on Liberty Road or Lyons Avenue toward the US 59 overpass in order to cross the railroad. Delays to fire response from the station south of the Terminal Subdivision may occur for residents north of the tracks.

Environmental Constraints

Some of the environmental constraints located in the vicinity of Gregg Street and Hailey Street are residential properties, churches, schools, and a fire station. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties will not be required since no new construction is required.

Cost

The crossing closures are each estimated to cost $50,000. The estimated public benefit calculated for the closure of Gregg Street is $6,000,000, which is approximately 120 times greater than the estimated cost to implement the crossing closure. The estimated public benefit calculated for the closure of Hailey Street is $370,000, which is over seven times greater than the estimated cost to implement the crossing closure.

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Liberty Road

Liberty Road is currently a two lane roadway that crosses the UPRR Terminal Subdivision in northeast Houston and provides access to businesses east of the Terminal Subdivision from Loop 610. Closing the crossing would increase the travel distance to access these businesses from Liberty Road by approximately two miles. Approximately 300 vehicles cross the railroad at Liberty Road daily.

Environmental Constraints

The environmental constraints identified in the vicinity of this street consist of adjacent industrial properties and a leaking petroleum storage tank. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties will not be required since no new construction is required.

Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via the existing roadway network. Traffic could be rerouted from the Liberty Road crossing to Mesa Drive, which is the adjacent roadway to the east that underpasses the railroad.

Cost

The crossing closure is estimated to cost $50,000. The estimated public benefit calculated for the closure of Liberty Road is $190,000, which is over three times greater than the estimated cost to implement the crossing closure.

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Sherwin Street

Sherwin Street is currently a one-lane entrance ramp to the I-10 frontage road that crosses the UPRR Terminal Subdivision north of I-10 and east of Loop 610 West in Houston. Approximately 300 vehicles cross the railroad at Sherwin Street daily. According to collision data received from H-GAC Traffic Safety Program and the FRA, one crash has occurred at the Sherwin Street crossing between 1990 and 2003.

Closing the crossing would increase the travel distance from the residential properties north of the UPRR Terminal Subdivision to access I-10 by approximately one mile.

Environmental Constraints

The environmental constraints identified in the vicinity of this street include adjacent industrial and residential properties. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties will not be required since no new construction is required.

Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via the existing roadway network. Traffic could be rerouted east on Larkin Street, south on TC Jester Boulevard, and west onto the I-10 westbound entrance ramp to reach the freeway.

Cost

The crossing closure is estimated to cost $50,000. The estimated public benefit calculated for the closure of Sherwin Street is $170,000, which is over three times greater than the estimated cost to implement the crossing closure.

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West Street

West Street is currently a two lane roadway that crosses both the UPRR Terminal Subdivision and the UPRR West Belt Subdivision north of I-10 and west of US 59 in Houston. West Street provides local access to and from residential and commercial areas around the railroads. Approximately 300 vehicles cross the railroad at this location daily.

According to collision data received from the H-GAC and the FRA, one crash occurred at the West Street crossing between 1990 and 2003. West Street is identified to be closed and provided with a pedestrian bridge at the intersection with the railroad. The proposed pedestrian bridge would overpass the railroad and separate pedestrian traffic from the UPRR Terminal Subdivision, thereby reducing public safety hazards associated with the existing at-grade crossing.

Environmental Constraints

Constraints located in the vicinity of West Street include residential and industrial properties, churches, schools, and fire stations. Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via the existing roadway network. Traffic may be rerouted to the east along Mills Street, south on Jensen Drive, and west on Lyons Avenue to cross the UPRR Terminal Subdivision.

Cost

The crossing closure at West Street is estimated to cost $50,000, while the pedestrian bridge is estimated at $400,000. The estimated public benefit could not be calculated for the closure of West Street since traffic would be rerouted to other at-grade crossings; however, the closure would produce a safety benefit for the traveling public as well as pedestrians.

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Identified Improvements

• Overview
• Grade Separations
• Crossing Closures
• Rail Capacity Enhancements