TxDOT is hosting an informational meeting/open house/public hearing tonight (Nov 21) in the Wellborn Middle School cafeteria from 5-7:30 pm

From TxDOT:

Attendees will be able to come and go as they please to review project displays and ask questions of TxDOT staff in an open house format before a formal hearing presentation, which begins at 6 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to present the proposed project and receive public comment. On the day of the hearing, the information presented will be made available online on this webpage.

The proposed project would widen FM 2154 from the existing two-lane roadway with a center turn lane to a four-lane roadway, two lanes in each direction, separated by a raised median with dedicated left turn lanes at selected intersections. Additional improvements include a traffic signal at the intersection with McCullough Road, a curb and gutter, and a shared-use path along the east side of the roadway. The proposed project is approximately 2.7 miles long.

Any environmental documentation or studies, maps and drawings showing the project location and design, tentative construction schedules, and other information regarding the proposed project are on file and available for inspection by appointment Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at TxDOT Bryan District Office, 2591 North Earl Rudder Freeway, Bryan, Texas 77803, 979-778-9231. This information will also be available at the meeting.

I imagine they are planning on McCullough connecting through to Brewster (from looking at Google maps). Thats the only reason I can see for a light there.

Something needs to be done because of the # of accidents happening, but closing the South Dowling Xing and aligning Royder and Koppe Bridge would solve almost everything.

CS78 said:

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And how much will the shared use path cost that will never get used and just sit there growing weeds in the cracks? It would be cheaper to pay for an Uber for the five people a month that will use it.

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Well, after they said they have visions and dreams of Wellborn developing a "Salado" type of feel, i guess you have to start building sidewalks

EriktheRed said:

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TxDOT is hosting an informational meeting/open house/public hearing tonight (Nov 21) in the Wellborn Middle School cafeteria from 5-7:30 pm

From TxDOT:

Attendees will be able to come and go as they please to review project displays and ask questions of TxDOT staff in an open house format before a formal hearing presentation, which begins at 6 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to present the proposed project and receive public comment. On the day of the hearing, the information presented will be made available online on this webpage.

The proposed project would widen FM 2154 from the existing two-lane roadway with a center turn lane to a four-lane roadway, two lanes in each direction, separated by a raised median with dedicated left turn lanes at selected intersections. Additional improvements include a traffic signal at the intersection with McCullough Road, a curb and gutter, and a shared-use path along the east side of the roadway. The proposed project is approximately 2.7 miles long.

Any environmental documentation or studies, maps and drawings showing the project location and design, tentative construction schedules, and other information regarding the proposed project are on file and available for inspection by appointment Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at TxDOT Bryan District Office, 2591 North Earl Rudder Freeway, Bryan, Texas 77803, 979-778-9231. This information will also be available at the meeting.

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They need to cut an underpass at Rock Prairie.

CS78 said:

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Wont someone please make the bad traffic engineering nightmare go away.

There is literally zero traffic on McCullough. The road goes nowhere. It's a dead end. A redlight will obviously be for gas station access. I love that gas station but why do they get special access when other businesses have been devastated? And is it worth adding another stinking redlight to one of our only north/ south corridors?

And how much will the shared use path cost that will never get used and just sit there growing weeds in the cracks? It would be cheaper to pay for an Uber for the five people a month that will use it.

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There have been a number of wrecks in front of that convenience store. The light will help that if people would exit out the side and use McCullough.

They won't.

If the people that want to turn left out of that convenience store would have been using McCullough all along it would have reduced the number of wrecks.

Impatient geniuses that turn left out of that parking lot or are waiting to turn left into that parking lot are the problem. They go when they should wait.

They better not interrupt business at the diner.

The updated plans include left turns into the AC Store and the landscaping place

LOYAL AG said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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How about finally closing South Dowling at the tracks and making Koppe Bridge and Royder connect and have a crossing there?

That will cut out a bunch of accidents.

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That's beyond the city's control unfortunately. Union Pacific has to be part of that decision and implementation and we all know it could take the rest of our lives for that to happen.

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Surely the city and county started that ball rolling before Royder got extended to Wellborn Rd. Right? They planned ahead?

maroon barchetta said:

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Surely the city and county started that ball rolling before Royder got extended to Wellborn Rd. Right? They planned ahead?

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I can tell you that I met with the city concerning the intersection of Barron and Capstone. I was told we couldn't do what we wanted to at that location because they were about to make Barron intersect directly with Capstone. That meeting was 10-11 years ago.

CS78 said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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Surely the city and county started that ball rolling before Royder got extended to Wellborn Rd. Right? They planned ahead?

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I can tell you that I met with the city concerning the intersection of Barron and Capstone. I was told we couldn't do what we wanted to at that location because they were about to make Barron intersect directly with Capstone. That meeting was 10-11 years ago.

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The first public meeting we attended was about this time of year in 2016. Steve Aldrich had just won his first term as Pct 1 Commissioner but had not yet been installed. He fairly well dominated the meeting as an attendee. The city was trying to decide if they should re-route Barron to meet the existing Capstone or reconfigure Capstone to meet the existing Barron intersection with Wellborn. Some guys who bought Red's old place behind the existing frat house wanted it to go next to their property (option 1). That would have gone through 2 or 3 existing homesites. A later meeting revealed the city decided on option 2.

Are these plans online anywhere? Can someone post a link?

FM 2154 (Wellborn Road) widening

Thanks!

CS78 said:

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And how much will the shared use path cost that will never get used and just sit there growing weeds in the cracks? It would be cheaper to pay for an Uber for the five people a month that will use it.

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It'll get used way more than the shared use paths on both sides of the proposed East loop!

The only way the plans make sense is if they connect Royder to Koppe Bridge, especially since neither Victoria or S. Dowling allow full turns.

Also unrelated, I know they talked about LoTrack doing something similar but what they should've done some years back was to utilize Old Wellborn to make FM 2154 into some sort of Aggieland version of MoPac Expressway, with three lanes on each side of the railroad, and overpasses where it mattered.

There were some improvements to these plans from what they had in 2021. The light at McCullough isnt one of them unless they actually have the activation of its signal phasing setup worth a damn. The light activation at Royder is terrible. 4 new lights between 2818 and greens prairie in the past 6 years, this project would add 2 more.

There are plans for both the barron/capstone intersection and Royder/Koppebridge. It would make sense to do them at the same time as this project. That isn't likely to happen because planning is bad and it is government work.

Was our newly elected County Commissioner at the meeting?

I bet the proposed light at McCullough gets moved to Madison since the Royder thing ain't happening anytime soon.

oldag76 said:

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Was our newly elected County Commissioner at the meeting?

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He was not.

But Aldrich was there.

LOYAL AG said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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How about finally closing South Dowling at the tracks and making Koppe Bridge and Royder connect and have a crossing there?

That will cut out a bunch of accidents.

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That's beyond the city's control unfortunately. Union Pacific has to be part of that decision and implementation and we all know it could take the rest of our lives for that to happen.

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Surely the city and county started that ball rolling before Royder got extended to Wellborn Rd. Right? They planned ahead?

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They may have and they may be actively working on it but by all accounts Union Pacific is a worse community partner than the federal government. My only point is if that's the city's plan and other plans are being implemented then we have to be willing to accept that UP is the problem with that particular intersection.

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The state should tell the railroad what they are going to do and if the RR objects, do it under the charge of eminent domain as they do with stealing other private person's property.

woodiewood said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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How about finally closing South Dowling at the tracks and making Koppe Bridge and Royder connect and have a crossing there?

That will cut out a bunch of accidents.

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That's beyond the city's control unfortunately. Union Pacific has to be part of that decision and implementation and we all know it could take the rest of our lives for that to happen.

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Surely the city and county started that ball rolling before Royder got extended to Wellborn Rd. Right? They planned ahead?

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They may have and they may be actively working on it but by all accounts Union Pacific is a worse community partner than the federal government. My only point is if that's the city's plan and other plans are being implemented then we have to be willing to accept that UP is the problem with that particular intersection.

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The state should tell the railroad what they are going to do and if the RR objects, do it under the charge of eminent domain as they do with stealing other private person's property.

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Sadly, it's pretty much impossible to bully railroads and tell them what to do

maroon barchetta said:

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How about finally closing South Dowling at the tracks and making Koppe Bridge and Royder connect and have a crossing there?

That will cut out a bunch of accidents.

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The railroad has ultimate authority on crossings and the hold up is with them, I'm told. I think there's a lot of agreement with you.

Respectfully

Yancy

maroon barchetta said:

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Ask again.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Push our elected state and federal representatives to also ask UP about the situation.

Andy Dufresne got the prison library by sending two letters per day, not by waiting around.

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Union Pacific now requires that, for every one new crossing, three must be eliminated. Somehow this rule is apparently inviolable. All parties are trying to plan the best for the west side.

If money weren't an object, a grade separation would go in at Barron Capstone and help the math. The efforts continue to find the best path forward. Yes it's been very slow.

I don't send two letters a day, but I send about 20 emails on a myriad of issues. Outspokenness is not a trait I lack, or is a malady I suffer from, depending upon who you ask. :-)

We soldier on.

Respectfully,

Yancy

When did that crossing rule come about?

They closed Wade and Straub to get Greens Prairie

maroon barchetta said:

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When did that crossing rule come about?

They closed Wade and Straub to get Greens Prairie

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Not sure exactly when and can't get answer after hours. It was 1 for 1, then became 1 new for two removed. Now it's 1 for 3. I've been researching for source authority and can't find it, but haven't done a deep enough dive yet.

Regardless, the way we are growing and the unbelievable traffic volumes, probably best to do grade separations wherever and whenever possible, which is apparently what they are trying to incentivize.

Some big decisions have to be made about West / Southwest side. Some beautiful properties and great potential there, but it's developed a bit awkwardly. Access out there to move vehicles east/west looks like a critical issue to me. My $.02

Respectfully

Yancy

Great potential

Developed awkwardly

Translation: we need 17 more Meadow Creek developments over there because rooftops

A grade separation at Greens Prairie and Wellborn was proposed at the public meeting at the Brazos Center way back when all that was going on.

Andrew somebody, the UP spokesman, had said that Straub and Wade closing was a safety issue as much as it was a "we need longer stretches of track for parking trains" issue. Because one trailer hauling a dozer had been high-centered there and got hit by a train, and some drunk college kids had turned onto the tracks and gotten stuck, and there was one other instance of a vehicle getting on the tracks and getting struck by a train.

Judge Peters had gotten the UP memo and parroted what Andrew said and claimed it was all about safety, but when it was suggested that a grade separation would also be all about safety, suddenly it was about money, not safety.

Andrew said it would be $10 million or more to do that. I'm sure it's much more costly today. Barron and Capstone would be an ideal place for a grade separation. It could probably be done without moving anybody except that frat house, which is fine by me.

Close Butte and make a road for them that goes to South Dowling or Capstone or I&GN.

Bob Yancy said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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When did that crossing rule come about?

They closed Wade and Straub to get Greens Prairie

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Not sure exactly when and can't get answer after hours. It was 1 for 1, then became 1 new for two removed. Now it's 1 for 3. I've been researching for source authority and can't find it, but haven't done a deep enough dive yet.

Regardless, the way we are growing and the unbelievable traffic volumes, probably best to do grade separations wherever and whenever possible, which is apparently what they are trying to incentivize.

Some big decisions have to be made about West / Southwest side. Some beautiful properties and great potential there, but it's developed a bit awkwardly. Access out there to move vehicles east/west looks like a critical issue to me. My $.02

Respectfully

Yancy

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That part of town definitely needs serious consideration for traffic. The South Dowling/Wellborn intersection needs to be closed, it's just dangerous. When you live on that side of the tracks the first thing you teach your kids when they learn to drive is to NOT go that way when they're driving to school. It's either a left at the light at Greens Prairie or a left or right at Capstone depending on which school.

The biggest concern we don't hear mentioned often is emergency vehicles. We lived in River Place until recently and there were countless times when we couldn't get across the tracks due to a train keeping pace with us from campus all the way to Greens Prairie. We had countless more times where to get across the tracks I would exceed the speed limit from Capstone to Greens Prairie so I could beat the train. Imagine that being an ambulance. A grade separation at Greens Prairie would have made a lot of sense.