This past Thursday, Goshen city officials, along with Ian Colgan of Development Concepts Inc., unveiled various a la carte options to improve the narrow 14-block stretch between Jefferson Street and College Avenue known as the Ninth Street Corridor. The area consists both of residential neighborhoods and industrial manufacturing plants. It is dissected by the Marion Branch of the Norfolk Southern Railroad that runs north-south along Ninth Street.
Once a hub of industry on the south end of town, the stretch along the tracks has deteriorated over the years into more of a community eyesore than the bustling community resource it once was.
The proposed improvements include, a new Ninth Street roadway, a screen barrier between the tracks and street, bike paths, lighting and an imposed “quiet zone” for trains. A “quiet zone,” would prohibit trains from using their horns in the area. Instead, crossing/warning gates would be installed at 11 different intersections throughout the stretch.
If all the improvements were made, the total cost would be about $14 million to upgrade the corridor. However, this is not an all-or-nothing deal and different aspects can be either implemented or forgotten. It’s this newspaper’s opinion that a responsible investment into the corridor is a worthwhile endeavor. Still, we’re not ready to push all our chips to the center of the table.
The main concern we have is the cost of the so-called “quiet zone.” Based on the report compiled by Development Concepts, the cost of such an action could reach $8.9 million, easily the costliest aspect of the plan. But it’s not just the cost we’re concerned with. Because the tracks curve sharply just before Lincoln Avenue, a couple blocks north of the corridor, trains move very slowly along the Marion Branch. Therefore, we doubt there is a need for gates at every intersection.
Sure, it would be ideal to eliminate the sound of train horns, but gates, in this case, could be more of a hindrance to traffic flow that is already an acknowledged problem for the city. And with trains moving at just a few miles per hour we worry that drivers would feel inclined to drive around the gates, which we all know is illegal. We feel a “quiet zone” should be tied-into a broader transportation plan that would include an over/underpass to alleviate traffic snarls at either Madison or Lincoln. But we’re miles away from that scenario.
Other than that, it’s hard for us to find significant fault in what we feel would be a worthwhile course of action for this community.
Opinion
Related Photos
-
A train heads south Sunday on the Marion Line as it crosses Reynolds Street at Ninth Street. Roger Schneider | The Goshen News
Ninth Street Corridor in need of most upgrades
- Opinion
-
-
13 turnarounds we can admire
Before trustees of Goshen Community Schools met this past Monday night, a reception was held to honor 13 deserving students. They weren’t valedictorians or salutatorians. They weren’t class presidents or all-state student-athletes.
-
Recognition as bicycle-friendly city appreciated
Goshen is in the second year of its four-year designation by the League of American Bicyclists as a bike-friendly community. We congratulate city planners and bicycle advocates for this continuing recognition.
-
A message that all children need to hear
Gayla Konanz is giving girls the message they need to hear — fitness begins early in life and is the foundation that self-esteem and confidence are built on.
Konanz is a fitness advocate for children and works through the Girls on the Run program. The Goshen News told readers in the May 2 edition how Konanz is working with girls at Bristol Elementary School and is encouraging them to get fit and stay fit. -
We’re No. 12, and No. 1,268! Way to go GHS
This has become a popular space for singing the praises of our local school corporations in recent years. That’s because we believe in the quality work and effort our educators and students are putting forth on a daily basis in and out of the classroom.
-
Bill Bloss was a superb servant
Bill Bloss, a man who was always willing to step up and help his hometown of Goshen, died Wednesday. We know that everyone who had met Mr. Bloss and got to know him, will miss him plenty.
-
Voters and candidates deserve a 'thank you'
In light of Tuesday’s primary election, we’d like to take a moment and thank two groups of people.
-
A portrait of success this past Friday
Goshen’s First Fridays has garnered its fair share of headlines since March when the City Council began considering ordinance amendments geared toward youth attending the monthly festival.
-
Time not always on public’s side
One candidate was asked whether or not he was a socialist. Others discussed funding priorities, and even braved the tricky topic of where Goshen’s “south link road” should or shouldn’t go.
-
Good news in local education
Public schools — especially diverse urban districts — often get a bad rap by those who choose to look through the narrow telescope of standardized test scores. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Standardized tests are a wonderful tool for educators, but not the end-all, be-all of gauging achievement and effectiveness.
-
Gang 'talk' is what we need
Business owners see the evidence on their store fronts. Teachers see it sitting in their classrooms. Police officers see it in their daily reports. Graffiti. Clothing. Violence. While the term “gang” can conjure images of crusty inner-city slums, it is not a term that is lost any longer here in Elkhart County.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
13 turnarounds we can admire
Astrodome Fades As Houston Decides Fate
Egyptians Vote in Historic Presidential Election
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Joplin Marches to 'Remember' Tornado Victims
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
Cuba Waiting for Cyber Age to Come
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
Sheriff: DNA Links Suspect to Missing CA Teen
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
