In Texas, the Tyler City Council has authorized the Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to enter into an agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. to create a railroad crossing analysis and inventory for each rail line in Smith County.

The Railroad Inventory and Analysis project intends to create an inventory of the Smith County rail network as well as a database of the degree of activity on each rail line, a local CBS report said. 

In addition, each street intersection with a rail line will be examined in order to develop a prioritized list of intersection upgrades. The City of Tyler will pay the study’s initial costs but will be fully reimbursed for $150,000 through the MPO’s grant, the report said. 

The initiative will also develop standard operating procedures for local governments to utilize as a reference for involving the railroad in planning and maintenance operations, according to the City of Tyler. 

The MPO’s approved FY 2022-2023 Unified Planning Work Program calls for a consultant to create a Railroad Inventory and Analysis. Because the City of Tyler serves as the MPO’s fiscal agent, the MPO follows the City of Tyler’s financial processes, which require contracts above $50,000 to be approved by the Tyler City Council.

Tyler Metropolitan Area MPO is in charge of transportation planning in Tyler, Hideaway, Lindale, New Chapel Hill, Noonday, Whitehouse, and Bullard.