It’s been about a year and half since the City of Jefferson last closed one of the five remaining railroad crossings to establish a quiet zone.

City Administrator Mike Palmer says recent public comments to council members have made them revisit closing more of the crossings. Engineering firm Synder and Associates will handle the next step in restarting the process to close the last four intersections at Maple, Wilson, Grimmell and Cedar streets.

“They’re going to review the traffic counts and see how the traffic counts have changed at these different intersections. The whole point of building the overpass (bridge) was to channel more and more of the traffic onto the overpass and eventually start closing intersections.”

Pinet Street was the last intersection that the City closed in September of 2014. Permanent barricades were installed and both Union Pacific Railroad and the Department of Transportation paid over $22,000 to help close it. If the City decides to close them all for a quiet zone, Palmer points out that UP can still blow their horns through town, if there is anything on the tracks when a train is going through.

After traffic counts are analyzed, Palmer says the next step will be to hold a public meeting.