The building of a pedestrian sky bridge next to Milby High School was demanded by Houston Mayor John Whitmire after a train killed a 15-year-old student there on Monday.
Whitmire stated, “It’s got to stop,” at the city council meeting on Wednesday. “It s just preventable.”
According to him, Houston Public Works calculated the project’s cost to be $6.5 million.
The city is plagued by problematic train crossings. Milby is in city council member Joaquin Martinez’s district. According to Martinez, his office found 35 “critical crossings” in the Houston area. In order to increase the visibility of approaching trains, he advocated for infrastructural upgrades such as grade separation and informative campaigns.
“We work hard to raise community awareness of the risks posed by these trains. Even if you’re only traveling one or two miles per hour, it’s still risky,” Martinez stated. “As somebody that grew up in the East End, I recognize what the trains do for our communities, whether it is employment or industry, but at some point, Union Pacific as well needs to bear some of that responsibility.”
The mayor and council members cited Waltrip High School and McReynolds Middle School as additional instances of schools with train crossings close by.
“My constituents, specifically with McReynolds Middle School, brought this to my attention early in my term and said this is going to happen,” Mario Castillo, a council member, said. “A child is going to lose their life with the trains, and it s very unfortunate that it has come to pass.”
A Houston ISD official stated during a press conference on Tuesday that the Milby administration considers train delays when determining its attendance policy. The district’s efforts to educate pupils about the risks of crossing crowded railroad tracks were not mentioned by the spokesman.
“I just hope that the schools will take the responsibility as well,” Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, a council member, stated. “If it means a general assembly, whatever it needs, it can t just go away.”
Council member Julian Ramirez urged Union Pacific “to be a better neighbor,” pointing to the problematic crossings and the cancer cluster in the Fifth Ward railyard.
“I hope they re listening, and I hope they take this seriously, and I hope they ll contribute to the construction of these overpasses that are desperately needed,” Ramirez stated.
A request for response from Houston Public Media regarding Whitmire and council members’ remarks was not immediately answered by Union Pacific. In a statement released on Tuesday, the business stated it was “investigating the incident and cooperating with the community.”
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
