Union Pacific changes role of Brooklyn Train Yard
(The following story by Eric Norberg appeared on The Bee website on September 30, 2009.)
PORTLAND, Ore. — On August 28th, Union Pacific moved “Intermodal” traffic from the Albina Train Yard to the Brooklyn Yard, while transferring many train-building activities to the Albina location. Reportedly, the railroad had informed the Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association of this change, but for some reason had not informed SMILE, the neighborhood association for Westmoreland and Sellwood — and it is unclear whether any notification had been given to the Brooklyn Action Corps neighborhood association.
Union Pacific is subject to a half-century-old court order, recently modified, which limits certain noisy activities by the railroad during overnight hours, and some use of the rails south of Reedway Street. The parties to that order are ENA and SMILE.
What the new role of the Brooklyn Yard means for Inner Southeast neighbors is that there will be increased truck traffic to and from McLoughlin Boulevard — mostly from the north — entering and leaving the train yard on the west end of the Holgate Boulevard viaduct. But, as Kevin Downing, SMILE member, pointed out at the neighborhood association’s September 2 General Public Meeting, the upside is that this will also mean less train-coupling noise from the Brooklyn Yard, and less train storage south of Reedway Street.
“Intermodal” traffic involves the carrying of truck trailers, and large shipping containers, on special rail cars for long-distance transport. Trucks haul these to the rail yard, where they are offloaded onto rail cars using a large traveling crane — and then the unloaded trucks depart north under the viaduct, and exit back onto Holgate Boulevard westbound for McLoughlin.
Trucks arriving at the train yard to pick up trailers and shipping containers that have been brought in by train are to enter the yard at the same place on Holgate, but after loading are then routed south through the rail yard to S.E. Schiller Street, where they drive west to 17th, turn left, and then exit onto McLoughlin Boulevard, usually northbound.
Because of the resulting increased truck traffic trying to turn onto 17th at Schiller, Union Pacific has requested that ODOT place a traffic signal at that intersection, which is one block north of McLoughlin on 17th.
However, U.P. is also exploring an alternate method of exiting loaded trucks northbound onto McLoughlin. There is an existing curb-cut from the rail yard on McLoughlin between Harold and 18th, and the railroad is considering removing a fence and allowing loaded trucks to enter McLoughlin northbound from that point, which could ease the potential congestion problem at S.E. Schiller Street.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
