Oct. 26, 2026 ยท 6 min read
130 railroad crossings are under review. Some could close.
The state is studying 130 railroad crossings around Sioux Falls, and some could close. The first open house is Wednesday, and comments are open through Nov. 30.
If you live in Sioux Falls, you've probably sat at a railroad crossing and watched a train roll by. Maybe you've taken the long way around one.
The state is now taking a close look at all of them. The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) is studying 130 public railroad crossings in Sioux Falls, Brandon, Crooks and Harrisburg. Some could get safety upgrades. Some could close.
The first open house is Wednesday. Here's what to know before you go.
What the study is
The goal is to make crossings safer and keep traffic moving. A federal grant from the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program pays for it.
SDDOT leads the study. Its partners include the cities of Sioux Falls, Brandon, Crooks and Harrisburg, SECOG and the Sioux Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the BNSF and Ellis & Eastern railroads. HR Green, an engineering firm, is doing the work.
What it isn't: the study won't move any rail lines, and it won't lead straight to construction. It will rank what should happen first, so the state and cities can go after funding.
Why now
Every train in the area is a freight train. When trains and traffic meet, things can go wrong.
From 2016 through 2025, there were 23 crashes involving trains in the study area. Two were deadly: a pedestrian at 8th Street and North Weber Avenue in Sioux Falls in 2024, and a driver at 274th Street in Harrisburg in 2022. There were also 75 more crashes at crossings that didn't involve a train.
How we got here
This study isn't the first time Sioux Falls has rethought the tracks downtown.
- The rail yard moved. In 2015, the City bought about 10 acres of BNSF's downtown rail yard. BNSF built new tracks at another site, finishing in 2018, and the old yard became land for redevelopment.
- The push to quiet the horns. By federal rule, trains blow their horns at every crossing, which means near-constant noise downtown. The City has worked on "quiet zones" for years, and by 2022 it had hired a consultant to plan them with BNSF.
- This year's crossing work. The $1.6 million Downtown Whistle Reduction Project upgraded the crossings along Weber Avenue at 6th, 8th and 3rd Streets with new gates, signals and medians. 8th and Weber, where the 2024 pedestrian crash happened, closed for the summer. 3rd and Weber reopened Oct. 20.
What's left is BNSF's signal equipment, expected later this year. Then the City can ask for a quiet zone. Trains could still sound horns in an emergency.
So the new study builds on work already done downtown, and looks at the rest of the region.
What could change
The study will look at three ways to "eliminate" a crossing:
- Close the road at the tracks, usually with a dead end or cul-de-sac. This is the most common.
- Remove the tracks where they're no longer needed. The study notes tracks are already planned for removal as part of redevelopment around Falls Park.
- Build a bridge or underpass so cars and trains never meet. This is the safest and the most expensive.
Where closing a crossing doesn't make sense, other fixes are on the table: gates, medians, better lights and signs, signals timed with the crossing, and message signs that warn drivers a train is coming.
The team says it will weigh safety, traffic, emergency access, effects on homes and businesses, and the environment. And it wants to hear from you.
Six places they're looking at first
No crossings have been picked for closure. But the team named six areas that show the kinds of problems it wants to solve.
- Foundation Park, near Crooks. New industry and distribution centers mean more traffic at rural crossings.
- Cliff Avenue by Avera McKennan. Two crossings close together on a busy road. Hospital staff cross the tracks to get to parking.
- Rice Street and Holly Boulevard. A busy route between Sioux Falls and Brandon, with train delays and a switch yard.
- The All Saints neighborhood, south of 12th Street. Several crossings close together on residential streets. The study says a few could close with little effect on travel, but it could affect nearby properties.
- 60th Street North near Minnesota Avenue. Earlier studies suggested a bridge or underpass here.
- Rural crossings, like 274th Street in Harrisburg and 255th Street near Renner. Some with low traffic and a good detour could close.
Map drawn by Rising Together from the study's materials and U.S. Census Bureau data. Locations are approximate.
Tell them about your crossing
Go to the open house. Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5 to 7 p.m., at City Center, 231 N. Dakota Ave. It's a drop-in open house, so come when you can.
Can't make it? A recorded presentation, the display boards and a handout are on the study website.
Comment by Monday, Nov. 30. Take the online survey and interactive map, where you can pin a specific crossing and say what happens there.
Not sure what to say? Think about the crossings you use:
- Is there one where you've seen a close call?
- Is there one that's always blocked, or backs up traffic?
- If one closed, how would it change your drive, your walk or your bike ride?
Questions? SDDOT's contact is Katrina Burckhard, 605-773-6641. HR Green's public engagement lead is Graham Huckins, 605-221-2680.
What's next
A second open house is planned for February or March 2027, with draft recommendations in the spring and a final report in summer 2027.
This is the same agency asking about the 10th and 11th Street viaducts, which cross some of these same tracks. If you care about how people get around the east side of downtown, both are worth your time this week.
It's always been our city, and now is our moment. Let's rise together.
Sources
- Sioux Falls Railroad Corridor Analysis and Crossing Safety Study, SDDOT, including the Open House #1 presentation, display boards and handout, October 2026
- City to Begin Downtown Rail Crossing Work May 26, City of Sioux Falls, May 21, 2026
- Street Construction Updates & Closures, City of Sioux Falls, Oct. 21, 2026
- Rail Yard Redevelopment Project, City of Sioux Falls
- Train whistles could go largely silent downtown, Pigeon605, Feb. 9, 2022
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