SCHERTZ, Texas – Schertz police say fewer trains are hitting trucks after the city added new warning signs and increased patrol presence at railroad crossings prone to crashes.
There have been 11 train crashes involving people or trucks in Schertz since 2022. Most of the incidents occur on Schertz Parkway and FM 78. The latest collision happened in June.
Schertz Police Chief Jim Lowery said the problem is often caused by truck drivers ignoring posted “no trucks” signs and using routes that are not meant for large rigs.
He said some drivers also are not using GPS systems designed for commercial truck routes.
After KSAT first reported on the issue in March, city leaders moved forward with additional safety measures.
Schertz has installed new signage and flashing lights to warn drivers about a low-grade crossing. The city also added large white signs that follow the U.S. Department of Transportation’s manual guidance, which provides drivers another warning before the tracks.
Officers have also been stopping truck drivers who do not follow the posted signs. Since the March report, Schertz police have issued 10 citations and around 25 warnings.
“Our preference would be self-compliance,” Lowery said. “The bigger issue is for safety, not just for the trucker, but for the community.”
Schertz city leaders are now trying to coordinate with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Union Pacific to repaint the road lines that tell drivers where to stop before the tracks. City officials said they cannot do that work without written permission, and receiving a response has been a challenge.
KSAT has reached out to both TxDOT and Union Pacific to ask what is causing the delay.
Here’s what TxDOT responded:
“TxDOT maintains a strong working relationship with the City of Schertz and regularly coordinates with city staff on transportation and traffic safety matters. We remain committed to working with our local partners to address concerns and identify appropriate solutions.
In general, TxDOT is responsible for maintaining and funding pavement markings and traffic control devices on state-maintained roadways, while the City of Schertz is responsible for work performed on city-maintained roadways.
Regarding questions about railroad crossing striping, TxDOT would need additional information about the specific request being referenced. At this time, we are not aware of a pending formal request from the City of Schertz related to this matter."
Union Pacific also provided a statement saying they haven’t heard from the city on this request either:
“Union Pacific has a process in place to seek approval for projects such as restriping that prioritizes the safety of all involved when the work is done near our tracks. Requests can be made through our Public Projects Contact Center
It typically takes about four weeks for our team to process. It does not appear - in our records - that the City of Schertz has sought approval for the restriping project.
State and local highway authorities are responsible for maintaining safety stripes and pavement markings on public roadways."
I followed up with the City of Schertz City Manager and here’s the statement they provided on this back and forth communication:
Our Streets department has been in communication with TxDOT regarding restriping the portions of the roadway that fall under their maintenance responsibilities. This is a collaborative effort between Schertz and TxDOT maintenance staff. As part of that process, coordination with Union Pacific is needed before work can occur within the railroad right-of-way.
Our streets staff has also attempted to contact Union Pacific directly but has not been successful. Thank you for sharing the Public Projects Contact Center information. I’ll pass it along to our Streets team and our TxDOT partners so they can determine whether it is the appropriate channel for this project and utilize it as needed.
The City remains committed to improving safety at these crossings and is working diligently to move the restriping project forward through the appropriate channels. While restriping is an important component of improving visibility, we also recognize additional measures will be needed to further enhance safety. Like I mentioned during our conversation, we are also exploring additional measures; including enhanced advance warning signage, technology-assisted warning signs, and ensuring mapping applications properly identify low-clearance crossings."
KSAT will continue to follow through on this