8.3. SR 07-07-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City of Elk=' Request for Action River To Item Number Mayor and City Council 8.3 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by General Business July 7, 2014 Justin Femrite, P.E., City Engineer Item Description Reviewed by Consider Quiet Zone Options Cal Portner, City Administrator Reviewed by Action Requested Approve,by motion, option relating to the Quiet Zone project along the BNSF rail corridor. Background/Discussion At the September 3, 2013, meeting, Council authorized staff to work toward the implementation of a quiet zone along the BNSF corridor throughout Elk River. Safety measures were selected in order to lower the overall corridor risk index and qualify for a quiet zone. The improvements included installation of a wayside horn system at Proctor Road, and supplemental safety measures (channelization devises/raised medians) at 1715`Avenue, 165`''Avenue and Jarvis Street.Also included were pedestrian safety measures at all crossings. The accident at the Jackson Avenue crossing on February 18, 2014, has increased the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) assigned risk index of this crossing. This increased risk will require additional safety upgrades at Jackson Avenue in order for our project to qualify for a quiet zone. Options to be considered by the Council include: 1. Expanding scope of project to include installation of a 4-quadrant gate system at Jackson Avenue 2. Postpone work on the quiet zone to study the potential closing of the Jackson Avenue crossing. 3. Suspend work on the quiet zone and gauge public interest in pursuing a more costly project. Financial Impact Option 1 will increase the cost of the quiet zone project by$850,000. This, combined with the existing $500,000 included in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP),would bring the project estimate to $1,350,000. Option 2 will include a traffic study at an estimated cost of$15,000. This study would evaluate the feasibility of closing the crossing and all expected traffic changes. Option 3 would come at no cost. If the ultimate decision is the project is too costly to move forward,the $500,000 budgeted in the CIP would be available for other projects. Attachments ■ Capital Improvement Plan Project Worksheet Page 26 P a w E A E U s r NaA f RE]