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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.D. Discussion of Railroad Quiet ZonepwtA s. A SHAKOPEE TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Mark McNeill, City Administrator DATE: 04/29/2014 SUBJECT: Discussion of Railroad Quiet Zone Introduction For Council to give a preliminary indication of interest in pursuing a railroad 'Quiet Zone' (QZ). Background Councilor Mike Luce has asked for time on the April 29th Workshop Agenda to report his preliminary findings of what it would take to establish a QZ in Shakopee. On April 10th, the Railroad Safety Committee (Councilors Luce and Lehman) and Public Works Director Bruce Loney met with Tammy Wagner, Regional Crossing and Trespasser Manager of the Federal Railroad Administration, and Jim Wetherhead of MNDOT to discuss what it would take to allow trains to travel through Shakopee without sounding their horns. Currently, the Union Pacific and all other railroads are governed by provisions of the US Department of Transportation regarding audible notifications at railroad crossings, unless otherwise exempted through a QZ designation. At the April 10th meeting, those in attendance discussed requirements, and also traveled the length of the Union Pacific line to Shakopee looking at crossings. A memo summarizing the notes from Councilor Luce about that meeting are attached to this document. Councilor Luce will discuss, and will ask the Council to give some indication as to whether it is open to making an investment to study the possible solutions further, and whether it would be willing to consider the potential closing of some at -grade crossings in order to qualify for the QZ designation. Action Required For Council to discuss, and give feedback as to its level of support for a railroad quiet zone through Shakopee. Attachments: CITY OF SHAKOPEE Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Mike Luce, Council Member SUBJECT: Notes from April 10th FRA /MNDOT Meeting DATE: April 25, 2014 Comment: Councilor Matt Lehman and I met on Thursday, April 10th, with Tammy Wagner of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Jim Weatherhead of MNDOT, and Bruce Loney. These are notes that I took: • We were given advice on the pros and cons for a railroad quiet zone from the FRA • Under the most favorable circumstances, with approval from the FRA and a signed agreement with the Union Pacific, the minimum construction time would be just under two years. • There is a score sheet to qualify for a Quiet Zone. The City will likely need to close at least two crossings in order to qualify for the Quiet Zone. Ms. Wagner noted that closed crossings are the ultimate safety feature. • The railroad normally assists financially when crossings are closed. However, if the speed stays at the existing 10 miles per hour, the railroad has no reason to assist in other costs. The railroad will likely be requesting a speed increase; if the speed goes to 30 miles per hour, the FRA may require a fence along 2nd Avenue. • State law requires railroads to fence all of the rail lines. The City should be concerned about the type of fence that would be placed —chain link is common. Safety is a concern; the fence could become a trap if someone tries to walk across the tracks. Fences also create problems from the collection of debris, and in snow removal. The fence will need to be placed along the street curb in order to provide for clearance for the trains. It cannot be closer than 12 feet to the tracks; with the tracks going down the middle of 2nd Avenue, it will be tight. • The number of crossings involved in the Quiet Zone will need to be determined. Potentially, it would be all crossings from Apgar west of Rahr Malting, to County Road 83. Some of the existing crossings are equipped with the proper electronics, which will lower the costs. Some crossings will need upgrades that could cost as much as $250,000 per crossing. Each crossing arm is approximately $45,000; four of those arms will be need per crossing. East -west traffic on 2nd Avenue could be disrupted by center medians on the cross streets. • The City will need to involve a qualified consultant and traffic counts will need to be conducted. Traffic scenarios will also need to be studied -- closing street crossings will change traffic patterns, which will change traffic counts. The traffic counts are used to evaluate crossings by the FRA. Crossing characteristics will determine what the FRA will mandate for safety improvements at each crossing. • The FRA will have the final say regarding the establishment of quiet zones. • Train traffic through Shakopee is increased by three trains per day in each of the last three years. It is estimated that an average of 15 trains per day will be seen in the next 20 years, about one train every 13/4 hours, all day and night. After considering all of the issues which were discussed at the meeting, we will need to consider who would gain more — Shakopee with the Quiet Zone, or the railroad being able to increase its current 10 mile per hour speed limit, which right now adds to its operational costs. We should open talks with the railroad, and negotiate something that is mutually beneficial. MM/ML:en Mike Luce City Councilor