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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13.C.1. Cost Participation of Railroad Crossing Improvements in the City of Shakopee /"!J.e.l. CITY OF SHAKOPEE Memorandum TO: Mayor & City Council Mark McNeill, City Administrator FROM: Bruce Loney, Public Works Director SUBJECT: Consider Cost Participation of Railroad Crossing Improvements in the City of Shakopee DATE: March 2, 2010 INTRODUCTION: The City of Shakopee staff has been approached by the Union Pacific Railroad staff on a proposed railroad crossing improvement project in the City of Shakopee. This agenda item will ask the City Council if they wish to participate in the improvement costs on the crossings BACKGROUND: The Union Pacific Railroad runs through the City of Shakopee, mainly on 2nd Avenue, from Marschall Road to Rahr Malting and extends all the way out to Stagecoach Road on the eastern side of the City. There are approximately sixteen public crossings in the City of Shakopee, in which two of those are County road crossings at Marschall Road and C.R. 83. The railroad has indicated that they would like to improve eleven crossings in the City of Shakopee, which are listed on the attached e-mail from Tom Foxen of the Union Pacific Railroad. Seven of those crossings are in the City right-of-way, in which the City granted the railroad an easement and four of those crossings are in the Union Pacific's railroad right-of-way. The main question for the crossing improvement project is whether the City would like to install concrete crossings versus timber plank crossings which were installed on Lewis Street. The intersections that are proposed to be improved are as follows: Atwood Street, Fuller Street, Holmes Street, Lewis Street, Spencer Street, Market Street, Minnesota Street, Sarazin Street, Shenandoah Drive, Valley Park Drive and Stagecoach Road. The Railroad will also be improving the crossings at CR 83 and CR 17 and will coordinate that work with the county. The Union Pacific proposal is that the railroad would do all the improvements of the crossing and is asking the City to participate in the upgrade of the crossing material from timber to concrete, which is estimated to be approximately $1,500.00 per 8 foot panel. Based on the eleven city crossings to be done, the total length of crossing material for the project is estimated to be 792 lineal feet or 99 panels. At $1,500.00 a panel, the cost to do the crossings in concrete is $148,500.00. This estimate is to be the highest cost scenario and staff is negotiating with Union Pacific on if the city should participate in the Sarazin Street and Valley Park Drive crossings which are concrete already and were paid by the city earlier. Of the crossings to be done, six of these streets are State Aid streets and the cost to do these crossings would be approximately $75,000.00 and State Aid funds can be used. The remaining cost can be funded by the Capital Improvement Fund and this cost would be approximately $73,500.00. The City's Public Works Department would be involved in this project and would also be in charge of traffic control and restoration of the area adjacent to the improved crossing. Tentatively, the railroad has agreed that the restoration costs and traffic control costs in the seven(7) crossings, within City right-of-way, would be a railroad cost and the City would be reimbursed by an agreement with the railroad. The four crossings outside of the City's right-of-way, the restoration and traffic control costs would be the City's cost as those crossings are in Union Pacific right of way. The question for City Council is whether or not they wish to participate in a crossing upgrade for the eleven crossings mentioned. The railroad standard crossing material is timber plank which was put in on Lewis Street last year. Concrete planks for Railroad crossings are better for higher speed roads, truck traffic and aesthetics. If Council gives direction to staff to move forward on this, funding would come out of the Capital Improvement Fund and State Aid Fund with formal agreements to be prepared by the Union Pacific Railroad for each crossing and later presented to City Council for formal approval. Budget Impact: In the 2010 Budget, the City's Public Works Department did not budget any money for this improvement project, which became known to City staff approximately January 5, 2010. It is proposed that the improved crossing material costs could come out of the Capital Improvement Fund/State Aid Fund with the estimated cost for eleven crossings is approximately $148,500.00. The costs for staff to restore the street area and traffic control for each crossing is approximately $4,000.00 per crossing, which is mostly staff time with some materials and a future budget amendment may be needed to cover the costs done by staff or a contractor. The railroad is estimating that it can do one crossing per week, and would begin, probably in April ALTERNATIVES: The City Council can direct staff to proceed with concrete on none, some or all of the crossings: 1. Approve a motion to direct staff to participate in the railroad crossing improvement project, in which the City would pay for the additional costs for concrete plank crossings. 2. Approve a motion to direct staff to participate in the railroad crossing improvement project and at certain crossings as determined by council, in which the City would pay for the additional costs for concrete plank crossings. 3. Deny the motion to participate in the railroad crossing improvement project. 4. Table for additional information. RECOMMENDATION: Based on past comments by the City Council, in which timber planks were not very favorable in the downtown area, staff would recommend Alternative No. 1 in which all crossings would have improved concrete material and the City would participate in the upgraded material cost. The City's Public Works Department would also participate in the restoration of the street area and traffic control and would be reimbursed by an agreement with the railroad for the crossings in theCity's right of way. Funding for the improved crossings would be from the State Aid fund at $75,000.00 and the Capital improvement Fund at $73,500.00. Formal agreements will be prepared and brought back to Council in the future. ACTION REOUESTED: Approve a motion to direct staff to participate in the railroad crossing improvement project and at which crossings to participate in for the additional costs of concrete plank crossings with funding from the State Aid fund and Capital Improvement fund. ~QE' Public s Director ENGR/2010-PROJECTS/2010-COUNCI./RAILROAD-CROSSING-IMPROVEMENTS Bruce Loney From: TFOXEN@up.com Sent: Thursday, February 25,20103:56 PM To: Bruce Loney Cc: RICHARDELLlSON@UP.COM; JNVENICE@UP.COM Subject: RE: Crossings throw Shakopee. Attachments: pic18580.gif Bruce, Sorry for the Delay These are the crossings we will do this year. Stagecoach 2-40 ft Crossings Valley Park Drive 1-64 ft. Crossings Canterbury Drive - 58 ft. County Road Shenandoah Drive - 56 ft. Crossing Sarazin - 48 ft. Concrete will be reused when we lay rail Northern Lumber 32 ft. crossing Marschall - 96 ft. County Road Minnesota - 40 ft Crossing Market - 56 ft Crossing Spencer - 48 ft. Crossing Lewis - 88 ft. Wood Now replace with 9 ft Concrete Holmes - 88 ft Crossing Fuller - 88 ft. Crossing Atwood - 88 ft Crossing Tom Foxen Mgr. Track Projects Saint Paul. MN Office 651-552-3940 Cell:651-260-6581 Fax: 402-997-4185 E-Mail- tfoxen@up.com _. . ~+ ,om; - .~ lN3Vill1Vd30 ONI~33NION3 33dOlNHS -~ dVl'l 3S~\fl S:i!(Jf!UOclfl ONISSOUJ E!E[d0)][V]H[S ,ooo~ = .~ Hl~ 'AS NMV!lO (Jf!OU7If!U 7f!I..LN:i!..LOcl r::.. i Sd\tV'l ll\tV'lS OWZ 83; ~a ll\i HJS~\i V'J i . w > <{ :r: f- '<t ".:t" -oj ,OOOl =.l llV~S UOl 133HS "poo."'"",- @ S~NISSOI:IO oc- ,DOS -.1 3~"V' rooz 3NO' '3iVO ON"SOllOOVO."'.- . 0"01:11'''1:1 '31vos mo '!os NMVHO ON3931 SN I '^3~ /-...... o GORM~ ~ <C . en 1-0" ena:z ~J:Cii .0(1) ~I-<Co .. OenOn: :COO I- o r-- "lS 410L = > W en -I .,ft -Ia:- <coz >~Cii ~a:en ('I)<cO tOQ.a: a: 0 o O\to~ i).~ -c ~ , , i H\tOON\tN3HS zen ~ . ~~ .a: Oz OOen - a::I: ~en -I<C~ ~~ wO~ oa: ~~~ 00 en<co ~za: z<co -J: ~en > +1 ~+!. ~ . l I