Item C: Railroad Quiet Zone Update

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4-quadrant gates $ 400,000 - $ 500,000 each Crossing closure $ 15,000 - $ 20,000 Medians $ 15,000 - $ 20,000 One-way conversion $ 60,000 - $ 100,000 Four-quadrant gates are the preferred SSM at High Street, which has the highest FRA Risk Index number. It is difficult to show calculated QZ feasibility in the corridor without addressing the High Street crossing. Due to the crossing geometry and intersection with Fifth Avenue, the High Street quad gate is estimated at $500,000. Madison and Lincoln are the best candidates for street closure. Because of the impacts to business driveways and street intersections Lawrence and Van Buren are the best candidates for median treatment. Washington and Jefferson offer the best potential for one-way conversion. Quiet Zone Process Since the new rule went into effect, 22 new Quiet Zones have been established nationally. FRA is aware of Notice of Intent for five others. Prior to the rule, there were about 220 pre-existing Quiet Zones in 29 states. Wisconsin has 64, including three new zones. Missouri has 36, including one new zone. There are three, pre-rule, whistle-free zones in Oregon: Pendleton, the Dalles and Umatilla. Five Oregon jurisdictions have seriously discussed new QZs with the ODOT Rail section and only one (Klamath Falls) is proceeding. ODOT Rail staff believes the cost of the required safety improvements discourages jurisdictions from pursuing a QZ. Nationally, various funding strategies have been used, including assessments to adjoining and benefited properties, special business taxes or surcharges and local general funds. Federal and State Rail Safety Initiatives The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an initiative to improve safety at the nation’s railroad crossings. The Secretary of Transportation, in a June 2004 Action Plan, called for the elimination of 25% of all at-grade crossings. An excerpt from that Action Plan is included as Attachment B. Projected growth in rail freight traffic and increasing efforts at improving rail crossing safety will result in increasing federal and ODOT Rail pressure on the City to close unnecessary, redundant or hazardous crossings. This initiative resulted in ODOT recently requesting the City agree to the closing of two unused crossings. Funding to accomplish crossing closure and improvements to consolidated crossings is provided by Federal Section 130 funds, administered by the ODOT Rail Section. Section 130 funds cannot be used for the purpose of making crossings improvements to establish a Quiet Zone. The ODOT program guidelines for active crossings state that half the crossings in a corridor must be closed in order to qualify for ODOT funding for improvements to the remaining crossings. Recent discussions with ODOT indicate a willingness to negotiate with the City to fund safety improvements to some corridor crossings in exchange for closure of less than half of the crossings in the corridor. According to ODOT and FRA sources, the decreased risk represented by crossing closure and ODOT safety improvements can be used as credit toward a QZ. The area containing six crossings in six blocks (Lincoln, Lawrence, Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe streets) has been specifically mentioned as having “redundant” crossings. ODOT Rail would like to see four of the six crossings closed. The city has no current established process for closing streets at railroad crossings. Attachment C discusses the prioritization and potential for closing specific crossings in the corridor. Madison and Lincoln are the most likely candidate streets for closure, followed by Jefferson. Even if the council chooses to not proceed with crossing closure, ODOT Rail Section can still push for future crossing closures based on the safety history or redundancy analysis. L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060626\S060626C.doc