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<br /> <br />Last year’s presentation to the council did not emphasize crossing closure as an alternative. Closure is <br />contrary to recent City efforts to reopen closed streets and to revised connectivity standards in the City’s <br />development code. From the FRA and ODOT Rail standpoint, a closed crossing is the safest crossing. <br /> <br />Conversion to One-Way Streets <br />The FRA Quiet Zone rule is based on a calculation of the risk of crashes at crossings. The most <br />preventable crash is the driver weaving around the standard crossing gates. Conversion of the crossing <br />to one-way and using one or two gates on the approach side to close all lanes is considered to be more <br />effective at reducing risk than a quad gate on a two-way street. The cost is also significantly lower than <br />for quad gates. Conversion to one-way streets would fit into the existing street grid best at Washington <br />th <br />and Jefferson streets as they already form a one-way couplet from Sixth Avenue south to 13 Avenue. <br />Conversion of two-way streets into one-way streets is contrary to recent City projects that have <br />converted downtown one-way streets into two-way streets. The goal of changing two-way streets into <br />one-way streets is most clearly stated in the Central Area Transportation Study (CATS). <br /> <br />Enhancing Public Safety <br />Several SSMs are possible at most of the crossings in the corridor. There are multiple permutations of <br />treatments that result in lowering the Risk Index in the corridor to below the FRA minimum. <br />Attachment D lists several scenarios that meet the minimum FRA requirements for a Quiet Zone. A <br />more detailed analysis may result in changes in the calculated Risk Indexes. Scenarios with lower Risk <br />Indexes represent options that increase public safety above the level provided by train horns and are <br />more likely to be successful in obtaining a Quiet Zone. <br /> <br />Scenarios which include street closures and/or one-way conversion have lower cost than those that keep <br />all streets open and two-way. State administered funding for closures and consolidation is available <br />with the level negotiated based on the number and the impact of closures at existing crossings. <br /> <br />The minimum estimated cost for a QZ with all streets open and two-way is $1,040,000. Detailed plans <br />developed in the FRA process may increase the number of crossings needing SSM treatment and cost <br />could exceed $1,500,000 if additional quad gates are required. <br /> <br />Summary <br />The City can, by installing SSMs, establish a Railroad Quiet Zone, silencing routine crossing horns, but <br />not all horns. No state or federal funding is available for obtaining a Quiet Zone. Multiple scenarios of <br />SSMs can result in a Quiet Zone with varying construction and community costs. <br /> <br />State-administered federal funding is available for safety improvements to consolidated crossings when <br />redundant crossings are permanently closed. Reductions in the FRA Risk Index from crossing closure <br />and consolidation can be used in the Quiet Zone eligibility calculations. <br /> <br /> <br />RELATED CITY POLICIES <br />The CATS Study identifies a goal of converting many downtown one-way streets to two-way streets. <br />? <br /> <br />The Eugene Development Code and State Land Use Goals encourage street connectivity <br />? <br /> <br />In the Eugene Code 5.040, the duties of the City Manager or Designee include (1)(c) “Designate the <br />? <br /> <br /> direction of flow” and (1)(m) “Close or open any street to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. This does <br /> L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060626\S060626C.doc <br /> <br />