|
<br />Me Larsen explained. that the Risk index level involves the Avcrage Daily Tnrffic (AUf), the
<br />nmnber of trains, an.;;! the width and alignment of the rail and ahp seems to lean heavily rm
<br />"crash" history.
<br />:tvIayor Piercy ::;ohdted a first round. of coundl comments and o.uestion~,
<br />Mr. Papt eon1pHmented staiTand City T\.tanager 'f;:rylor 11;51' the. excellent background n:uOlkri.<tb
<br />and voil::ed hope that the public cou.k! be mad;::: aware e,flle,w cmnplex and ,~osHy it would be for
<br />Eugene to irnplement a quiet ;>:one.He YOl<;t:d support for ilniher exploration of ch}i;ing some
<br />c.rossing:.,. as a possible soiution,
<br />In response to (p..lei;tinn from~.fr. .rapt:, .Me Larscn !'eplied that the propoSitI for the lwspitaI
<br />v((mld turn Patterson i.nto .an undt:f crossing and the Agate crossing vlouJd become redunilimt and
<br />most prob;;ibly dos,;, City Manager Taylor noted that th;::: University of Oregon Board of Trustees
<br />and Riverfront Research Park w{:1'c stakeholders in that p"p;~jed and. have a contrary prdi;;:rcncc t{l
<br />that crossing; themf(xe, addition.al engineering would need. to ensue,
<br />r4s, Ortiz spoke to thc cost thr such a pwiect and joined Mr. Papt in supporting resC'.dTch on the
<br />j.rossibihty of closi.ng somc crossingi;; hmvever, she sugge;:,ted that the ndghb-;)fhood ussociatkrns
<br />be brought into the proo;::ss prior to any final. de-,;:.idom. In re,,;;ponsc t;) a qu~stion frorn Ms. Ortiz,
<br />lvkLarscJJ stated then:: \Nou1cl be some lOW costs as~~ociatcd with dosing crosi;ings, a::> they much
<br />less costly tlw.n instaWng qua.d gates, He spoke of the mohility con;;-em and the increased risk.
<br />(i.e., ;;:lo~.;jngMonroe Street i.\dOB additiona.l traffic to Madison Street); additkrnal1y, he rdtemted
<br />that the do:;:;;ure of two streets "vodd. W)t raise the Risk indtx level to the point n(.'Cd(ld. to gain a
<br />whistle-free zone hom Jdll:.Ti;on Street going we::;t. \'1r.Larsen reiterated that th,~ rules wew
<br />sp~itk in that a quid zone rnw.;t be one-half mile in kngth,
<br />In. response to a question fn:.,m.Ms, Ikttman, Me Larsen statoo he did not know \vhi.ch fundi.ng
<br />source could. he t.apped for such a proj~cL Ms. Bdtman noted that the City SpZ~l1t $250,fJOO on. <3-
<br />bkyde. lane \vhich has yet to be built and opined fundingwoul.d be aVi3-Uab.le for such a pr~kct if
<br />. the council. \"ished to nmke this p!'(~jed a high priority,
<br />Me Kclly com:menkd there was a re~d c.omrnunity de~:jre to respond tn the noisc horn thc train
<br />horns. In n:::i;!X)nSe tD a question from Mr. Kdly,MLLarsl.ln replied that the C'>HTt:nt gates were
<br />on railroad right-of-way and 'Nere therefore ma:intaincd by the railroad, Ht. said the FRA slates
<br />that any local jurisdict.ion which undertakes a quiet zonc ,"'>"odd pay the ,;::onslruction cosL., 01 the
<br />improvcments to the rail system an.d t.hc milroad would maintain the zone but would hkdy expect
<br />jnrlsdietiomno maintain anything OHT and above the current standa.rds, J\.:k Kelly sai.d that i.fthc
<br />project mo\''Cs forward, it shtmld be ai;certa.ined whether the FRA wordd be willing to enter into
<br />negutiations regarding tlY~se costs. He mqul..\<;ted th<)J st.aff tine..tnnc (.!)i;( estimates mu:l option~.; as
<br />well as id.entify available resources and consider il.Hlding .<dtenU!tivei; soch ai; the private ~.:;ect(}r.
<br />ML Kelly notcd that the FRA would be willing to measure curn..'rli levels to hring. the Risk lndex
<br />up..to--date for Eugene.
<br />Mf:lyor Pierey spoke. to t1K~ interim nodal diS'.;u.si;ions that were underway a.nd ~.,aid support czmld
<br />possibly come from ttmt m'etw. She tht:n mentioned the Ames, Iowa wayside hon1s and Mr.
<br />l.4ir::;en said that such device,,; ;:::ou.ld be &;n alternative safdy nlt:.<ts,>,u;::. He dabt}rated that the
<br />fedcral ruk'S stipulate th.at 'NB.yskk ho-ms could bcillstaUei.:l, even in quid umes; however, if the
<br />City Wi;:l'C to .atternpt to <.::Hkdate a reduction in the Risk Index, tht:ci\~ wouldb-e no reduction fi:tr
<br />MINUTES......fl..lgene City Council JUly 20, 2005 Page 4
<br />Work Sess.ion
<br /> .....................................-.-.........................--.
<br />
|