Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

 

TO:

Mike Wildgen, City Manager

 

FROM:

Jonathan Douglass, Management Assistant

 

CC:

Debbie Van Saun, Dave Corliss, Chuck Soules, Terese Gorman, David Woosley, Mark Bradford, Ron Olin, Craig Weinaug, Rick Gammill, Joni Appleman, Jeanette Kroeger, Adrian Derousseau, Ted Boyle, Al Cathcart, Howard Gillespie, Mike Benjamin

 

Date:

October 6, 2005

 

RE:

North Lawrence Train Horn Quiet Zone

 

 

 

Background

 

Normally, trains must sound their horns 15-20 seconds prior to arrival at a public road-rail grade crossing, but not more than 1/4 mile in advance of the crossing.  On June 24, 2005, the final version of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Train Horn Rule became effective, allowing for the establishment of quiet zones where sounding of the train horn is not required.  City staff has researched the feasibility of establishing a quiet zone in North Lawrence which would be comprised of the railroad crossings at 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th Streets. 

 

Requirements for Establishment of a Quiet Zone      

 

Every crossing within a quiet zone must be equipped with a minimum of flashing lights and gates which control traffic over the crossing.  Supplementary Safety Measures (SSMs) may also be required, depending on the calculated risk level of the crossings.  The FRA provides an online Quiet Zone Calculator which allows public authorities to calculate the risk level of their proposed quiet zones and determine what improvements are necessary to lower the risk to an acceptable level.

 

Each crossing in the proposed North Lawrence Quiet Zone is already equipped with flashing lights and gates, with the exception of one of the two 3rd Street crossings and the pedestrian crossing at 4th Street.  The 3rd Street crossing in question is for the set of tracks that run alongside the grain elevator and end just short of the Union Pacific Depot parking lot on Locust Street (see aerial photo).  This crossing would be exempt from the requirement to sound train horns as long as the speed of trains does not exceed 15 mph and the railroad uses flaggers to alert drivers when a train is approaching.  The pedestrian crossing at 4th Street (see aerial photo) would need to be permanently closed.  The North Lawrence Improvement Association has expressed its support for the closing of this crossing.

 

With only the current safety measures in place, the risk level is too high to establish a quiet zone.  The risk level of the proposed quiet zone corridor can be lowered most effectively by addressing the highest-risk crossings: 3rd Street and 7th Street (see aerial photos of the 3rd Street and 7th Street crossings).  Installing Supplementary Safety Measures at those two crossings lowers the risk level of the corridor to an acceptable level for creating the quiet zone.  The installation of non-traversable medians and necessary road improvements at an approximate cost of $40,000 would, we believe, accomplish this requirement.  (See attached screen shots of the FRA’s Quiet Zone Calculator for more details of the risk calculations.)  Per FRA rules, the medians would have to extend 100 feet from the gate arms in both directions from the crossing.  Where there is an intersection within 100 feet of the crossing, the medians would have to extend at least 60 feet from the gate arms.  

 

Steps to Establish a Quiet Zone

 

The City of Lawrence, as the public authority responsible for traffic control and law enforcement at the vehicle and pedestrian crossings of the railroad tracks, may establish a quiet zone consistent with FRA requirements.  Because the 9th Street crossing is outside city limits (see aerial photo), cooperation with Douglas County is necessary.  The County may designate the City of Lawrence as the filing authority, or the City and County can jointly take the necessary steps to establish the quiet zone.  No physical improvements are necessary at the 9th Street crossing. 

 

The City must provide written notification of its intent to create a quiet zone to Union Pacific Railroad Company and to KDOT.  After allowing for a sixty day comment period and completing the installation of the SSMs, the City must provide notice of the establishment of the quiet zone to the same parties as before and also to the FRA.  The notice of establishment shall include the date upon which routine sounding of the train horn shall cease.

 

The FRA will perform an annual risk review comparing the Quiet Zone Risk Index to the Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold.  If the Quiet Zone Risk Index is higher, then the City will have six months to increase safety and avoid the termination of the quiet zone.  Also, between 2 ½ and 3 years after the establishment of the quiet zone, the City must affirm in writing to the FRA that all Supplementary Safety Measures implemented in the quiet zone continue to conform to FRA requirements.  The City has the option of terminating the quiet zone at any time.     

 

Action Requested

 

Receive report.  Provide direction to staff concerning implementation of quiet zone.