Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-0721 Study Session PacketCITY OF -AS H LAN D CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION AGENDA Wednesday, July 21,2004 at 12:00 p.m. Council Chambers, 1175 East Main Street 1. Update of Railroad Crossing Evaluation. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Administrator's office at (541) 488-6002 (TTY phone r,~umber 1-800-735-2900). Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title I). CITY OF -AS Ft LAN D Council Communication Title: Dept: Date: Submitted By: Approved By: Update on the Railroad Crossing Evaluation Public Works Department July 21, 2004- Study Session Paula Brown /7¢d~ - Gino Grimaldi Synopsis: Attached is the Final Report on the Railroad Crossing Evaluation. The status of the railroad crossings has been a Council goal for the past two years. Staff hired HDR to evaluate all of the crossings. This final report includes, a report on the current condition, an assessment of needed improvements and gives recommendations on prioritized improvements. Staff will update Council on this report and go over some of the options available for improvements and other future decisions with regard to current and prospective railroad crossings. Recommendation: This item is for Council discussion only and requires no formal action at this time. Fiscal Impact: The City's contract with HDR was for $15,000 to provide this initial assessment. Improvements to each of the nine railroad crossings will have a fairly significant fiscal impact to the City. Although the consultant'S estimates are likely a bit on the high end, improvements to all nine of the rail crossings will total anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000 per crossing (over $3M for all). There are very limited grant funds available for the improvements. The attached technical memorandum (HDR September 2003) provides a snapshot of funding sources. Staff will present the information, but will not ask for a decision to commit funds at this time. Background: Please see the attached Final Report and Technical Memorandum Attachments: 1) Map of the railroad crossings in Ashland 2) Railroad Crossing Evaluation Funding Opportunities, Technical Memorandum, HDR September 2003 3) Railroad Crossing Evaluation, Final Report, HDR February 2004 CC SS RR Crossing Eval 21Jul04 Page I of 1 ~land Evaluation rtunities Technical Memorandum City of Ashland Railroad Crossing Evaluation Funding Opportunities ~his memorandum addresses potential funding opportunities and strategies for ~implementing grade crossing improvements and/or cloSures within the City of Ashland. This memorandum also documents Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Central Oregon and Pacific (CORP) Railroad's plans for grade crossing improvements. Potential state/federal funding sources for Ashland's grade crossing improvements include: Sect. ion 130 Program The purpose of the Section 130 Program of the Highway Safety Act is to develop and implement safety improvements to reduce the number and severity of rail collisions with vehicles and pedestrians at highway-rail grade crossings. Most of the City of Ashland's crossings are clearly eligible, however, strict state priority criteria and limited funds would allow only a small portion of Ashland's crossing improvements to be funded from this source. City match to state/federal contribution may be required. - S-u~aCe Transportation program(STP) The STP provides flexible funding that may be used by states and localities for projects on any federal-aid highways. The STP offers funding specifically earmarked for grade crossings and the Transportation Enhancement program. City match to state/federal contribution would be required. Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program The primary purpose of the CMAQ program is to fund projects and programs that address congestion or air quality improvements. Under the Clean Air Act, the Ashland area is in moderate non-attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for carbon monoxide and particulate matter. To be eligible for CMAQ funds, the City would need to demonstrate how the projects improve air quality. City match to state/federal contribution, would be required. Oregon Transportation Investment Act (OTIA) III OT!A IH provides $2.5 billion £or improving Oregon's highways, roads, and bridges over the next l0 years. This program includes $500 million £or modernization projects. To the extent that Ash]and's grade crossing improvements improve traffic flow and safety, they may be eligible as a local OT!A_ !!! projeCt. Because statewide competing needs will drive the allocation o£ OT!^ [!! funds, the City o£ ^sh]and can increase the likelihood of obtaining OTIA III funding by leveraging/providing partial local[ funding. Several grade crossing improvements were previously funded through OTIA I and OTIA II. Technical Memorandum - Funding Opportunities · Pg 1 Regarding ODOT and CORP plans and funding, of the $2 million distributed to shortline railroads through the ODOT Rail program in 2003, CORP received approximately $300,000 for upgrade of the Coos Bay line, which were matched with capital funds from CORP. CORP does not currently have plans to upgrade the line through Ashland. Our recommended strategy for implementing grade crossing improvements would be to develop a single, phased corridor project to improve all grade crossings within the city. Treating the crossings as a corridor introduces a broader set of funding options including funding sources that would not be justified for improvements on a crossing-by-crossing basis. This was done successfully on grade crossing improvements in Salem, McMinnville, and Scappoose. Other elements of this approach may include: · Identify which crossings to upgrade and which, if any, to close. Package the first phase and apply for funding as an OTIA III Modernization project, since the project involves circulation parallel to Highway 99W and the highest priority routes with crossings are arterials or collectors. · Consider use of TSP Enhancement funding for multi-modal aspects of improvements. A potential phasing approach for the crossings in Ashland is attached. The proposed new 4th Avenue crossing at the rail yard could be included in Phase 2, coupled with the closure of Glenn Street, if deemed appropriate. Technical Memorandum- Funding Opportunities · Pg 2 Attachment Ashland Railroad Grade Crossing Improvement Corridor- Potential Phased Approach o°~'' ~ New crossing at 4~" or 6~ Street across the existing rail yard, coupled with CORP yard redevelopment in Medford, ~ could be programmed in this phase. Closing Glenn Street, i~ appropriate would o~set the new crossing. ~' ~..Z~ Technical Memorandum Funding Opportunities · Pg 3 CO -- .t February 2004 Prepared by: Employee Owned ~SHI~ND OREGON Railroad Crossing Evaluation FINAL REPORT ASH~ND OREGON ~citY6f~hland Railroad Crossing Evaluation Final Report Prepared for: City of Ashland -Public Works 20 East Main Street Ashland, OR-97520 Preparedby: HDR, Inc. 1001 SW 5~, Avenue, Suite 1800 Portland, OR 97204 In association with: Kittelson & Associates, Inc. 610 SW AlderStreet, Suite 700 Portland, OR 97205 February 2!004 0 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 3 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS SUMMARY ..................... ~ ................................. 5 2.1 Roadway Conditions ........................................................................................ 6 2.2 Railroad Conditions ......................................................................................... 7 · eeeeeeee ee eeee eeeeee eeoc · · ee ee ee e,! · eeoc 2.3 Community Services and Facilities ...................... 7 2.4 Existing Conditions Summaries for City of Ashland Grade Crossings .... 9 3.0 GRADE CROSSING IMPROVEMENT OPTIONS .................................... 18 3.] Grade Crossing Improvement Option Summaries ................................... !8 4.0 GRADE CROSSING RANKING .............................................................. 27 5.0 REFERENCES ........................................................................................ 29 APPENDIX 1 ....................................................................................................... 30 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report documents the existing conditions for at-grade railroad crossings of streets within the City of Ashland, Oregon. There are nine grade crossings in Ashland, shown on Figure 1 on the following page. All crossings are on a railroad corridor owned and operated by the Central Oregon and Pacific (CORP) Railroad. The purpose of this report is to provide information to the City of Ashland on the conditions of the existing grade crossings, provide conceptual improvements that would bring the crossings to accepted standards for actively protected public at-grade crossings. The crossings are ranked for improvement based on roadway, railroad, and community considerations. This information will provide a basis for further planning of grade crossing improvements in the City of Ashland. Final Report.- February 2004 Pg 3 ' NV~]Oi NVIAI.LHIDIM NIV. LNrIOIAI 'N 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS SUMMARY There are nine existing grade crossings in the City of Ashland as shown in Figure 1. These crossings, from north to south are: · Glenn Street · North Laurel StreeffWest Hershey Street · Helman Street · Oak Street · North Mountain Avenue · East Main Street · 'Wightman Street · Walker Avenue · Tolman Creek Road Final Report-. February 2004 Pg 5 HDR Engineering, Inc. (HDR) collected information on the existing conditions of these grade crossings through a field investigation and from the City of Ashland, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Rail Division, and the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP), and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Existing average daily traffic for each of the roadways with grade crossings was tabulated from historic, al traffic count data. Based on existing traffic and anticipated growth rates for the City of Ashland, future (2023) traffic volumes for the roadways with crossings were forecast by Kittelson & Associates (KAI).~. Existing roadway and railroad conditions at each crossing and the community services and facilities that use or are located near the crossings were factors used in ranking the crossing for improvement. The ranking is discussed in Section 4. 2.1 Roadway Conditions Table 1 below presents the existing roadway conditions for the Ashland grade crossings (grade crossings are listed from north to south). Table 1. Ashland Grade Crossing Roadway Conditions ?Oi6hn'~ffe~t .985'_ 1300 Yes 0.8 0:21 N;' LaUrel Street 1630 2200 Yes Yes - -- W: Hershey Street 2750 4900 Yes Yes BL 0.21 0.14 Helman. Street 1665 2600 Yes Yes 0.14 0.05 ~k:street 4415 7900 Yes Yes SL 0.1 0.7 N;'MountainAve 5730 .~00 Yes Yes SL, BL Yes 0.7 0.28 .E;Ma.i'nStreet 8015' 13800 Yes Yes BL Yes 0.28 0.13 wigti~an:Street 1015 1700 Yes Yes Yes 0.13 0.39 iWaikerStreet -4820. 7700 Yes Yes BL -Yes 0.39 0.6 ':,Iolnri~ri 'Creek' Rd '5645' 10000 Yes Yes BL Yes 0.4 1.2 Note:. BL = ~cycle lane; SL = shared lane 0.06 0.07 0.19 0.03 0.01 0.05 0.01 0.11 0.06 ~0.01 ~ Kittelson & Associates, Inc. Memorandum on Estimated 2023 Roadway Traffic Volume Forecast. From Chris Brehmer and Joe Bessman to Jennifer Ryan. June 4, 2003. Final Report- February 2004 Pg 6 0.06 0.05 0.11 0.07 0.09 0.15 0.03 0.09 0.25 0.02 2.2 Railroad Conditions Table 2 presents existing railroad conditions, including crossing protection. Table 2. Ashland Grade Crossing Railroad Conditions Glenn Street Stop Sign Poor 2 1 N. Laurel Street Poor 2 1 W. Hershey Street Stop Sign Poor 2 1 Helman Street Gate and Flashers North Poor 2 2 Oak Street Flashers Poor 2 2 N. Mountain Ave Flashers North Poor 2 2 E. Main Street Gate and Flashers poor 2 1 Wightman Street Stop Sign Poor 2 1 Walker Street Gate and Flashers Poor 2 1 Tolman Creek Road Gate and Flashers North Poor 2 1 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 2O 30 30 In general, track condition of the grade crossings through Ashland is poor. Six of the nine crossings have a single track across the roadway, while the rest of crossings have two tracks. Most of the crossings have active protection devices such as flashers and/or gates. Three crossings have only stop signs. Daily train frequencies in the rail corridor through Ashland crossings are two trains per day, and maximum train speeds are 20 to 30 miles per hour. CORP has not requested funds, from ODOT Rail Division for rehabilitation of the track through Ashland, which CORP considers to be in comparatively good shape compared to the rest of their facilities. Due to relatively light traffic volumes CORP does not foresee rehabilitation projects on the Ashland corridor in the next ten years. 2 ODOT Rail Division accident data indicates that there have been no recent accidents at the grade crossings in the City. FRA reported accidents at Glenn Street in 1992 and East Main Street in 1985; both occurred prior to CORP's acquisition of the rail line. CORP has expressed interest in upgrading the crossing surface from asphalt to concrete panels under their maintenance program if the City would provide funds for the work. 2.3 Community Services and Facilities Table 3 on the following page presents information on community services and facilities related to each of the grade crossings, such as whether the crossing is on a route to school, a life safety (emergency services) route, or existing or planned bus route. 2 Lovelady, Dan. Personal communication between Dan Lovelady, CORP General Manager and Jennifer Ryan, HDR. June 17, 2003. Final Report- February 2004 Pg 7 Table 3. Community Services and Facilities Glenn Street .... N. Laurel Street Yes Yes Yes Yes - W. Hershey Street Yes Yes Yes Yes - Helman Street Yes ~es - - - Oak Street Yes Yes Yes Yes - N. Mountain Ave Yes Yes Yes - E. Main Street Yes Yes Yes Yes - ' Wightman Street Yes - - Walker Street ·. Yes Yes Yes ~ Yes -= ~ TolmancreekRoad~ Yes Yes Yes Yes yes Detailed information on the existing conditions of each of the grade crossings is presented on the folloWing pages. Final Report- February 2004 Yes Yes - Yes Yes . Yes Yes Pg 8 2.4 Existing Conditions Summaries for City of Ashland,'** Grade Crossings GLENN STREET ODOT Crossing C-429.90, US DOT No. 756223F Glenn Street is an existing public grade.crossing across CORP's mainline single track. It is the northernmost grade crossing in the City of Ashland, with a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) classification of Collector and City of Ashland Transportation System Plan (TSP) designation of Avenue. The grade crossing has passive protection with a stop sign, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings, and no parking striping on the curbs on the approach quadrants. It is signed Glenn Street to the west of the tracks and Orange Street east of the tracks. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast for the sidewalk on the south side of no separate bike lanes or striping. Train speed is 20 mph on Class 2 track with poor sight distance for train operations headed south towards the crossing. Glenn St has the lowest average daily traffic (ADT) of all the crossings in Ashland with a current ADT of 985 and a forecast ADT in year 2023 of 1300. Looking east across the tracks Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor to the north due to the curvature of the tracks. The crossing is located in a residential neighborhood with single-family detached housing on the east side of the tracks and multifamily apartment/condominiums to the west. It is two blocks east of Highway 99 (North Main Street). Looking west across the tracks Final Report- February 2004 Pg 9 LAUREL AND HERSHEY STREETS ODOT Crossing C-429.69, US DOT No. 756221S The Laurel and Hershey Street grade crossing is an existing public grade crossing across the single mainline track of the CORP. It is in the northern section of the City of Ashland, with West Hershey designated as an Arterial under the FHWA classification and as an Avenue under the City of Ashland TSP designation. Laurel Street is classified as a Collector and designated as an Avenue. The grade crossing has passive protection with stop signs, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings, and no parking striping on the curbs on the approach quadrants. Laurel and Hershey intersect at the grade crossing with the tracks heading south from the northeast comer of the intersection to the southwest comer. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast for the sidewalks. Looking south along the tracks Train speed is 20 mph on Class 2 track with poor sight distance for train operations headed south towards the crossing due to vegetation along Laurel Street to the east. Immediately south of the grade · crossing is a wayside signal for train operations for Southbound bike lane on Hershey the siding track approaching the rail yard. Hershey Street has a 2003 ADT of 2750 and forecast 2023 ADT of 4900. Laurel Street has a 2003 ADT of 1630 and a forecast 2023 ADT of 2200. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor to the north due to the vegetation around the tracks. The crossing is located in a residential neighborhood with single family detached housing in three quadrants and rail accessible industrial property in the southeast quadrant. It is four blocks east of Highway 99 (North Main Street). Final Report- February 2004 Pg 10 HELMAN STREET ODOT Crossing C-429.55, US DOT No. 756219R The Helman Street grade crossing is an existing Public Grade Crossing across two tracks of the CORP. It is in the northern section of the City of Ashland, with Helman St designated as a Collector under the FHWA classification and as an Avenue under the City of Ashland TsP designations. The grade crossing has active crossing protection with flashing lights and gates, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast for the south sidewalk and concrete for the north sidewalk. Looking east and west across the tracks Train speed is 20 mph on Class 2 track with poor sight distance for train operations headed north towards the crossing due to track curvature. North of the grade crossing is a wayside signal 'for train operations, and the two tracks narrow to a single track just north of the industrial spur. Helman Street has a 2003 ADT of 1665 and forecast 2023 ADT of 2600. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor to the north due to the buildings around the tracks. The crossing is located in between a residential neighborhood on the west and a commercial/industrial area to the east. It is four blocks east of Highway 99 (North Main Street). North sidewalk crossing panels Double track crossing Final Report - February 2004 Pg 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OAK STREET ODOT Crossing C-429.30, US DOT No. 756217C The Oak Street grade crossing is an existing public grade crossing across two tracks of the CORP. It is in the northern section of the Railroad District in the City of Ashland, and is designated as an Arterial under the FHWA classification and as an Avenue under the City of Ashland TSP designations. The grade crossing has active crossing protection in the east approach quadrant with wigwags and a stop sign, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings. There is no active protection in the west approach quadrant. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast for the sidewalks. Looking west and east across the tracks Train speed is 20 mph on Class 2 track with poor sight distance for train operations headed north towards the crossing due to track curvature. South of the grade crossing is the rail yard and sidings. Oak Street has a 2003 ADT of 4415 and forecast 2023 ADT of 7900. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor due to the buildings around the tracks and the intersection of Van Ness which is less than 50' from the west side of the crossing. The crossing is located in between a mixed-use commercial/residential neighborhood on the west and a commercial/industrial area to the east. It is four blocks east of Highway 99 (North Main Street). Pedestrians using the roadway due to lack of adequate sidewalk facilities Truck movements from Industrial driveway next to crossing to Van Ness Final Report- February 2004 Pg 12 NORTH MOUNTAIN AVENUE ODOT Crossing C-428.70, US DOT No. 756418T The Mountain Avenue grade crossing is an existing public grade crossing across two tracks of the CORP. It is in the southern section of the Railroad District in the City of Ashland, with No~th MOuntain Avenue designated as an Arterial under the FHWA classification and as.an Avenue under the City of Ashland TSP designations. The grade crossing has active crossing protection gates and flashing lights, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with concrete panels for the sidewalks. Looking west and east across the tracks Train speed is 20 mph on Class 2 track. North of the grade crossing is the rail yard and sidings. Mountain Avenue has a 2003 ADT of 5730 and forecast 2023 ADT of 9900, which would give it the third highest ADT of the Ashland grade crossings. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor due to the buildings around the tracks and the steep approach from the east. The crossing is located in between a mixed-use commercial/residential neighborhood on the west and a residential area to the east. It is three blocks northeast of the traffic signal at East Main Street. Sidewalk panels being installed · on south side of crossing Bike path parallel to railroad tracks Final Report- February 2004 Pg 13 EAST MAIN STREET ODOT Crossing C-428.42, US DOT No. 756416E The East Main Street grade crossing is an existing public grade crossing across a single track of the CORP. It is just south of downtown Ashland. East Main Street is designated as an Arterial under the FHWA classification and as an Boulevard under the City of Ashland TSP designations. The grade crossing has active crossing protection gates and flashing lights, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast for the sidewalks. Looking west and east across the tracks Train speed is 20 mph on Class 2 track. North of the grade crossing a second siding joins the mainline track to the east. Main Street has a 2003 ADT of 8015 and forecast 2023 ADT of 13800, which is the highest ADT of the Ashland grade crossings. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor due to the buildings and vegetation around the tracks. California Street intersects with Main Street immediately next to the crossing in the SW quadrant: The crossing is located in between a mixed-use public facilities/residential on the west and a residential area to the east. It is three blocks northeast of the traffic signal at East Main Street and Mountain Avenue. Park in one quadrant with heavy pedestrian traffic along bike path Bike path along California Street Final Report- February 2004 Pg 14 WIGHTMAN STREET ODOT Crossing C-428.29; 756417L The Wightman Street grade crossing is an existing Public Grade Crossing across one track of the CORP. It is in the north central section of the City of Ashland. Wightman Street is designated as a Collector under the FHWA classification and as an Avenue under the City of Ashland TSP designations. The grade crossing has passive crossing protection with a stop sign. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast. Train speed is 20 mph on Class 2 track with poor sight distance for train operations headed north towards the crossing due to track curvature. Wightman Street has a 2003 ADT of 1015 and forecast 2023 ADT of 1700. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor to the north due to the close proximity of buildings and fencing around the tracks. The crossing ~ is located in between two residential neighborhoods on the east and west. It is four blocks east of Highway 99 (North Main Street). Final Report - February 2004 Pg 15 0 0 WALKER AVENUE ODOT Crossing C-427.90, US DOT No. 756415X The Walker Avenue grade crossing is an existing public grade crossing across a single track of the CORP. It is located south of downtown Ashland. East Main Street is designated as a Collector under the FHWA classification and as an Avenue under the City of Ashland TSP designations. The grade crossing has active crossing protection gates and flashing lights, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings and no parking striping on the approach curbs. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast for the sidewalks. Looking west and east across the tracks Train speed is 30 mph on Class 2 track. North of the grade crossing a second siding joins the mainline track to the east. Walker Avenue has a 2003 ADT of 4820 and forecast 2023 ADT of 7700, which is the fourth highest ADT of the Ashland grade crossings. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is fair from the east and poor from the west due to the buildings and vegetation around the tracks. Walker Elementary School is to the west of the crossing and Ashland Middle School is to the east, resulting in a highest ranking for Walker Avenue as a "route to school". Southern Oregon State University's ball fields are in the southwest quadrant. The crossing is located in between a school area on the west and a residential area to the east. It is three blocks south of the traffic signal at East Main Street and four blocks north of the signal at Ashland Street. Final Report - February 2004 Pg 16 TOLMAN CREEK ROAD ODOT Crossing C-426.90; 756412C The Tolman Creek Road grade crossing is an existing public grade crossing across one track of the CORP. It is in the northeast section of the City of Ashland. Tolman Creek Road is designated as a Collector under the FHWA classification and as an Avenue under the City of Ashland TSP designations. The grade crossing has active crossing protection with flashing lights and gates, crossbucks, advance warning sign and pavement markings. The crossing surfacing material is asphalt over ties with gravel/ballast for the south sidewalk and concrete for the north sidewalk. Train speed is 30 mph on Class 2 track with poor sight distance for train operations headed north towards the crossing due to track curvature. Tolman Creek Road has a 2003 ADT of 5645 and forecast 2023 ADT of 10000. Sight distance for vehicles approaching the crossing is poor to the south due to the vegetation and track curvature. The crossing is located in between a residential neighborhood on the west and a commercial/industrial area to the east. It is four blocks east of Highway 99 (North Main Street). Looking west and east across the tracks Final Report- February 2004 Pg 17 3.0 GRADE CROSSING IMPROVEMENT OPTIONS Options for improvement for each of the City of Ashland grade crossings is presented below. For each crossing, conceptual improvements that would bring each crossing into compliance with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and American Railroad Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA) standards for actively protected grade crossings are documented. The potential for closure of each crossing is discussed as well. 3.1 Grade Crossing Improvement Option Summaries Glenn Street Crossing Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with separate 6' bike lanes and ':~ ' 5' sidewalks with planting strip across railroad tracks. In order to meet AASHTO vertical curvature standards, the street will most likely need to be re-graded for several hundred feet on either side of the grade crossing with adjustments to the residential driveways. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for both the sidewalks and roadway, and active railroad signal protection with flashing lights and gates inter-tied with the adjacent grade crossing at Laurel and Hershey. Close Crossing. Close Glenn Street crossing with hammerhead on east side that incorporates a portion of private access road/driveway in the NE quadrant and hammerhead or cul-de-sac on the west side. Provide for Bike Path extension from Laurel and Hershey on the east side of the tracks to maintain connectivity on the east side with Lori Lane performing that function on the west side. Final Report- February 2004 Pg 18 Laurel and Hershey Street Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade all approaches to the crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with separate 6' bike lanes and 5' sidewalks with planting strip across railroad tracks. In order to meet AASHTO vertical curvature standards, the Laurel Street approaches will most likely need to be regr.aded for several hundred feet on either side of the grade crossing with adjustments to the residential driveways. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for both the sidewalks and roadway, and active railroad signal protection with flashing lights and gates intertied with the adjacent grade crossings at Glenn and Helman streets. Close Crossing. With Hershey being a transit route and the designated route to school access on Laurel and Hershey streets, this is not a good candidate for closure of the crossing Final Report- February 2004 Pg 19 Helman Street Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade both approaches :~ to the crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with :'~ separate 6' bike lanes and 5' sidewalks with planting strip across railroad tracks. In order to meet AASHTO vertical curvature standards, Helman will likely need to be regraded for several hundred feet on either side of the grade crossing with adjustments to the industrial driveways. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for roadway and the south sidewalk, and intertie of the existing railroad signals with the adjacent grade crossings at Laurel, Hershey and Oak streets. Close Crossing. With the rail accessible industrial property, the designated route to school access to Helman Elementary School, and the Creek to Crest Bike route on Helman Street it is not a good candidate for closure of the crossing. Final Report - February 2004 Pg 20 Oak Street Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade both approaches to the crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with separate 6' bike lanes and 5' sidewalks with planting strip across railroad tracks. In order to meet AASHTO vertical curvature standards, Oak Street and Van Ness may need to be regraded for several hundred feet on either side of the grade crossing. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for roadway and sidewalks, and upgrading the crossing protection signal equipment and intertie with the adjacent grade crossing at Helman Street. Close Crossing. With the rail accessible industrial property to the south; the high ADT and the connectivity issues with Oak Street being'the northern end of the Railroad District, it is not a good candidate for closure of the crossing. Final Report- February 2004 Pg 21 Mountain Avenue Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade both approaches to the crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with separate 6' bike lanes and 5' sidewalks with planting strip across railroad tracks. In order to .~-,~ meet AASHTO vertical curvature standards, Mountain Avenue may need to be regraded for several hundred feet on either side of the grade crossing, particularly to the east. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for roadway and the north sidewalks, and upgrading the existing signal equipment to inter-tie with the adjacent grade crossing at Main Street. Close Crossing. With the emergency response facilities to the to the southwest (police station and public works department), the high ADT and the connectivity issues with Mountain Avenue being the southern end of the Railroad District, it is not a good candidate for closure of the crossing. Final Report- February 2004 Pg 22 East Main Street Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade both approaches to the crossing to Boulevard standards per TSP with 5' sidewalks with planting strip and separate 6' bike lanes across railroad tracks. In order to mcct AASHTO vertical curvature standards, Mountain Avenue may nccd to bc rcgradcd for several hundred fcct on either side of thc grade crossing, particularly to thc east. A full upgrade wduld include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for roadway and sidewalks, and upgrading the existing signal equipment to intertie with the adjacent grade crossings at North Mountain Avenue and Walker Avenue. Sidewalks and bike lanes merge onto roadway at crossing Close Crossing. With the emergency response facilities to the to the west (fire and police stations and public works department), the high ADT and the route to school for several facilities, East Main Street is not a good candidate for closure of the crossing. Bike path looking northwest Final Report- February 2004 Pg 23 Wightman Street Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade the crossing from a passive to active signal protection system. Then upgrade both approaches to the crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with separate 6' bike lanes and 5' sidewalks with planting strip across railroad tracks. In order to meet AASHTO vertical curvature standards, Wightman will likely need to be regraded for several hundred feet on either side of the grade crossing with adjustments to the residential driveways. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for roadway and the sidewalks, and intertie of the existing railroad signals with the adjacent grade crossings at Main Street and Walker Avenue. Close Crossing. The low ADT, not being a school route and lack of active protection at the crossing make this crossing a good candidate for closure. Typically, pedestrian access would not be maintained if the crossing were closed. Final Report- February 2004 Pg 24 Walker Street Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Upgrade both approaches ~, to the crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with 5' sidewalks with planting strip and separate 6' bike lanes across railroad tracks. In order to meet AASHTO vertical curvature standards, Walker Avenue may need to be regraded for several hundred feet on either side of the grade crossing, particularly to the east. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for roadway and sidewalks, and upgrading the existing signal equipment to intertie with the adjacent grade crossings at East Main Street and Tolman Creek Road. Close Crossing. With the significant amount of pedestrian and bicycle traffic as a "route to school" and the high ADT, Walker Avenue is not a good candidate for closure of the crossing. Final Report - February 2004 Pg 25 Tolman Creek Road Improvement Options Upgrade Crossing. Sidewalk upgrades of the new curb and new sidewalk and the north should remain. Upgrade both approaches to the crossing to Avenue standards per TSP with separate 6' bike lanes and 5' sidewalks with planting strip across railroad tracks on south side. A full upgrade would include installation of concrete crossing panel surfacing for roadway and the south sidewalk. Close Crossing. The high ADT, the designated school route, and life safety route, it is not a good candidate for closure of the crossing. Final Report - February 2004 Pg 26 4.0 GRADE CROSSING RANKING The existing conditions were evaluated in order to rank the crossings for priority of improvement planning and eventual implementation. Key factors in this evaluation were: · What is the current and future average daily traffic (ADT)? · Is the crossing located on a route to a school? · Is the crossing on a life safety route-typically used by emergency services? · Is the crossing on an existing or potential future transit route? · Is the crossing located near a pedestrian generator, such as a civic/municipal facility or use, school, park, or community-scale retail location? Those crossings with relatively high current and future ADT and were also on routes to school, life safety routes, transit routes, and near pedestrian generators received the highest rankings. Table 4 below presents the crossings ranked by priority for planning improvements. Table 4. Ashland Grade Crossing Ranking 1 East Main Street 8015 13800 Yes Yes Yes 2 Tolman Creek Road 5645 10000 Yes Yes Yes 3 North Mountain Ave 5730 9900 Yes Yes Yes 4 Oak Street 4415 7900 Yes Yes 5 Walker Avenue 4820 7700 Yes Yes Yes 6 West Hershey Street 2750 4900 Yes Yes Yes 6 North Laurel Street 1665 2600 Yes - Yes 7 Helman Street 1630 2200 Yes Yes 8 Wightman Street 1015 1700 Yes - 9 - Glenn Street 985 1300 - - . CividParldSchool School/Retail/Park Civic/Park Retail Civic/School Park Greenway Table 5 (on the following page) presents preliminary, planning-level cost estimates for bringing each crossings in Ashland into compliance with AASHTO and AREMA standards for actively protected grade crossings. Recommendations for phasing improvements will be presented in a separate memorandum. Final Report - February 2004 Pg 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 oddo · 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 5.0 REFERENCES Kittelson & Associates, Inc. Memorandum on Estimated 2023 Roadway Traffic Volume Forecast. From Chris Brehmer and Joe Bessman to Jennifer Ryan. June 4, 2003. · Lovelady, Dan. Personal communication between Dan Lovelady, CORP General Manager and Jennifer Ryan, HDR. June 17, 2003. ' Final Report- February 2004 Pg 29 APPENDIX I Final Report- February 2004 Pg 30 LLI I-- UJ I- ~ooo ~ ~' c~ c~ c~ c~ c~ c o,ooOO~oO ~ , ~ ~ 0 0 . Z 0 0 0 ~ -- ~ z z z z z z ~,~ ~ ~ ~ 0 0 I I · · · · · O ~ ~ E -- -- E) O ~ ~ O O ~-- ~ :3 :::3 O EL O ('D (1:)('1)0 O ~ m O I · 0 "3 o~~< E 0 0 0 ~ 0 0 --i III 0 C) 0 I I > o ~ 0 0 'C~ ~ o'~ I I ~ o-E r--. © © Ill E > o ~ 0 ~ o'~ I I 0 ~ 0'~ I I ~ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~ 0 0 ~D 0 ~ ~ 0 ('!) 0 0 El. 0 (n 0 0 ('D 0 (.- (-. (/3 0 mmmm _ I-- -- (].) ._ < o ~o~ o o -- 0 (/) "'o O' 0"< '.< · -, 0 (/) ;~ -' "0 '-', ~ 0 ~ 0 ::3 ::30 C~, o ('[:),..-,- Q.~ ~ r.:n 0 -- ~ ~ ~ ~ 0~ Q.. ~ 0 ('D 0 m--- 0 0'1 0 ('3 ----= > 0 · · · · · ·