Broken Arrow City Council
Meeting of: 09-06-16
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Department of Engineering and Construction
Title:
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Approval of and authorization to execute Union Pacific Railroad Traffic Signal Preemption Request Forms for railroad grade crossings at Main Street near Fort Worth Street, Elm Place near Broadway Street, and Oneta Road near State Highway 51
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Background:
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) are reviewing street grade crossings at a number of locations across the state, with the goal of improving safety for the traveling public. Representatives of ODOT and UPRR met at the Main Street and Elm Place crossing sites with Engineering and Construction Department personnel in January 2016. Because the design of the Main Street Streetscapes Phase IV was ongoing, E&C asked Jon Eshelman of Traffic Engineering Consultants to participate in the site meetings. About two months later, UPRR sent signal preemption questionnaires to the City, and we enlisted Mr. Eshelman's assistance in responding to those questionnaires. In August, the UPRR sent the attached Traffic Signal Preemption Request Forms for completion by the City Engineer. The forms will request that the UPRR preempt the adjacent traffic signals when trains approach the crossings and commit the City to working with the railroad to implement the preemptions. General Services Signal Division personnel have determined that signal upgrades to accommodate the preemptions could cost $25,000 or more per intersection, and it is undetermined whether ODOT funding for those expenses are available. The signal preemption at Main Street and Fort Worth Street can be accomplished during the construction of the signal in Streetscapes Phase IV. The preemptions for the other two crossings are necessary for public safety, and if ODOT funding is not forthcoming, the improvements...
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