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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 AAF UpdateY SE HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND CITY COUNCIL AGENDA TRANSMITTAL FORM Council Meeting Date: 26 August 2015 Agenda Item Title: All Aboard Florida (AAF) update Recommendation: Review and Comment on letter to the Federal Rail Administration regarding All Aboard Florida (AAF) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Bad<around: Attached is a copy of the City's technical comment response letter. With concurrence of Council, Staff will submit the letter to the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) in response to the AAF Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An electronic link to the report can be found on the City web site at www.cityofsebastian.org If Agenda Item Requires Expenditure of Funds: N/A Administrative Services Department Review: 1 I Attachments: 1. Comment letter on All Aboard Florida EIS 2. Pole -Mounted Horn Locations City Manager Authorization: Date: 19 August 2015 ,n X SEBAST.AN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER 1225 MAIN STREET — SEBASTIAN, FL 32958 PHONE 772-388-8200 — FAX 772-581-0149 j nQ iffin(acityofsebastian.or¢ — www.citvotsebastian.ore 18 August 2015 John Winkle Federal Railroad Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Room W38-311 Washington, DC 20590 RE: Comments on Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Project. "All Aboard Florida" (AAF) Mr. Winkle: The City of Sebastian has reviewed the final EIS, and appendices, for AAF (the Project) and would like to offer the following technical comments per the NEPA process relating to the AAF EIS. Our City Engineer has reviewed the various technical documents and identifies some additional questions and comments. The City is officially submitting this letter to be addressed as part of the AAF review and design process. 1. Per the EIS, the Main Street, Schumann Drive, and 99th Street crossings will be improved with three -quadrant gates as part of the AAF Sealed Corridor. The City is interested in applying for a Quiet Zone (QZ) through FRA at the subject crossings. It is unsure how the three - quadrant gate(s) system will be received by FRA for those QZ since they require, as a Supplemental Safety Measure (SSM), four quadrant gates at grade crossings. 2. The City has two County Road grade crossings within our proposed Quiet Zone corridor. They are County Road (CR) 512 Eastbound and Westbound. They were not listed in this final EIS report for any sealed corridor improvements or quadrant gates. The City is requesting inclusion of those crossings notwithstanding their one-way street classification. 3. FRA recommends a Sealed Corridor at all at -grade crossings but the report states that AAF will not provide for a sealed corridor. If so, what happened to the fencing along Louisiana Street from Main Street to CR 512 where there is observed mid -block pedestrian crossings of the track? 4. The report states AAF will pay the cost of all grade crossing safety improvements with an amended crossing agreement; does this agreement include the cost to cover all design improvements at each of the crossings within the City of Sebastian which will need Quiet Zone improvements? 5. AAF will ensure where defined sidewalks exist with pedestrian gates. Does this include our proposed sidewalk projects at the railroad crossings of Barber Street, Schumann Drive and Main Street? 6. Implement traffic Best Management Practice during the construction should also include coordination with the local agencies to minimize traffic impact along the parallel US 1 corridor at the grade crossing streets. 7. AAF will provide a Positive Train Control (PTC) system to enhance safety to comply with FRA 49 CFR part 229 Positive Control System Final Rule. Will it be tied into the County Signal System or possible signal pre-emption system? 8. FRA recommends an independent consultant with extension experience of pre-emption and traffic signal timing operation as part of the crossing design and operations. Our City Engineer has over 25 years of traffic engineering experience working for two transportation consulting firms and he just completed an FDOT D4 Signal Timing in St Lucie County for all of US 1. He has extensive expertise in traffic signal timing and we offer his service in the design phase for our Sebastian crossings. 9. The technical report for Transportation and Railroad Crossing Analysis only reviewed two crossings in Indian River County. The report should have also reviewed the crossings in Sebastian at CR 512 East/West and Main Street since they are in close distance from US 1 and there is currently queuing of vehicles from these grade crossings into the intersections of US 1. 10. The technical report for At -Grade Crossing and Pole Mounted Horns did not list the at - grade crossing of Barber Street. Why not? 11. The City is waiting to review the final design plans, construction cost and schedule for the grade crossings within Sebastian and will submit them to FRA with a "Notice of Intent" to implement a Quiet Zone for Sebastian. 12. Consultation and Public Involvement for DOE (Historic), the City of Sebastian is represented by our local historian Ruth Stanbridge regarding comments. The City of Sebastian anticipates that the FRA, the All Aboard Florida consulting firm, and All Aboard Florida principals will address these additional technical issues listed above and that those issues be included in the design process of the project for the establishment of the safety improvements at the grade crossings in the City of Sebastian, Florida. With Regards, Joe Griffin City Manager cc: Rusty Roberts; AAF All Aboard Florida Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)i rte inmmation inmuhw m Mb map has hams wmpleE by IMun Rear Comply atan from a sail or women ma is whjem to Pole -Mounted (Wayside) , mahout°° troia° Rpmr �m w,n w pamisnatioss or 1. ess, or eapreseminoyaa.ariawation mmpledner emeli°ess, or aBnlaa Me °am r, Aman intonation, 5 Horn Locations Mian Rnmr Cmmn r,�allna be liable for .nremnaret. but W. I inpep, lost l m cm, lost p l a pes.ld ft.fl, but not rasus to. haat revenues ar rta pa96 has map M1mn Me of this Miles mauve of Ve inlortnerimn mmap 1. In Min mep. 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