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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 09/04/2012 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 077, 2012, APPROPRDATE: September 4, 2012 STAFF: Rick Richter Tim Kemp AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 8 SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 077, 2012, Appropriating Federal Grant Funds and Transferring Previously Appropriated Project Savings from the Harmony Bridge Project into the Capital Project Fund for the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Phase One of the Harmony Road Maintenance Project is currently under construction. This Project will provide congestion relief and rehabilitate the pavement on East Harmony Road from College Avenue to Timberline Road by completing the following major work items: turn lane construction, utility relocations, asphalt overlay, restriping and median landscaping. Phase Two of the Project will consist of safety improvements and signal maintenance at the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Railroad crossing in order to accommodate a six-lane roadway, bike lanes and sidewalks. This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on August 21, 2012, appropriates federal grant funds and project savings from the Harmony Bridge Project into the Capital Project Fund for this Project. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. Copy of First Reading Agenda Item Summary - August 21, 2012 (w/o attachments) COPY COPY COPY COPY ATTACHMENT 1 DATE: August 21, 2012 STAFF: Rick Richter Tim Kemp AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 17 SUBJECT Items Relating to the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project. A. Resolution 2012-068 Authorizing the Mayor to Execute an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation to Receive Funding for the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Maintenance Project. B. First Reading of Ordinance No. 077, 2012, Appropriating Federal Grant Funds and Transferring Previously Appropriated Project Savings from the Harmony Bridge Project into the Capital Project Fund for the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Phase One of the Harmony Road Maintenance Project is currently under construction. This project will provide congestion relief and rehabilitate the pavement on East Harmony Road from College Avenue to Timberline Road by completing the following major work items: turn lane construction, utility relocations, asphalt overlay, restriping and median landscaping. Phase Two of the project will consist of safety improvements and signal maintenance at the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Railroad crossing in order to accommodate a six-lane roadway, bike lanes and sidewalks. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION Improving the Union Pacific Railroad crossing is an integral piece for meeting the intent of the Master Street Plan as it relates to the Harmony Road corridor. Currently, this crossing is the “bottleneck” where Harmony Road transitions from six to four travel lanes between McMurry Avenue and Timberline Road. The existing railroad equipment does not meet the current code requirements for a six-lane roadway crossing. By eliminating this restriction, the City will be able to accommodate six travel lanes with on-street bike lanes and detached sidewalks across the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. After Union Pacific installs their new facilities, the City will have some minor asphalt patching and striping work to do adjacent to the crossing. Harmony Road will then be a six-lane roadway from Boardwalk Drive to I-25. Goals for the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project: • Replace sub-standard signals, gates, wiring, batteries and rails • Meet current safety requirements for a six-lane roadway crossing, including outside edge signalized cantilevers • Provide on-street bike lanes and a new sidewalk connection along the north side of Harmony Road • Construct a raised, landscaped median on the west side of the tracks to eliminate u-turning vehicles and provide protection for the railroad’s equipment • Relieve traffic congestion, eliminate the high speed merging condition and improve signal timing for the corridor. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS The following is a summary of the project funding sources associated with the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project: COPY COPY COPY COPY August 21, 2012 -2- ITEM 17 Funding Summary Funding Source Funding Amount % of Total Project Cost Harmony Maintenance Funds (Transfer of Previous Appropriation) $225,000 40% CDOT Section 130 Federal Grant $350,000 60% Total Anticipated Funding $575,000 100% The Harmony Bridge Project contains project savings which were previously appropriated from the Harmony Maintenance Fund. This Council action will transfer a portion of those Harmony Maintenance Fund savings into a newly created Capital Project Fund for use on the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project. The safety and maintenance improvements consist of the subsequent major work items: • Remove and replace all signals and four crossing arms (gates) • Install two cantilevers • Remove and replace all wiring, battery backups and aluminum railroad bungalow • Final asphalt patching and striping in the Union Pacific right-of-way Short and long term benefits include the easing of traffic congestion, improved signal timing and reduced vehicle delays along the Harmony Road corridor. By implementing these improvements to one of the City’s key arterial thoroughfares, the traveling public will move more efficiently among the businesses throughout the corridor due to the six-lane roadway section. Additionally, the City will complete the missing sidewalk connection along westbound Harmony Road. Long term maintenance for the crossing will be similar to what is in place today. Union Pacific will maintain the railroad equipment at its cost. The City will be responsible for street sweeping, snow plowing, sign maintenance and striping. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS The project will have a positive impact on long term air quality. The existing “bottleneck” will be removed by going to a six-lane configuration in the vicinity of the Union Pacific crossing. Congestion relief and improved signal timing will reduce vehicle wait time, thus reducing vehicle emissions. The new signal equipment will have a longer life span and require fewer repairs than the existing equipment, thereby reducing the number of maintenance trips from Denver for the Union Pacific crews. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution and the Ordinance on First Reading. PUBLIC OUTREACH The Project Team conducted an open house, notified business owners door-to-door throughout the corridor, mailed flyers to local residents, presented the project to the South Fort Collins Business Association and is providing weekly construction updates via Facebook, Twitter, an e-newsletter and press releases. The Project has a website: http://www.fcgov.com/engineering/hmp.php Public outreach will continue throughout the construction process. ATTACHMENTS 1. Project location map ORDINANCE NO. 077, 2012 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED REVENUE AND AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF EXISTING APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND - HARMONY BRIDGE PROJECT TO THE HARMONY ROAD AND UNION PACIFIC SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE PROJECT WHEREAS, improving the Union Pacific Railroad crossing is an integral piece of the Harmony Road corridor; and WHEREAS, the current crossing is a “bottleneck” where Harmony Road transitions from six to four travel lanes between McMurry Avenue and Timberline Road because the existing railroad equipment does not meet the current requirements for a six lane roadway crossing; and WHEREAS, the proposed Union Pacific railroad crossing safety and maintenance improvements will upgrade the crossing to meet the current safety requirements for a six-lane roadway crossing; and WHEREAS, these improvements should ease traffic congestion, improve signal timing and reduce vehicle delays along the Harmony Road corridor; and WHEREAS, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has awarded the City a federal grant of $350,000 for the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project (the "UP Safety Project"); and WHEREAS, in 2006, the City received funding from CDOT to maintain Harmony Road for 20 years and to complete a list of capital improvements along the Harmony corridor; and WHEREAS, the City will provide $225,000 in local matching funds by transferring unspent Harmony Road maintenance funds from the Harmony Bridge Project to the UP Safety Project; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits the City Council to make supplemental appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year, provided that the total amount of such supplemental appropriations, in combination with all previous appropriations for that fiscal year, does not exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and WHEREAS, City staff has determined that the appropriation of the revenue as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Capital Projects Fund to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received in that fund during any fiscal year; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 10, of the City Charter authorizes the City Council to transfer by ordinance any unexpended and unencumbered appropriated amount or portion thereof from one project to another project, provided that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be expended remains unchanged. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from unanticipated grant revenue in the Capital Projects Fund the sum of THREE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($350,000) for the Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project. Section 2. That the unexpended appropriated amount of TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($225,000) is hereby authorized for transfer from the Capital Projects Fund - Harmony Bridge Project to the Capital Project Fund - Harmony Road and Union Pacific Safety and Maintenance Project. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 21st day of August, A.D. 2012, and to be presented for final passage on the 4th day of September, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor Pro Tem ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 4th day of September, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk