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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-013-02/07/1995-AGREEMENT BURLINGTON NORTHERN RAILROAD COLORADO DEPT TRANSPORTATION DOWNTOWN NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE PH RESOLUTION 95-13 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE I OF THE DOWNTOWN RAILROAD TRACK CONSOLIDATION PROJECT WHEREAS, since 1989, the City has been working cooperatively with the Union Pacific Railroad("Union Pacific") and the Burlington Northern Railroad ("Burlington") and the Colorado Department of Transportation ("CDOT"), to formulate and fund the downtown railroad track consolidation project(the "Project"), which Project is more particularly described on Exhibit "A", attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference; and WHEREAS, the Project has been divided into three phases; and WHEREAS,the first phase of the Project will include: the consolidation of the Burlington and the Union Pacific tracks onto the Burlington tracks from a point located directly east of Lemay Avenue,to a point located directly north of Mulberry_ Street("Colorado Highway 14");_ the removal of the Union Pacific track between Lemay Avenue and Mulberry Street; the removal of the Union Pacific crossings at both Lemay Avenue and Mulberry Street; and the installation of new railroad signals,with gates and concrete railroad crossing material, at the remaining Burlington crossings at both Lemay Avenue and Mulberry Street; and WHEREAS, an agreement has been negotiated among the City, Burlington, Union Pacific and CDOT for the purpose of accomplishing Phase I of the Project,which phase is estimated to cost approximately $694,000, with the City's share thereof constituting $57,000; and WHEREAS, the City's share of the cost of Phase I of the Project has been budgeted and approved by the Council pursuant to Ordinance No. 35, 1992; and WHEREAS,the City's staff and other participants have developed the Project in coordination with numerous affected associations, interests, stakeholders, business and citizens; and WHEREAS,the Council has determined that the Project in general, and Phase I in particular, clearly and substantially benefit the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City,are essential to the implementation of the Downtown Plan and the Poudre River Trust Plan, and will help revitalize North College Avenue; and WHEREAS, Article III, Section 16 of the City Charter provides that the Council may enter into Agreements with other governmental bodies for the performance of cooperative or joint activities. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the Mayor be, and hereby is, authorized to enter an Agreement among the City, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Burlington Northern Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad, for the construction of Phase I of the Downtown Track Consolidation Project, as more particularly described on Exhibit "A," attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, for a total cost of$694,000, with the City's share constituting $57,000. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins held this 7th day of February, A.D. 1995. a orIT - ATTEST: k City Clerk EXHIBIT A PROJECT SCOPE The proposed track consolidation project will construct ajoint use BN/IJP track from Lemay Avenue to just east of College Avenue along Riverside Avenue. A new connecting track will be installed east of College Avenue to tie the BNRR mainline in to the new consolidated track. This will eliminate the need for the BNRR to cross College 8 times to exchange cars and 4 times to go to Greeley. A new exchange track will be constructed between Lemay Avenue and Prospect Road which will eliminate the exchange of freight cars in the downtown and the delays on Mulberry Street. Flashing signals with gates will be installed at Linden, Lincoln, Mulberry, and Lemay on the consolidated track and on Willow at the crossing on the new connection track. Fourteen railroad crossings and miles of excess track will be removed, which will provide for a much smoother ride for our motorists and open up land for redevelopment. PROJECT PHASING - PHASE I The scope of Phase I is to consolidate the BNRR and UPRR on to the BNRR's track from just east of Lemay Avenue to just north of Mulberry Street(IHghway 14). The UPRR track will be removed between Lemay and Mulberry and the UPRR crossing will be removed from both Lemay and Mulberry. New railroad signals with gates and concrete railroad crossing material will be installed on the remaining BNRR crossing at both Lemay and Mulberry. This will improve safety and ride quality across the railroad crossing for motorists on Mulberry. PHASE H The scope of Phase 11 is to construct the new connection track east of College Avenue between the BNRR mainline and the UPRR branch line which will become the joint use track east of that point. Crossing signals with gates and concrete railroad crossing material will be installed at the new crossing on Willow Street. The BNRR branch line crossing on College Avenue and Cherry street will be removed and the UPRR crossing on College Avenue and Cherry Street will be upgraded with new track and crossing material. This will greatly reduce the traffic delays caused by the trains on College Avenue and will improve the ride across the railroad crossings for motorists. PHASE III The scope of Phase III is to construct the new exchange tracks east of Lemay Avenue and remove the existing exchange tracks and switch yard tracks in the downtown area east of College Avenue between Willow and Jefferson Streets. The joint use track will be constructed from west of Linden Street to just north of Mulberry Street and the UPRR track along Riverside Avenue between Lincoln and Mulberry will be removed. Crossing signals with gates and concrete railroad crossing material will be installed on the joint use track on Linden Street and Lincoln Avenue. The removal of all but the joint use track between Willow and Jefferson will allow for the area to be redeveloped, and will eliminate the noise and traffic congestion caused by the switching of railroad cars.