Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Railroad Request to Close 15th Street Railroad CrossingCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
Action Items # 01.
Copyrighted
April 1, 2024
ITEM TITLE: Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Railroad Request to Close 15th
Street Railroad Crossing
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending the Mayor and City Council schedule a
decision on closing the 15th Street railroad crossing for the June 3,
2024, City Council Meeting.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Council
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
MVM Memo
Documentation
Type
City Manager Memo
Supporting Documentation
THE CITY OF
Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Railroad Request to Close 15th
Street Railroad Crossing
DATE: March 27, 2024
The City of Dubuque is examining the feasibility of creating a Railroad Quiet Zone in
Dubuque. A Quiet Zone is where the trains are not required to blow their horns as they
approach individual railroad crossings because the crossings have been upgraded with
adequate warnings and barriers that motorists and pedestrians were adequately
protected from attempting to cross the railroad tracks and therefore do not need the
added warning of a train horn.
Closing a railroad crossing has a similar effect as investing in crossing improvements in
that the trains do not need to blow their horns at a closed crossing.
The city has received a request from the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Railroad
to close the 15th Street railroad crossing.
As part of the railroad's efforts to reduce delays at railroad crossings they will be
implementing expensive technology improvements at each of the railroad crossings
later this year. Therefore, they are asking the city to decide quickly so they can avoid
making these technology improvements at the 15th Street crossing.
There is a crossing one block to the north at 16th Street and one block to the south at
14th Street. Just north of 16th Street there is a pedestrian/bike underpass.
The city has plans to do major improvements to the 1411 Street crossing with
construction of a vehicle/pedestrian/bike overpass. This is contingent on receiving a
$25 million federal grant. Regardless when this overpass is built it is difficult to justify
the continued existence of the 15th Street Crossing.
The railroad is offering to pay the costs of the closing of the 15th Street crossing and to
provide $100,000 to the City to help defray costs at other crossings. To implement the
Quiet Zone the railroad will also support a grant application to the Iowa Department of
Transportation. It is the belief of the railroad that closing the 15th Street crossing might
reflect positively on the City RAISE grant application to build the 14th Street overpass.
I believe that in furtherance of the city efforts to create a Quiet Zone and end the burden
of downtown residents, downtown businesses and guests at places like hotels who
experience all of the train horn noise 24 hours a day, it is appropriate to close the 15tn
Street crossing.
I respectfully recommend that the Mayor and City Council schedule this question to be
placed on the June 3, 2024, City Council Meeting to make a decision on closing the 15tn
Street railroad crossing.
In the interim, city staff will count the number of vehicles using this crossing and visit
with the nearby property owners to hear their opinions.
v
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Chandra Ravada, East Central Intergovernmental Association Interim Executive Director
Larry Lloyd 11306 Franklin Avenue E larry.11oyd@cpkcr.com
Senior Director Franklin Park, IL P (224) 373-1746
US Government Affairs USA 60131
CPKC
March 14, 2024
Michael C. Van Milligen
City Manager
50 W 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Dear Mr. Milligen,
On behalf of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) through our subsidiary, the Dakota, Minnesota, and
Eastern Railroad Corporation, I am writing to you concerning the future state of the 151" Street
Highway -Rail Crossing in Dubuque (FRA Crossing ID: 376126W, on CPKC's Marquette Subdivision at
Milepost 44.19). We appreciate the partnership and dialogue we have developed with Dubuque over
the last couple of years in looking at various ways to enhance rail safety within the community. To that
end, CPKC believes the closing of the 15t" Street crossing would have many mutual benefits for us both.
As is well documented, CPKC is following through on our commitments to make significant capital
improvements along our network in order to facilitate the efficient movement of additional train
traffic. One of those upgrades is the completion of Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) through Dubuque
by the end of 2024. These upgrades will benefit Dubuque as crossing occupancy times by trains will be
reduced as the trains will not need to stop for switches to be aligned. However, those upgrades will
significantly affect the crossing protection equipment in place at the 15th Street crossing, which would
make its closure helpful.
CPKC hereby offers the City of Dubuque a $100,000 crossing -closure incentive payment, on the
condition that the City closes the 151" Street crossing by September 10, 2024. In such case, CPKC would
further support the City's application to Iowa DOT for a crossing -closure incentive match payment of
an additional $100,000 from the State Iowa. CPKC would also cover the costs associated with the 15tn
Street crossing closure. It should be noted that CPKC would consider a similar, and potentially more
robust, crossing -closure incentive payment should the City consider closing the 16t" Street crossing as
well. Yet, we understand the City may be reluctant to do so given its current traffic -management
considerations.
Finally, CPKC believes that the City should use the closure of the 15t" Street crossing as a component of
the Federal Railroad Administration's Rail Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program, which could then
be utilized to support a grade separation at 141" Street. The RCE grant program is tailored to look at a
corridor (consisting of more than one at -grade rail -highway crossing) and gives significant
consideration to communities that are willing to close a crossing in addition to grade separating one.
CPKC would be willing to play a significant role in supporting that grant application.
We appreciate your consideration of this request, and the CPKC team and I are standing by to address
any questions or concerns you or the Dubuque City Council may have on the matter. Be safe and well.
Sincerely,
Larry Lloyd
Senior Director of US Government Affairs
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Cc: Kristopher Klop - Kristopher.Klop@iowadot.us