City Council

Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Gallup City Council, City of Gallup, New Mexico, held in the Council Chambers at Gallup City Hall, 110 West Aztec Avenue, at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2019. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Jackie McKinney. Upon roll call, the following were present: Mayor: Jackie McKinney Councilors: Linda Garcia Allan Landavazo Yogash Kumar Arrived late: Fran Palochak, Councilor Also present: Maryann Ustick, City Manager Curtis Hayes, City Attorney The Mayor and Councilors conducted a Work Session on the following item: 1. Presentation of Results of the Road Safety Assessment Conducted by the New Mexico Department of Transportation for the Area of Second Street, Third Street and NM Highway 118 Mayor McKinney said the Council adopted a resolution on January 24, 2017 requesting the Road Safety Assessment to be completed by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). The assessment is for the Second and Third Street railroad crossing area that is directly adjacent to NM Highway 118. Larry Maynard, District 6 Engineer with the NMDOT, said there is a larger scale safety audit being done for the area; however, the results of the assessment done specifically for the Second and Third Streets and NM 118 will be addressed during this meeting. The following officials were in attendance: Jessica Griffin, Statewide Planning Bureau Chief, NMDOT; Paul Barricklow, Lee Engineering; Jonathon Kruse, Lee Engineering; Arif Kazmi, Assistant District 6 Engineer, NMDOT; Jason Grover, Acting Traffic Engineer for District 6, NMDOT; Andrew Gallegos, Technical Support Engineer for District 6, NMDOT; and Bill Craven, Rail Bureau Chief, NMDOT. Ms. Griffin said the handout that was disseminated to the Mayor and Councilors was a brief summary of the assessment which has not been finalized. The handout, entitled “NM 11 8/2’ and 3rd St. Road Safety Audit,” is attached hereto, marked as “Exhibit A” and made a part of these official minutes. She welcomed the Mayor and Councilors input prior to the finalization of the report. Mr. Kruse provided an overview of the corridor alternatives and long term mitigations MINUTES Special City Council Meeting — 3/28/2019 Page 2 identified in the study. Illustrations and supporting information on each alternative are included in the handout (Exhibit A). Discussion followed concerning the a separate study conducted by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, the funding offer by BNSF to the City to close both the Second and Third Street railroad crossings and Alternative 5 which includes the construction of a pedestrian underpass at Second Street. Mayor McKinney asked if there was funding available from NMDOT for proceed with any one of the alternatives presented. Mr. Maynard said there is currently no funding available for any of the alternatives presented as they are hoping to receive Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds to fund one of the alternatives specified in the plan. Since the alternatives, with the exception of Alternative 4 of the assessment, would increase the amount of accidents in the affected area, HSIP funds are not allowed to be used for the alternatives. If a quiet zone is implemented for any of the alternatives presented, pedestrians would still be allowed on the tracks and by eliminating the train horn blasts, it would increase number of pedestrian fatalities. Ms. Ustick said cutting-off access at the Second and Third Street railroad crossings are not feasible for the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) Plan since the area on the north side of the railway is included in the MRA for future development. Ms. Griffin said there is a possibility for using Section 130 funds and the possibility of justifying the use of HSIP funds for improving the crossings for motor vehicles and pedestrians. Mr. Craven provided an overview of the potential improvements for the railroad crossings to increase pedestrian safety, including the installation of 4-quadrant gate systems, sidewalk gates and improvements and additional fencing to help channelize pedestrians to the proper locations and to discourage trespassing on railroad property. He said if both crossings are to remain open, he recommended BNSF, NMDOT and the City work together to implement improvements to address the pedestrian safety issues at the crossings. Mayor McKinney said if the closure of a railroad crossing would occur, the City would most likely prefer the closure of Third Street and to keep Second Street open since Second Street is a state road. He asked Mr. Maynard for his opinion of the alternatives presented. Mr. Maynard said based on the raw data presented, NMDOT would have a difficult time supporting the closure of either crossing. Mr. Maynard said the number of vehicular crashes and potentially, pedestrian accidents would increase if either crossing MINUTES Special City Council Meeting — 3/28/2019 Page 3 were closed. He recommended a vast improvement of the pedestrian controls at the crossings. If the pedestrian controls could be improved to a point that satisfies BNSF and NMDOT, then the issue of implementing quiet zones could possibly be discussed. He said implementing a quiet zone without major improvements to the railroad crossings could be tragic. Mr. Maynard answered questions regarding the crash data in the assessment and the next steps to be taken to pursue the safety improvements at the railroad crossings. Ms. Griffin answered questions regarding the Gallup Area Plan, which is a larger safety assessment being conducted and whether the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks would be feasible. The final plan of the larger assessment will be presented to the Mayor and Councilors at a future work session. Discussion followed concerning the excessive amount of time it will take to obtain federal funding for the safety improvements at the railroad crossings, the need to address pedestrian safety overall, the need for alternative ways to access both the north and south sides of the city by either side, consideration of a traffic calming project on NM 118, statutory uses for Section 130 funds, the need for traffic signals at the Miyamura interchange and the proposed “fly-over” as part of the Allison corridor improvement project to replace the current railroad crossing at Allison. Mr. Maynard said he will ask for another study to be done for the Miyamura interchange. Once the assessment report has been finalized, Mayor McKinney said he will contact officials with BNSF to invite them to a meeting to discuss this mailer. Mayor McKinney thanked the representatives from NMDOT and Lee Engineering for their work and for being in attendance. There being no further business, Councilor Kumar made the motion to adjourn. Seconded by Councilor Palochak. Roll call: Councilors Kumar, Palochak, Landavazo, Garcia and Mayor McKinney all voted yes. Jac ie McKinney, Mayor Clerk Approvd 4/9/2019  EXHIBIT A NM 118/2nd and 3rd St Road Safety Audit City Council Meeting Alternatives Packet March 2019 Prepared for: AM17&’T Prepared By: fl A4 —— — Lcc flEIflcgIIflE  SUMMARY This is a summary of the Road Safety Audit (RSA) conducted on August 28 and 29, 2018 in Gallup, NM. RSAs are Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognized studies used to identify and mitigate safety issues in a proactive manner. The RSA was requested by the City of Gallup and the purpose of the RSA is to determine the safety impacts of closing one or both crossings. NMDOT contracted with Lee Engineering to conduct the RSA and the RSA team consisted of representatives from NMDOT, the City of Gallup, BNSF, NMCOG, FHWA and ERA. 3rd The RSA walkthrough/study area consisted of NM 118 and Maloney Ave intersections with 2 and Streets 3rd as well as BNSE rail crossings with 2 and Streets. The RSA report details field observations of the issues, as well as potential near-term mitigations. This summary provides information on the long-term mitigations studied. LONG TERM MITIGATIONS CORRIDOR ALTERNATIVES - Four possible long-term alternatives were studied.; a 5th special alternative is included in the report because it is mentioned in the Gallup Downtown Redevelopment Plan but was not studied as part of the RSA because this alternative does not entail closing either crossing. The sections below detail each alternative’s description, requirements such as signal impacts and roadway impacts, level of service and queueing analysis, and a list of pros and cons. Alternatives were developed based on existing roadway widths and apparent existing right-of-way to provide minimal re-construction impacts. The 4 alternatives studied are as follows: 2nd • Alternative 1: Closure of 3rd St railroad crossing. Conversion of St to two-way traffic from Maloney to NM 118 (RI 66). • Alternative 2: Closure of 3Id St railroad crossing. Conversion of 2 St to two-way traffic from Maloney to Green Ave. • Alternative 3: Closure of 2nd s railroad crossing. Conversion of 3td St to two-way traffic from Maloney to NM 118 (RI 66). • Alternative 4: No modifications to roadway configurations or traffic flow. Reconstructs both railroad crossings including pedestrian improvements. • Special Alternative (5): Constructs a pedestrian underpass at 2nd It is noted that all new construction is required to adhere to ADA and Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) standards. This includes but is not limited to: • Appropriate sidewalk widths • Sidewalks clear of obstructions with adequate clearance widths • Adequate landing spaces at ramps • Appropriate slopes and grades • Truncated dome/tactile warning surfaces at crossings • Vibrotactile and auditable pedestrian buttons • Compliant railroad crossing surfaces NM 118 / 2nd and 3rd St RSA City .. Council Packet 1 r L_, Lcc cflCIflccIflE  i EXISTING CONDITIONSIALT 4 2ND ST & 3RD ST ONE WAY .1 1 .‘q1 . — L. - 1• - I . 3 : _,. I U I ONE WAY OPERATIONS TWO WAY OPERATIONS >O<>O< CLOSURE NM 118 / 2nd and 3rd RSA 2 City Council Packet t LEE EflCiflEEIflC II3  I______ LTIAiWET I CLOSURE OF 3RD STAT I RAILRO”.D CRY L ) I ONE WAY OPERATIONS TWO WAY OPERATIONS -)(XXX CROSSING CLOSURE NM 118 / 2nd and 3td St RSA 3 City Council Packet t’ LEE EflQIflEEIflQ £-  F. j ALTERNATIVE 2 I CLOSURE OF3RD STAT I RAILROAD CROSSING. 2ND ST TWO WAY TRAFFIC L. ) ONE WAY OPERATIONS TWO WAY OPERATIONS )QOp( CROSSING CLOSURE NM 118/2 and 3tdStRSA 4 City Council Packet LEE EflC-IflEE1flE  .01 ALTERNATIVE 3 CLOSURE OF 2ND ST AT RAILROAD CROSSING L ONE WAY OPERATIONS TWO WAY OPERATIONS xxx CROSSING CLOSURE NM 118 / 2nd and 3rd St RSA 5 City Council Packet L cflCifltIflE  Table 1: Alternative Summary Opinion LOS and Multimodal of Alternative Description Queueing Strongest Pros Strongest cons opportunities Probable Impacts Cost Closes 3rd St rail Operates Eliminates a rail crossing Increased potential for queueing Multimodal path $4.0 crossing acceptably . . on 2nd St at the railroad on 2nd St Channelizes vehicles and Million Converts 2nd St Minimal pedestrians to one crossing Concentration of traffic can Connections to to two-way capacity and location increase total crashes at arroyo and river traffic from queueing . . intersections walking paths Maintains current downtown Maloney to NM impacts . . . . . . Central Business District fCBD) Potential remains for pedestrian Provide sidewalk traffic flow railroad trespassing at existing gaps Maintains downtown on-street parking Closes 3rd St rail Operates Eliminates a rail crossing Increased potential for queueing Multimodal path $6.2 crossing acceptably . . on 2nd St at the railroad on 2nd St Million Channelizes vehicles and Converts 2nd St Minimal pedestrians to one crossing Concentration of traffic can Connections to to two-way capacity and location increase total crashes at arroyo and river traffic from queueing . . . . intersections walking paths Offers corridor wide continuity Maloney to impacts (2nd St two-way traffic) Requires removal of on-street Provide sidewalk Green Ave . . parking in downtown CBD at existing gaps 2 Requires re-construction of downtown intersections on 2nd St Potential remains for pedestrian railroad trespassing High construction impacts Increased pre-emption time requirements NM 118 / 2nd and 3rd St RSA 6 44 EflEIfl2EIflE :—.r t1 LE  Closes 2nd St rail Operates Eliminates a rail crossing Increased potential for queueing Multimodal path $6.2 crossing acceptably . . on 3rd St at the railroad on 3rd St Million Channelizes vehicles and Converts 3rd St Minimal pedestrians to one crossing concentration of traffic can Connections to to two-way capacity and location increase total crashes at arroyo and river traffic from queueing . . . intersections walking paths Minimal impacts to current on- Maloney to NM impacts . . . . street parking Potential remains for pedestrian Provide sidewalk • • • railroad trespassing at existing gaps Eliminates queueing between railroad and NM 11$ High constriction impacts Preemption time requirements are reduced Keeps largest observed pedestrian movements (compared to 2nd St) in current configuration Maintains Operations Least amount of reconstruction in Potential remains for pedestrian Upgrades railroad $3.9 current roadway same as the study area railroad trespassing crossings for Million configurations & existing • . . . . . multimodal use • Traffic patterns remain as existing Requires upgrades to two railroad operations • A • • crossings versus a single crossing No impacts to on-street parking Reconstructs both 2nd St & Crash frequencies expected to 3rd St railroad remain as existing crossings Constructs a N/A. No Potentially eliminates pedestrian High cost with extensive ROW Constructs $2.0 pedestrian modifications conflicts at railroad acquisition underpass for Million underpass at to roadways • . • . • multimodal use to Provides pedestrian access even Potential for pedestrians to ignore 2nd St . • • $10.0+ during long train crossings underpass 5 Million Consistent with downtown Pedestrians can be concerned redevelopment plans over security in tunnels Could impact adjacent businesses depending on grading needs NM118/2and3tdStR5A 7 City Council Packet r — L —— flClflIflC. IHSDM CRASH ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES IHSDM analysis was performed for the corridor afternatives. Analysis was performed for each individual alternative using re-distributed traffic volumes and intersection configurations. Table 2 below shows the total expected crashes per intersection (2 and 3td Street at NM 118 and Maloney Aye) and total for each alternative. It is noted that this methodology provides calculations based on traffic volume, intersection geometry, and intersection phasing and does not account for improvements made to railroad crossings or pedestrian facilities. It is therefore understood that Alternative 4, which makes no intersection modifications would have the same IHSDM predicted crashes at the vehicular intersections as existing conditions. Although some safety benefit for pedestrian crossing at the railroad is anticipated for Alternative 4, these types of improvements are not quantifiable based on currently available predictive methodologies or crash modification factors. Table 2: IHSDM Analysis for Corridor Alternatives 8.32 7.79 7.68 7.68 31.47 [I 2.78 2.60 2.56 2.56 10.5 11.00 9,85 7.57 5.37 33.79 3.67 3.28 2.52 1.79 11.26 7.05 6.44 7.57 5.37 26.43 2.35 2.15 2.52 1.79 8.81 9.85 11.00 5.37 7.57 33.79 Ii 3.28 3.67 1.79 2.52 11.26 CONCLUSION Overall, Alternatives 1-4 present viable options for improving pedestrian and vehicle safety within the RSA area. Level of service and queuing analysis shows that all are expected to operate effectively with few to no expected capacity and queueing issues. While strikingly different, each alternative presents a unique set of benefits and disadvantages. NM 118 / 2nd and 3td St RSA 8 City Council Packet L LI LEE EflCIflEEIflE £  Alternative 1 closes the 3d St railroad crossing and reconstructs 2 St as a two-way street from Maloney Ave to NM 118. Alternative l’s benefits are that it eliminates a rail crossing, channelizes vehicles and pedestrians to one crossing location, maintains current downtown Central Business District (CBD) traffic flow, and maintains downtown on-street parking, while it’s disadvantages are that it increases potential for queueing on 2nd St at the railroad, concentrates traffic which can increase total crashes at intersections, and that potential remains for pedestrian railroad trespassing. Opinion of probable cost for this alternative is estimated to be $4.0 million. Alternative 2 closes the 3rd s railroad crossing and reconstructs 2r St as a two-way street from Maloney Ave to Green Ave. Alternative 2’s benefits are that it eliminates a rail crossing, channelizes vehicles and pedestrians to one crossing location, and offers corridor wide continuity (2nd St two-way traffic), while it’s disadvantages include an increased potential for queueing on 2nd St at the railroad, concentration of traffic that can increase total crashes at intersections, that it requires removal of on-street parking in the downtown CBD, that it requires re-construction of downtown intersections on 2nd St. the potential remains for pedestrian railroad trespassing, that it has high construction impacts, and increases railroad pre-emption time requirements. Opinion of probable cost for this alternative is estimated to be $6.2 million. Alternative 3 closes the 2nd s railroad crossing and reconstructs 3tdj St as a two-way street from Maloney Ave to NM 118. Alternative 3’s benefits include that it eliminates a rail crossing, channelizes vehicles and pedestrians to one crossing location, has minimal impacts to current on-street parking, eliminates queueing between railroad and NM 118, reduces railroad preemption time requirements, keeps the largest observed pedestrian movements at 3Id St (compared to 2nd St) in their current configuration, while it’s disadvantages include an increased potential for queueing on 3rd St at the railroad, that it concentrates traffic which can increase total crashes at intersections, the potential remains for pedestrian railroad trespassing, and that it has high constriction impacts. Opinion of probable cost for this alternative is estimated to be $6.2 million. Alternative 4 reconstructs both railroad crossings and keeps current traffic configurations unchanged. Alternative 4’s benefits include that it requires the least amount of reconstruction in the study area, traffic patterns remain as existing, has no impacts to on-street parking, and that crash frequencies are expected to remain as existing, while it’s disadvantages include that potential remains for pedestrian railroad trespassing, and that it requires upgrades to two railroad crossings versus a single crossing. Opinion of probable cost for this alternative is estimated to be $3.9 million. Alternative 5 constructs a pedestrian underpass under the railroad at 2’ St. Alternative S’s benefits include that it eliminates pedestrian conflicts at railroad, provides pedestrian access even during long train crossings, and is consistent with downtown redevelopment plans, while it’s disadvantages include that it has a high cost with extensive ROW acquisition, that potential remains for pedestrians to ignore underpass, that pedestrians can be concerned over security in tunnels, and that it could impact adjacent businesses depending on grading needs. Opinion of probable cost for this alternative is estimated to be $2 to $10 million. All alternatives provide potential to improve multimodal connectivity within the study area. Current available safety data does not indicate whether an overall safety improvement is achieved if one of the crossings is closed, due to the added traffic and conflicts to the remaining crossing. However, an overall goal to reduce at-grade rail crossings tends to be considered a safety enhancement. It is noted that consideration should be given to improving the pedestrian conditions first before: 1. Disrupting downtown traffic characteristics and reducing on-street parking. 2. A perceived reduction in access to and from the downtown area by the local populace and adjacent businesses. 3. Increase in left and right-turn movements with limited queue storage due to closely spaced intersections. NM 118 / 2nd and 3td St RSA 9 City Council Packet I LEE EflEIflEEIflC