Oregon City receives quiet-zone update; officials face $1.69 million funding gap
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Summary
Public works director Dana Webb told the city commission the downtown quiet-zone project would remove routine train horns at two crossings, but the latest 2026 estimate raises the project to about $4.2 million, leaving a $1.69 million shortfall the city hopes to cover with grants or urban renewal funds.
Dana Webb, Oregon City public works director, told the commission on Feb. 18 that design work is underway to create a downtown quiet zone that would end routine sounding of train horns at the 10th & Singer Hill crossing and the 11th Street pedestrian crossing once safety improvements are in place.
"The project will go out to bid through ODOT's process, and so we anticipate it will go out to bid in October 2026," Webb said, and she said construction is anticipated to begin in early 2027. The planned safety work includes four-quadrant gates and pedestrian-safety improvements; Union Pacific will perform negotiated work on railroad infrastructure while state-contracted packages will cover public-frontage elements.
Webb presented the updated 2026 cost estimate, which increases the project total to about $4.2 million. That total includes approximately $2.0 million in federal funds, a city commitment of $600,000 in ARPA dollars and an estimated $1.2 million for Union Pacific work. Consultant services—driven by federal procedural requirements—are listed at nearly $2.0 million in the current estimate. Webb summarized the funding gap as $1,690,000.
Commissioners pressed staff on timing and cost drivers. Webb said consultant fees were embedded in earlier crossing estimates and that the current gap reflects inflation and scope consolidation. She said staff has pursued several options: a state capital request (the city has asked for $4 million to match the city contribution), using urban renewal resources to manage or cover costs, or delaying other transportation projects to close the gap.
Webb noted that a few property easements and acquisitions remain in process and that ODOT will handle procurement. "We are currently working on those negotiations with Union Pacific for those costs," she said. Construction and final procurement steps depend on completing acquisitions and securing funding.
Next steps include finishing final plans, completing acquisitions and seeking state or urban renewal funding to reduce the shortfall. If funding is not secured, staff said the city could delay projects or reallocate transportation funds to keep the timeline, though commissioners warned that could push other work back.
The commission did not make a final funding decision at the meeting; staff said they will continue grant requests and return with updates.
