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Committee recommends joint railroad quiet zone with Pewaukee, contingent on safety improvements
Summary
City staff told the Public Works Committee the village of Pewaukee asked to file a joint quiet zone application that would include several crossings; staff recommended the city support the joint application provided the village installs required alternate safety measures (ASMs). The committee voted to recommend the proposal to the Common Council.
The Public Works Committee voted to recommend that the Common Council pursue a joint railroad quiet zone application with the village of Pewaukee, but committee members conditioned the recommendation on the village constructing required alternate safety measures (ASMs) at its crossings.
Staff explained the joint application would bundle multiple crossings on the Canadian Pacific Railway — including Duplainville Road, Forest Grove Drive, Oakton Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, Kotmeyer Drive and Parkside Road — so the crossings could benefit from quad-gate systems already in place elsewhere in the city. Staff said combining crossings can lower the overall risk index, which helps crossings qualify as a ``quiet zone'' under Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rules and speeds the approval process.
"By partnering with us, they can just move forward and they don't have to submit that additional paperwork to the Federal Railroad Administration, which can take them 2 years to review," a staff member said. Staff also cautioned that a crash at any one crossing could raise that crossing's risk index and potentially bump the entire joint zone out of compliance; staff said the city could amend a quiet zone to drop a noncompliant crossing so the remainder stay in place.
Staff stressed the village would still be required to implement ASMs at its crossings. The committee discussed timing and feasibility; staff said an amended joint application and an agreement with enforceable timing for improvements would be prepared so the village must complete ASMs within an agreed timeframe or be removed from the joint zone.
A committee member moved to recommend the Common Council move toward establishment of the joint quiet zone including the listed crossings, contingent on the village constructing the ASMs; the motion was seconded and approved on voice vote.
Next steps: The committee's recommendation will be forwarded to the Common Council and staff said an agreement defining required ASMs and timing will be drafted for council review.
