CC MEETING: July 22, 2025
DATE: July 15, 2025
TO: Erin Rinehart, City Manager
FROM: Jonathan Wheat, Jr., P.E., Director of Engineering
Shannon Hicks, P.E., Assistant City Manager
Title
Consider A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Negotiate And Execute A Contract Amendment With Bridgefarmer & Associates, Inc. For Signal Design Services To Establish A Quiet Zone In Downtown Carrollton, In An Amount Not To Exceed $40,000.00, For A Revised Total Amount Not To Exceed $615,000.00.
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BACKGROUND:
In August of 2024, the City of Carrollton contracted Bridgefarmer & Associates, Inc. to analyze and design a quiet zone in the Downtown area for $575,000.00. The project is currently at 30% designed. Quiet Zone 3 includes three (3) crossing locations along the BNSF railway and seven (7) crossing locations along the DGNO railway. Expenses for a signal design at each crossing were not included in the original estimate, because it was unknown if the railway entities would be completing the signal design in-house or if our consultants would be completing the design work. BNSF chose to have the city’s consultant complete the design for the three (3) locations that involve their railway. DGNO requires a separate Engineering Cost Reimbursement Agreement to provide signal design services for their seven (7) crossings.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Bridgefarmer & Associates, Inc. has submitted a proposal to the City of Carrollton to address the signal design services for the three (3) BNSF crossing locations in an amount not to exceed $40,000.00.
Separately, staff is submitting an Engineering Cost Reimbursement Agreement for the signal design of the seven (7) DGNO crossing locations within Quiet Zone 3 in an amount not to exceed $210,463.00. The necessary funding is available in Streets fund.
Design costs are offset by expected savings in construction costs. No signal construction is required at the DGNO crossing of Broadway and the Private Drive south of Crosby Road. This provides an estimated savings of $1.56M. Also, if Main Street and Fourth Avenue are turned into paired one-way streets, there is a potential of $1.17M in additional savings. The following are the benefits to having these streets be one-way.
• Eliminates the need for one set of gates and flashers for each crossing.
• Eliminates the need for non-traversable Median for both streets.
• Does not remove existing parking spaces required to accommodate the medians.
• Allow for the Alleyway between Main and Fourth to remain open.
IMPACT ON COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY:
This project will support the City Council’s strategic objectives and vision of building a community that families and businesses want to call home by:
• Reducing overall noise in the Downtown Carrollton area.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION/ACTION DESIRED:
Staff recommend authorizing the City Manager to amend the existing engineering design services contract with Bridgefarmer & Associates, Inc. for the additional efforts required to complete the signal design of the three (3) BNSF crossings in an amount not to exceed $40,000.00.