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 Enter Into an Engineering Cost Reimbursement Agreement With Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad, Inc. (DGNO) For Signal Design Services To Establish A Quiet Zone In Downtown Carrollton, In An Amount Not To Exceed $210,463.00.
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BACKGROUND:
In August of 2024, the City of Carrollton contracted Bridgefarmer to analyze and design a quiet zone in the Downtown area. 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 3 locations that involve their railway. DGNO requires the attached Engineering Cost Reimbursement Agreement to provide the following engineering services.
• Perform preliminary engineering services and other related services for work to be performed within Railroad right of way.
• Prepare force account estimates for work within Railroad right of way.
• Perform signal design of the railroad crossings.
• Perform IC reviews, traffic reviews, and quiet zone reviews of the railroad crossings.
• Make recommendations to the agency of required updates or revisions to the plans within the Railroad right of way.
• Prepare and issue final construction drawings for the “Improvements” based on the plans within Railroad right of way, including any Agency approved changes or updates thereto.
• Procure competitive bid proposals to perform the “Improvements” by Railroad approved vendors.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
DGNO has submitted an Engineering Cost Reimbursement Agreement to the City of Carrollton to perform signal design services for seven (7) crossing locations within Quiet Zone 3 in an amount not to exceed $210,463.00. Separately, staff is submitting a Contract Amendment for $40,000.00 to address the signal design services for the three (3) remaining BNSF crossing locations. The necessary funding is available in Streets fund and the total of both the design contract and cost reimbursement is $825,463.00.
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 additional in savings. The following are the benefits of 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.
• Allows 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 approve an Engineering Cost Reimbursement Agreement with DGNO for the engineering services of the Quiet Zone 3 project in an amount not to exceed $210,463.00.