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November 4, 2013 <br />Joel Hanson <br />City Administrator <br />City of Little Canada <br />515 Little Canada Road <br />Little Canada MN 55117 <br />RE: City of Little Canada <br />Railroad Quiet Zone Study <br />SEH No. 126252 <br />Dear Joel: <br />Thank you for the opportunity to provide professional services to the City of Little Canada to study the <br />feasibility of a railroad quiet zone implementation within the City. This letter serves as a Letter <br />Agreement as set forth in our general engineering services contract. <br />Background <br />The City and its residents has been concerned about the impact of the railroad noise to the residents <br />within the City from increased train traffic from the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The train noise is <br />generated by the train horns blowing at five mainline grade crossings. This study will address the <br />requirements to implement a quiet zone within the City <br />In the 1996 legislation, the federal government preempted local and state governments from regulating <br />train horn noise. In 2005, after many years of investigation and rule making, final rules regulating train <br />horn noise were adopted. There are four public grade crossings within the City that could potentially be <br />included in a federally approved railroad quiet zone. <br />The Federal Railroad Administration (PRA) rules provide a mechanism to evaluate how the City may <br />minimize the noise caused by the trains. The rules provide for communities to create quiet zones where <br />trains are exempt from horn regulations. There can be multiple quiet zones in a community provided that <br />each zone meets the criteria in the rules. This allows for phasing of a quiet zones based on Onding, local <br />development, and jurisdictional. issues. <br />Scope of Work <br />Railroad Quiet Zone <br />'file quiet zone study would cover the following tasks: <br />1. Review and update all data relevant to the crossings; <br />2. Conduct a diagnostic field review of all crossings. PRA, MnDOT, City, County and Railroad <br />personnel would attend.; <br />3. Run a risk index calculation for each crossing; <br />4. Develop options for each crossing; <br />Short liiliott I Ientlridtson Inc., 3535401(1'141s Center Drive, St. Paul, MN 551105196 <br />SI111 is an equal opportunity employer 1 vnvw.sehlne.cmn 1 651.490.2000 1 000,325,2055 l 000.900.8166 fax <br />2 <br />