Quiet Zone: Engineering firm to pay up to half

Engineers from Veenstra & Kimm faced the Creston City Council firing squad Tuesday evening.

The firm designed the safety improvement project in uptown Creston that included medians constructed on Elm Street and New York Avenue. The city’s goal for this safety project was to meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards so the city could apply to be a quiet zone.

The problem? Medians weren’t constructed close enough to the tracks. This problem must be resolved before the city can apply to become a quiet zone. The medians need extended anywhere from 10 inches to four feet depending on location.

“Who is paying for these to be extended?” Marsha Wilson, ward 4 city councilwoman, asked the engineers.

Greg Roth with Veenstra & Kimm told the council their firm will pay up to half of the total for this additional project.

The high-end cost for the median extensions is $14,000. However, Kevin Kruse — public works director in Creston — said the FRA would allow an 18-inch wide median be used to get the distance needed. Using the 18-inch wide median would cut the cost to $7,000.

Dr. Gabe Carroll, ward 3 councilman, asked engineers if the company would pay for that $7,000 since Kruse did the legwork in finding a way to cut costs.

“Obviously, we would prefer to split costs,” Roth said.

Carroll told Roth he would have preferred the job be done right the first time.

Roth said the reason the medians weren’t close enough to the tracks was because the stop-arm gates do not come down “square.” The gates are skewed toward the tracks. Roth said his firm will be more mindful that this can happen and will over plan the length of medians in the future so this doesn’t happen again.

“What you have to take away from this is lessons learned,” Roth said.

Engineers said all other safety improvements are in place and scoring will be high enough with the FRA that the city can move toward the final process to become a quiet zone.