Engineering Department XX.
City Council - Regular
Meeting Date: 05/19/2025
Staff Source: Albert Quintanilla
SUBJECT
2025-R-142 Authorizing the City Manager to ratify acceptance of a private partnership funding agreement in the amount of $ 1,000,000.00 from the Texas Mexican railway company (“TM”), a Texas statutory corporation, and the Kansas City Southern Railway company (“KCRS”), a Missouri corporation qualified to do business in Texas (TM and KCRS together referred to herein as “CPKC’). This funding represents the 20 % non-federal match for a US Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant in the amount of $ 4,000,000.00 (80 %) for a total project cost of $ 5,000,000.00. Submission of this Funding Agreement will be used to further the awarding of the CRISI Grant.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION
Resolution 2022-R-178 Authorizing the interim City Manager to submit a grant application in partnership with the Kansas City Southern Railway Company in the amount not to exceed $ 4,000,000.00. to the US Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration, under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grant for the purpose of funding the preliminary planning, engineering and other work required for the subsequent applications for the grade crossing and grade separation improvements.
BACKGROUND
The CRISI program funds projects that improve safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail. CPKC, its consultant, and engineering teams have agreed that a CRISI grant would be best to finalize the preliminary engineering (PE) and federal environmental reviews (NEPA) of this project. All federal discretionary grants require that NEPA be completed before any federal construction funding can be committed to an individual project, and CRISI provides the best path to achieve that outcome.
The $ 5 million planning project consists of preliminary engineering, utilities, right of way, NEPA and outreach activities for improvements to 31 at-grade crossings between Mile Posts 0.780 and 4.20 on CPKC Laredo Subdivision, including up to five (5) closures, two (2) at-grade crossings converted to grade separations, and crossing safety improvements at the remaining 24 at-grade crossings including ten (10) sets of Active Warning Devices, all according to the Grant Application Project Narrative.
The Planning Project Total Cost estimate would be allocated as follows:
• Preliminary Engineering (PE) $ 2,500,000.00
• Environmental Clearance (NEPA) $ 550,000.00
• Right of Way (ROW) $ 750,000.00
• Utilities $ 900,000.00
• Outreach Activities $ 50,000.00
• Contingency $ 250,000.00
Total $ 5,000,000.00
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
N/A
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Year: 2025/2026
Budgeted Y/N?:N/A
Source of funds:
Account:
Change Order: Exceeds 25% Y/N:
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Continuation of Grant Approval process. No financial impact.