Safety concern at heart of matter for Millwood, railroad

Millwood is once again battling Union Pacific Railroad.

The railroad won’t sign an agreement that allows parking in its right-of-way along Euclid Avenue unless the city closes Marguerite Road where it crosses the railroad tracks, or installs an active gate and lights.

Last spring Union Pacific closed Euclid right-of-way to parking, citing safety concerns.

Safety is also the rationale for asking the city to close the crossing at Marguerite. Millwood Public Works Manager Paul Allen said the railroad provided documentation about an estimated 50 incidents of unsafe motorists between August 2009 and September 2014 at the crossing – most of the entries did not include information about what constituted an unsafe motorist.

“The city’s position was, is and will continue to be that closing the Marguerite crossing is not an option,” Mayor Kevin Freeman said in an email. “We have received input from the Spokane Valley Fire, the Sheriff’s Office and West Valley School District. All are, for various reasons, opposed to closing the crossing.”

Negotiations between Union Pacific and the city stalled after the railroad reviewed engineering plans for the Marguerite crossing.

“We believed that we were working forward in a positive manner with UPRR and that we could reach an agreement that would preserve the crossing while addressing UPRR’s immediate safety concerns, restore some level of parking and obtain the ability to maintain and beautify” the right of way, Freeman said. “It now appears that UPRR is attempting to force the issue to their benefit without taking any responsibility for the crossing.”

Freeman said the city plans to approach the Washington Utilities and Transportation Committee for funding to add a signal to the Marguerite crossing. He said the railroad estimates putting in the signal will cost $120,000.

Freeman said he hoped to have a formal response for the railroad ready for the next council meeting.

Also during the March meeting, the City Council decided to pursue a grant available through the federal Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality Improvement program. The grant would be used to add turn lanes at two intersections along Argonne Road, at Euclid and Liberty avenues.

The project is expected to cost nearly $1.3 million; the city’s portion would be a 13.5 percent match, or about $174,000.

The federal funds are administered through the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, which plans to award $11 million, 25 percent for traffic flow improvements. Applications are due at the end of April; SRTC plans to announce recipients in July.