Commuter Rail Railroad Crossings @ Main Street and Bonita Road
The Commuter Rail Construction Project will have significant impacts on intersecting streets
at Main Street and Bonita Road. Safety is the major factor that is being taken into
consideration in the final configuration of the railroad crossings on these two streets.
The commuter trains in some places will be traveling at 50 to 60 miles per hour.
Because of the new and improved railroad tracks, freight trains will now be able to
travel at 35 to 40 miles per hour. Both TriMet and ODOT Rail Division are extremely
concerned at crossings where left-turning vehicles can block through traffic
resulting in vehicles trapped on the tracks unable to move. To resolve the safety
issues, a median was installed on Main Street and a traffic signal system will be
installed at Bonita Road and 74th Avenue.
Main Street
At the Main Street Crossing, a median has been installed extending from Tigard Street
north past Commercial Street with a gap at the location of the two rails crossing Main
Street. The previous crossings allowed stacking for one or two cars to make left-turns
from Main Street to Commercial Street just north of the tracks and allowed left turns
from Commercial Street to Main Street. With the placement of the median, the entry
and exit to both Commercial Street west of Main Street and the Commuter Rail parking
lot will be limited to right-in and right-out.
Since the commuter trains will be stopping at the station, commuter train speed through the
crossings at this location should not be a major issue. However, freight trains will be moving
through the crossings at normal speed and are not programmed to stop anywhere along this area.
The lack of sight distance on the approach to Main Street from Tiedeman Avenue is a
major problem. ODOT Rail staff remain concerned about the possibility of vehicle/train
collisions and insist on the placement of the median to resolve that safety concern.
Bonita Road
The Bonita Road crossing is even more complicated with numerous industrial-based businesses located along 74th Avenue. These businesses depend on large truck traffic for daily deliveries. A median was also proposed for this location to block left turns into or out of 74th Avenue. However, elimination of the left-turn movements will force the truck traffic to use heavily congested Durham Road. To resolve the problem, TriMet proposed signalization of Bonita Road/74th Avenue intersection and integration of the signal system with the crossing signals on Bonita Road. The City will contribute $50,000 to implement the signalization work. ODOT rail will contribute up to $25,000 and TriMet will pay the remainder, regardless of what the actual costs turn out to be. The signal system will allow heavy truck traffic to continue to use Bonita Road by allowing for safe turning movements into and out of 74th Avenue.
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