The City of PARAMONT

DIANE J MARTINEZ
Mayor

PEGGY LEMONS
Vice Mayor

GENE DANIELS
Councilmember

MANUEL E. GUILLEN
Councilmember

HENRY HARKEMA
Councilmember

December 28, 2001

Ms. Shelly J. Row, P.E.
Director, Office of Transportation Operations
Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

Subject: 4-238 (Ex) -In-Roadway Lights for Highway-Rail Grade Crossing-Paramount, CA

Dear Ms. Row:

Thank you for your response to our September 14th letter requesting experimentation of In-Roadway Flashing Lights at the intersection of Paramount Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue in the City of Paramount. The City of Paramount is very pleased that the Federal Highway Administration has tentatively approved the experimentation ~ending receipt of the supplemental information requested in your November 19th response letter.

The following information is provided in response to the specific items noted in your letter and hopefully satisfactorily addresses those items:

  1. The purpose of the City's project at this intersection is to provide upgraded traffic signal equipment including enhanced at-grade railroad crossing controls. These modifications will install additional traffic control devices, including traffic signal heads, internally illuminated regulatory signs, and new at-grade crossing controls, such as wayside horns and signals. These improvements, including a revised railroad-preemption sequence represent the "after" condition and will remain in place following the experimentation period.
  2. It is the City's desire to supplement these improvements with the in pavement flashing lights to further enhance the railroad crossing controls. The number of in-pavement flashing lights is estimated to be 84, with 44 to be installed on each side of the tracks. Since the lights on each side of the tracks will need to face each of the two approaches (e.g. northbound and eastbound traffic) it is proposed that the lights be spaced at approximately 2.5 feet with every other light facing one of the two directions. This will result in 5 foot spacing for each of the lights facing anyone direction.
  3. In accordance with Section 1A.10 of the 2000 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the City of Paramount agrees to restore the site to a condition that complies with the MUTCD within 3 months following the end of the experimentation period. Additionally the City of Paramount agrees to terminate the experiment at any time that it determines significant safety concerns are directly or indirectly attributable to the experimentation. The City of Paramount also acknowledges that the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Transportation Operations has the right to terminate this experimentation at any time if there is an indication of safety concerns.
  4. The City of Paramount understands that the "predetermined stutter flash rate" for the in-pavement flashing lights should be a rate of not less than 50 and not more than 60 flashes per minute, in conformance with the requirements of Section 4L.02 of the MUTCD for flash rate of in-pavement flashing lights at crosswalks.

Once again, thank you for your consideration and approval of this experimentation of in-pavement flashing lights in the City of Paramount. The City's improvement project is currently underway and we anticipate beginning the experimentation very shortly. In the interim should you have any questions or require additional information, please call me at (562) 220-2108.

Sincerely, William C. Pagett, P.E. City Engineer