Bettendorf Iowa USA - After months of negotiations, Canadian Pacific (CP) and one Iowa Mississippi River city have reached an agreement on how to mitigate a tripling of train traffic.
 
Pending approval of the merger from a federal regulatory agency, CP has agreed to pay the city of Bettendorf US$3 million to assuage noise and safety concerns, including intersection upgrades.
 
Bettendorf approved the agreement Tuesday night.
 
Bettendorf's settlement agreement is one result of months of negotiations between CP and cities and towns along the Iowa side of the Mississippi River.
 
The towns want the railroad to cover the costs of improvements.
 
Other cities, including Davenport and LeClaire, are still in negotiations.
 
CP last year announced it acquired Kansas City Southern, paving the way for the first single rail line connecting Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
 
The merger is valued at roughly US$31 billion and is pending approval from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).
 
According to the STB, about 14 more trains are expected to pass through the area per day, increasing from currently about eight trains per day to about 22 by 2027.
 
If the merger is approved, Bettendorf would get the money within 60 days of the decision by the transportation board and merger, which CP expects to come in the first quarter of 2023, a spokesperson for the rail company said.
 
"It's not up to us," said Bettendorf City Attorney Chris Curran.
 
"We are kind of along for the ride, if you will, and this is the best deal we feel we could get."
 
Bettendorf plans to use the US$3 million to create "quiet zones" from 12th Street through 35th Street, which could include installing four flashing lights and gates at most railroad crossings or installing medians to prevent vehicles from going around the gates.
 
With those added safety measures, trains wouldn't have to blow their horns.
 
Those improvements would cost roughly $1.5 million, City Engineer Brent Morlok said, drawing from a Snyder and Associates study.
 
"We feel that the dollar amount that's part of this agreement is significantly more than the quiet-zone issue would require, allowing us to do some other mitigation actions." Curran said.
 
The city can decide how to use the remaining dollars to mitigate any other concerns from increased train traffic.
 
That could include connecting in the 35th Street intersection, more safety measures, or vibration mitigation, Curran said.
 
The agreement also prevents Bettendorf from opposing or challenging the merger.
 
The merger between CP and KCS, if approved, isn't expected to be fully completed until 2027, "giving the city time to determine what makes sense based on actual data," Curran said.
 
Bettendorf has plans in motion for an "urban park" underneath the I-74 bridge, access to which would be affected by a bisecting railroad with increased train traffic.
 
That includes plans for an elevator to get up to the I-74 pedestrian path.
 
City Administrator Decker Ploehn said the transportation board was unlikely to support a pedestrian or vehicular bridge as a condition of approval.
 
But, Ploehn said, the city already is eyeing an overpass over 26th Street contingent on riverfront development.
 
Morlok said if development were to happen, the city anticipates structuring a tax-increment-finance agreement to fund the overpass.
 
City of Davenport officials declined to comment because the city remains in ongoing active negotiations with CP.
 
In a previous public comment period, Davenport officials expressed concern about access to public parks and amenities, such as the riverfront, and utilities being hampered by increased train traffic.
 
CP operates a switch yard near a regional wastewater treatment facility close to Credit Island, where city officials say it's common for trains to block the entrance for close to an hour as trains switch.
 
They also worry about ready access to Iowa American Water, which is bisected by the railroad.
 
Davenport is moving slowly forward with a plan for a US$6 million riverfront "regional destination play area" to attract more visitors and add a quality-of-life amenity to downtown Davenport.
 
CP casts the merger as an economic boost to the area, including creating about 100 jobs in the Quad-Cities.
 
Rail company officials also claim the merger will lead to reducing 1.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions within five years because of improved efficiency.
 
"CP is engaged in productive discussions with a number of communities, including in Iowa," said CP Spokesperson Andy Cummings.
 
"We are very optimistic that we will reach additional agreements that will address the needs of those individual communities."
 
Sarah Watson.