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DES: 2100022 | City of South Bend - LaPorte District - PE/RW Services for Bendix Drive | 8 <br />Should construction of the multi-use path require greater <br />separation from the NICTD rails, a more significant utility <br />relocation plan will be necessary given the bulk of utilities <br />appear to be west of and adjacent to Bendrix Drive. <br />MULTI-USE TRAIL AND NICTD <br />Installation of a multi-use trail along the east side of Bendix <br />Drive is complicated due to the NICTD Shore Line that runs <br />directly east of and in close proximity to the roadway. From <br />Voorde Drive to 750 feet north of Voorde Drive there are two <br />tracks, with the closest track approximately 10 feet from the <br />face of curb. Further north, to the at grade NICTD crossing, <br />there is one rail, approximately 25 feet from the face of curb. <br />Ultimately, successful design of a multi-use trail in this <br />location will balance the operational, maintenance, and <br />safety requirements of a railroad with the specific needs and <br />characteristics of trail users. <br />A summary of effective practices for the design of rail-with- <br />trail facilities is as follows: <br />Setback: Rails-with-trails should be set back from <br />railroad tracks as much as reasonably possible. Setback <br />determinations should consider factors including: <br /> +Train frequency, speed, and type of freight transported <br /> +Current and future rail maintenance and operational <br />needs <br /> +Track curvature <br /> +Topography and other environmental and physical <br />constraints <br /> +Separation type <br /> +Any applicable state standards <br /> +Historical patterns of trespassing or vandalism <br />Separation between the rail-with-trail and railroad tracks <br />which aims to reduce trespassing on the tracks often takes the <br />form of fencing, ditches, berms, vegetation, or any combination <br />of these options. If fence is needed, characteristics such as <br />the setback distance, location of legal at-grade crossings, and <br />the type, speed, and frequency of rail service will influence the <br />appropriate fencing style, including height and material. <br />For the Bendix Drive multi-use trail, there is a limited amount <br />of space available between the roadway, even with only three <br />lanes and the rail. For that reason, shifting the entire roadway <br />to the west may be necessary to provide for safety and <br />operations of both the rail and the trail. <br />At-Grade Crossings: The likelihood of a fall is kept to a <br />minimum where the roadway or shared use path crosses the <br />tracks at 90 degrees. The preferable skew angle between the <br />centerline of the tracks and the bikeway is between 60 and 90 <br />degrees, so bicyclists can avoid catching their wheels in the <br />flange[way] and losing their balance. The new grade crossing <br />will be reviewed to determine which traffic control devices are <br />required to provide warning and guidance for trail users. <br />INNOVATION <br />GET A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW BEFORE BREAKING <br />GROUND. <br />3D TECHNOLOGY <br />The traditional plan set uses three independent 2D paper <br />plans to illustrate each 3D element, such as alignments, <br />profiles, and cross sections. Plan sheets typically include <br />manually-entered, unintelligent text that require quality <br />reviews to independently check X, Y, and Z. <br />Because 3D models are generally used in design to create <br />2D paper plans, which are the contract documents, these 3D <br />design models are often incomplete and not construction <br />ready. <br />At Kapur we believe the best way to ensure that the three 2D <br />paper views fit together is to build the project electronically <br />with reverse engineering ahead of time. <br />We use 3D CIM technology at 90% to build a 3D model <br />from the paper plans. This virtually built project (reverse <br />engineered) - prepared prior to construction - ensures that the <br />project can be constructed from the 2D paper plans. <br />The resulting model brings the 3D technology advantage back <br />to the City of South Bend and INDOT. <br /> <br />PROJECT APPROACH