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1 'EX~hnib;ritrA~~o r e ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT I AR and minutes from 4/6/09 Council Study Session AGENDA ITEM # i:h'vj. Meetin TO: DATE: SUBMITTED BY: AN,l::K,;.uY COUNCIL APPROVED BY: +-I,,*,f-'<"" -V'lf\--'U-l"'\Ir-I'-J-- SUBJECT: Grade Separation Footprint Study Update - Downtown and Nortlt San Mateo RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council provide input regarding the initial findings ofthe San Mateo County Transportation Authority Grade Separation Footprint Study for downtown and north San Mateo. BACKGROUND: The San Mateo County Transportation Authority is preparing Grade Separation Footprint Studies for the potential grade separation of at-grade rail crossings within San Mateo County. The Footprint Studies are planning studies that evaluate a full range of rail and street alignment options for each grade separation and provide initial, planning level, cost estimates for the grade separations. For each option, cqst estimate ranges have been approximated for comparison purposes. The rough estimates should not be interpreted as actual costs. The Footprint Studies will be used by the Transportation Authority as input to select potential grade separation projects to advance into the Project Study Report phase. The Project Study Report will include more detailed design and environmental review. The 2004 Measure A Program provides funding for grade separation projects. The goal ofthe Grade Separation program is to improve safety and local traffic circulation. It is also anticipated that the Footprint Studies will be used as input for the design ofhigh Speed Rail within San Mateo County. The Transportation Authority will present the Draft Footprint Studies for all of the potential grade separations throughout the county during April and May The Draft Footprint Study for the grade separations at 25 1h, 28 1h and 3 lsi Avenues was presented to the City Council in February 12,2008. The Footprint Studies remain in draft form. Public Works staff has reviewed the draft documents with the Transportation Authority who will present the Footprint Study to the Council and respond to questions. Description of Footprint Study - The Footprint Study for downtown and north San Mateo evaluated all atgrade crossings between 1 51 and 9 th Avenues as well as all at~grade crossings north of the downtown area (Exhibit A). The Study evaluated ~ cort:\plete range of alignment options at each crossing. Change in the vertical rail alignment must be accomplished gradually.(maximum 1 percent grade). Therefore, it is not possible to achieve different rail alignment at each intersection. For this reason, Public Works statfrequested that the Transportation Authority evaluate two additional options: rail alignment depressed through the downtown and rail alignment elevated through the downtown. The resultant vertical alignment options are: Initial Alternatives Alternative I - Rail at-grade with street overcrossing Alternative 2 - Rail at-grade with street depressed Alternative 3 - Rail elevated with street at-grade Alternative 4 - Rail depressed with street at-grade Alternative 5 - Rail partially elevated with street partially depressed Alternative 6 - Rail partially depressed with street partially elevated Q:\pw\PWENG\A_AR\2009\Patlcrson\Footprint Sludy Update.DOC

2 StaffRequestedAlternatives Combination Alternative 3 - Rail transitions to an elevated alignment south of Poplar Avenue and remains elevated to 9 th Avenue. Combination Alternative 4 - Rail transitions to depressed alignment south of Poplar Avenue and remains depressed to 9 th Avenue. Staff has communicated to the Transportation Authority staff the long standing General Plan and Downtown Plan policies which state the City's preference for a depressed alignment through downtown. With this understanding, the city's preferred depressed alignment has been analyzed as well as all other technically feasible alignments to meet the purpose of the study. The horizontal alignment remained the same for all vertical alignment options. Previous analyses of the downtown rail alignment have anticipated a three-track cross section. Two-track and four-track cross sections are evaluated in the Footprint Study. The Footprint Study was based on a number of specific constraints that may have affected the feasibility of some alignment options. The assumed constraints were: SR 92 - The rail alignment must be at-grade to pass beneath the SR 92 structure and provide required.clearances. All alignments retained the existing grades at the Hayward Park station. San Mateo Transit Center - The alignment options assumed that the existing location ofthe downtown San Mateo rail station would be retained. The platforms would either be raised or depressed under the staffrequested elevated or depressed options. Tilton Avenue - The vertical alignment options within the downtown assume that the existing elevation of the Tilton Avenue grade separation will be maintained. This constraint in combination with assumptions that the existing downtown station platform would remain at its current location and elevation was a significant constraint and limited the feasibility of some alignment options. This constraint was relaxed under the staff requested elevated and depressed alignments through the.downtown. San Mateo Creek - San Mateo Creek crosses the rail alignment just north of the existing downtown station platform. This constraint encourages a vertical alignment that maintains existing rail elevations between the downtown station and Tilton Avenue. Poplar Avenue - All alignment options return to the existing grade at the Poplar Avenue grade separation. This constraint was relaxed under the staff requested depressed 'alignment (Combination Alt. 4). The Footprint Studies provide the first informed glimpse into possible grade separation projects within the County. They permit the elimination of alignment alternatives that are technically infeasible (i.e, cannot be accomplished within the adopted design criteria). The Footprint Studies also provide an early opportunity for the City Council and public to have input into the design process. This input will be considered in the more detailed design process for those.projects selected to proceed into the Project Study Report phase. Key Findings - The following, are key findings defined by Public Works staff from the draft Footprint Study for the downtown and north San Mateo alignments:. Downtown '. Feasible Vertical Alignments - Maintaining a consistent.alignment (at-grade, elevated or depressed) through downtown is the most realistic approach to grade separations within downtown San Mateo. Grade separation of individual crossings is expensive and change in rait alignment between intersections within the downtown is not feasible. Q:\pw.'PWENG\A_AR\2009\Patterson\Footprint Study Update.DOC

3 Requested City Council Input: Does the City Council concur with staffthat alternatives that atte.,!,pt to grade separate individual crossings within downtown San Mateo are infeasible and should be eliminatedfrom further consideration? It was found that partially raised or partially depressed alignments (All. 5 & Alt. 6) generally resulted in greater impacts than either the fully elevated or fully depressed alignment options. Requested City Council Input: Does the City Council concur with staffthat Alternatives 5 and 6 should be eliminated from further consideration due to the higher costs and significant property impacts?. At-Grade Rail Alignment - Property and access impacts of the at-grade rail alignment option far exceed those under either the elevated or depressed alignment options. Changing street grades requires the construction of retaining walls along the east-west streets thus impacting property access and parking. The change in street grades may also impact north-south streets~ B Street and Claremont in particular. Access and property impact estimates in the Footprint Study suggest that full blocks of the downtown on both sides oftherail alignment would be impacted during construction and in many cases permanently under the at-grade rail option. To illustrate, grade separation by eitherelevating or. depressing 2 nd Avenue would require modification of the profile on B and Claremont Streets thus changing aece ss to adjacent properties and parking in the area. Requested City Council Input: Does the City Council recommendthat the at grade alternative be eliminated from further consideration in downtown San Mateo due to the higher costs and significantproperly impacts? Depressed Alignment - Depressing the alignment within the downtown has been the stated preference of the City for years. The Footprint Study provides some initial information regarding the potential. impacts of depressing the alignment. In particular, it is clear that a depressed alignment will require enclosing San Mateo Creek in the area of the Transit Center so that it can be routed under the rail alignment. This would likely be accomplished by constructing a siphon under the tracks. This can be done but will produce some interesting design challenges. Depressing the alignment will also impact Tilton Avenue. It will not be possible to return the depressed alignment to the current elevation of the Tilton grade separation. It will be necessary to either keep the alignment depressed or close Tilton Avenue to automobile traffic. RequestedCity Council Input: Does thefact that a depressed alignment downtown would require closure of Tilton Avenue and would result in significant property impacts in north San Mateo affect the City Council's established preference for a depressed alignment through downtown San Mateo? Elevated Alignment - Elevating the alignment through the downtown results in visual impacts. This is particularly true ifthe alignment is placed on retained fill. Construction ofan elevated structure instead ofusing retaining walls would reduce these impacts. (Exhibit D). Reqf;lested City CouncilInput: Would the City Council consider an elevatedalignment in the downtown given that an elevated alignment would reduce property impacts ofgrade separations at some locations in north San Mateo? If the alignment was on bridge structure rather than constructed using continuous retaining walls, would that make the elevated alignment more acceptable? Q:\pw\PWENG\A_ARU009\Panerson\Footprint Study Update.DOC

4 e e Right ofway Requirement - It is assumed that both the depressed or elevated alignment would be coll~tructed for the four track alignment. It is unlikely that a 2-track option would be depressed or elevated through the downtown. It is estimated that a 4-track, depressed alignment will require a width of 110 feet during construction. This will impact access to many buildings along both sides of the tracks and will require acquisition of some parcels. Once constructed, both the elevated and depressed alignments can be accommodated within a right of way of about 70 feet for the 4-track option and therefore can be accommodated within the existing right ofway in most areas south ofthe downtown. Expansion of the existing right of way will be required in the area between lsi and 3 rd Avenues. Property impacts are, also anticipated north ofthe downtown to construct the depressed alignment and to a slightly lesser degree the elevated alignment. The property impacts will result from the width required to construct the alignment. Post construction property impacts will depend on the horizontal and vertical alignments selected during the detailed design phase. A 4-track, elevated alignment can be constructed within slightly less width than the depressed option. However, due to the limited available right of way between JSI and 3 rd Avenues where the right of way is 50 to 60 feet in width, property and access impacts during construction of an elevated alignment are expected to be similar to those under the depressed alignment. Minor impacts to the former Kinko's site are anticipated during construction of the depressed alignment under the current horizontal alignment. More significant construction impacts to the site may result if the horizontal alignment is shifted to the east. Closure of Railroad Avenue may be required' depending upon the horizontal alignment selected. No impacts to the property are anticipated under the elevated alignment given the currently proposed horizontal alignment. More significant construction impacts could result ifthe alignment is shifted to the east. Horizontal Alignment - The horizontal alignment was not varied significantly between Footprint Study alternatives. The downtown horizontal alignment results in most impacts along the west sideof the existing rail right of way. Some adjustment ofthe horizontal alignment could reduce or change the type of property impacts within the downtown. The area of potential property impacts is illustrated in Exhibit B. The horizontal alignment assumed in the draft Footprint Study produces greater property impacts on the west side of the tracks. This would impact the downtown Cinema, Main Street Garage and Transit Center under the 4-track option. Requested City Council Input: Does the City Council agree with staff that the horizontal rail alignment must he estahlished to eliminate impacts to the downtown cinema, Main Street Garage and Transit Center? Relative Costs - The order of magnitude costs for the depressed alignment through the downtown are approximately twice those for the elevated alignment. Leaving the tracks at-grade and modifying the street grade to go over or under the tracks would be among the most expensive alternatives due to the. resultant property impacts and would be more, expensive than an elevated alignment in the downtown.,,' North San Mateo Impact to Existing Grade Separations - The Footprint Study assumes that existing grade separations remain in place at or near their existing elevations. Q:\pw\PWENG\A_AR\2Q09\Patterson\Footprint Study Update. DOC

5 e e. Impact To Existing At-Grade Rail Crossings - The at-grade crossings at Villa Terrace and Bellevue Avenue would be grade separated. Either depressing these streets or elevating them over the at-grade rail alignment would have significant impacts to residential properties fronting the street. (Exhibit C) Depressing the tracks may impact fewer properties than the elevated street option due to greater clearances that must be achieved over the rail (24.5 feet to bottom ofthe structure) when compared to clearances over the street (15.5 feet to bottom of structure). Peninsula Avenue would also be grade separated. This crossing is shared by Burlingame and San Mateo so both agencies will be providing input to the Transportation Authority regarding grade separation options at this location. Requested City Council input: Should the City ask the Transportation Authority to evaluate the potential tradeoff between traffic impacts of closure of Bellevue or Villa Terrace versus the property impacts ofgrade separating these two streets at the tracks? Impact ofdowntown Alignment Alternatives - Depressing the rail alignment in downtown impacts a significant number of properties in the northern segment between Bellevue Avenue and Monte Diablo. This is the segment where the rail alignment begins to descend. However, since the rail is not fully depressed until south of Monte Diablo, the street profiles must be raised. Raising the street profiles prevents access to properties along.the impacted street. In some cases, the raised profile also impacts streets near and parallel to the tracks since raising the elevation of an intersection requires elevating the profile of all intersection approaches. An example would be Ramona Street between Poplar Avenue and Santa Inez. Elevating the alignment through downtown also elevates the rail alignment. north to Poplar Avenue. Since the streets are partially depressed below the existing rail alignment, elevating the rail profile in this area does not require modification of street profiles and therefore results in fewer property and acc~ss impacts. Estimated Costs - The cost ofgrade separation ofthe at-grade crossings in north San Mateo will vary depending on the selected alignment alternative. The estimated range in rough costs to grade separate the intersections in north San Mateo assuming an at-grade rail alignment are: Peninsula Villa Terrace - Bellevue - $140 to $240 million $88 to $140 million $60 to $110 million BUDGET IMPACT: The Footprint Study is funded by the Transportation Authority. Staff review of the Study is funded through the Transportation Engineering Program ( ). ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The Footprint Stydy is a planning level analysis and does not represent a project under CEQA. Environmental review of the grade separations considered in the Project Study Report phase ofproject development. NOTICING: The Downtown San Mateo Association, Ch!lmber of Commerce and all neighborhood Associations were provided copies of the staff report and notices were sent to individuals on our High Speed Rail Interested Parties list. EXIDBITS: A. Study Area B. Area ofpotential Property Impacts in Downtown San Mateo Q:\pw\PWENG\A_AR\2009\Panerson\Footprint Study Update.DOC

6 C. Area ofpotential Property Impacts - Illustrative North San Mateo Grade Separation D. Elevated Rail Design Options c: City Attorney City Clerk Business Administrator Susanna Chan> Deputy Director ofpublic Works/City Engineer Transportation Authority File - Downtown Footprint Study Downtown San Mateo Association San Mateo Chamber ofcommerce Neighborhood Associations Ron Holmes, SMCTA Public Works A.R. Binder Q:\pw\PWENG\A:...AR\2009\Patterson\Footprinl Study Update. DOC

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9 Area of Potential Significant Property Impacts Villa Terrace

10 TRACK ALIGNMENT \ EXHIBIT.D : 'ELEVATED RAIL DESIGN OPTIONS (lllustra TIVE NOT TO SCALE) BALLAST BRIDGE STRUCTURE '<I' ':.s ~.,j'" ".,', ' RET-AiNIM3',,,':,,<1', : W~L~S.c3, : 4,4,., 'c ' ~", 4 'Z COLUMN EXISTING GRADE, 'q~ A, ".d' :q.,4 ' ' :.<\ ",4 <1. ~ " ', ' q " FILL ~.,'" 'MATERiAL ' '. '4 ' ; <II ~. : -<J, :.<1 ~~',.ij, ij,: <1,j,,~,,.q,.;:',', ': ~, "'.', ',', <1,.1'4,, :. 4' ELEVATED STRUCTURE ELEVATED ON RETAINED WALL " ' '

11 CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MATEO REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY OF SAN MATEO Minutes ofthe Special Meeting ofapril 6, 2009 Prior to the Special Meeting, the City Council met in Closed Session at 4:30 p.m. in City Hall Conference Room C, regarding Conference with Labor Negotiators pursuant to Government Code Section Agency Designated Representative: Diana Doughtie, IEDA. Employee Organizations: All Units. The Special Meeting was called to order by Mayor Brandt Grotte at 5:00 p.m. in Conference Room C, Those present were Council Members Jan Epstein, John Lee, Jack Matthews, and Brandt Grotte. Council Member Fred Hansson was absent and excused. I. Grade Separation Footprint StUdy Update - Downtown and North San Mateo Public Works Director Larry Patterson requested the Council provide input regarding the initial findings of the San Mateo County Transportation' Authority Grade Separation Footprint Study'ror the Downtown and north San Mateo. He introduced Marian Lee-Skowronek and Ron Holmes, reptesenting the San Mateo County Transportation Authority who offered presentations on the Grade Separation S~tegic Plan Program Members ofthe public spoke to the item. Council Members raised questions, offered comments and expressed unanimous support for the following first four items:» Alternatives that attempt to grade separate individual crossings within Downtown San Mateo are infeasible and should be eliminated from further consideration; > Alternativ~ 5 and 6 should be 'eliminated from further consideration due to the " higher costs and significant property impacts;» "the at grade alternative be eliminated from further consideration in Downtown San Mateo due to the higher costs and significant property impacts;» The Council expressed concern regarding significant property impacts a depressed alignment would cause in the Downtown and noted they needed more information regarding those impacts to make a decision. It was noted that ifa tunnel were to be built, closureoftilton Avenue would not be required;» The Council expressed a preference for an elevated alignment on a bridge structure in the downtown;» The Council noted they needed to have more information on the impacts ofmoving the horizontal rail alignment east prior to consideration; }> The Council requested staff provide more information regarding the property - "Impacts in thearea north ofdowntown and the BellevueNillaTerrace area and that staffmake contact with those residents; }> The Council requested staff inform and involve San Mateo residents along the railroad corridor ofthis process. There being no further business to come before the City Council, Mayor GroUe adjourned the special meeting at the hour of6:35 p.m. (SEAL) lsi NORMA GOMEZ Norma Gomez, City Clerk and Clerk ofthe City Council... Minutes approved as corrected, on April 20,2009. to replace the 5 th bullet in Item 1 to read: "The Council indicated a preference for a tunnel, but acknowledged that an elevated structure could continue to be studied as a possible solution." 4/6/09-1