Connecting Palo Alto Rail Program Master List of

Connecting Palo Alto: Rail Program Master List of Ideas – Initial Screening City Council Rail Committee 1 March 21, 2018

Potential Changes to Existing Crossings INTERSECTIONS Charleston Meadow Churchill Palo Alto No Build / Do Nothing Closure Closed to Vehicles Only; Pedestrians & Bicycles OK Road Over Hybrid Under Rail Closed to All Traffic Independent of Alma Connects to Alma Rail Under Road Rail Over Road Alma Below Grade Alma at Grade 2

Types of Crossing Modification Road Closure at Tracks • • Sample location: North California Avenue, Palo Alto Close City Road that crosses RR Property Fence RR Property Modify Alma intersection Reroute traffic to other crossings Pros: • Increased safety • Eliminate train horn • Traffic reduced on/near closed road • Alma traffic improved • Low cost • Low property impacts Cons: • Increased traffic on/near other crossings • Longer routes for bikes/peds • More vehicle trips 3

Types of Crossing Modification Lower Road/Ped/Bikes under Tracks • Change local road profile to go under tracks • Bike/Ped under RR – higher than road • Retaining Walls parallel to road • Train crosses over road on bridge – same elevation. • Lower Alma to local road elevation Pros: • Increased safety • Eliminate train horn • Improved traffic flow on grade separated street Sample Location: Jefferson Ave, Redwood City Cons: • Increased traffic on local road(s) • Increased noise from vehicles • Property impacts • Potential impact to street system • Utility Impacts 4

Types of Crossing Modification Raise Road/Ped/Bikes over Tracks • Change local road profile to go over tracks • Bike/Ped follow road profile • Retaining Walls parallel to road • Train crosses under road on existing ground • Alma crosses under local road Pros: • Increased safety • Eliminate train horn • Improved traffic flow Sample Location: Scott Boulevard, Santa Clara Cons: • Increased traffic on local road(s) • Increased noise from vehicles • Property impacts • Local street connections lost • Utility Impacts 5

Types of Crossing Modification Hybrid – Lower Road/Ped/Bikes and Raise Tracks • Change local road profile to go under tracks • Bike/Ped higher than road profile • Retaining Walls parallel to road & parallel to tracks • Train crosses over road at higher elevation • Alma lowered to elevation of local road Pros: • Increased safety • Eliminate train horn • Improved traffic flow • Reduced property impacts from other alternatives Sample Location: Holly Street, San Carlos Cons: • Increased traffic on local road(s) • Increased noise from vehicles and train travel • Property impacts • Utility Impacts 6

Types of Crossing Modification Lower Railroad Tracks under Local Road • Change RR profile to go under local road • Bike/Ped stay at road elevation • Retaining Walls parallel to tracks • Road crosses over RR tracks on bridge • No impact to Alma (after construction) Pros: • Increased safety • Eliminate train horn and reduce travel noise • Improved traffic flow • Few property impacts (after construction) Sample Location: E Compton Boulevard, Compton (Alameda Trench Corridor) Cons: • Increased traffic on local road(s) • Increased noise from vehicles • Utility Impacts • Major construction Impacts 7

Types of Crossing Modification Elevate Railroad Tracks over Local Road • Change RR profile to go over local road • Bike/Ped stay at road elevation • Retaining Walls parallel to road • Train crosses over road on elevated tracks • No impact to Alma (after construction) Pros: • Increased safety • Eliminate train horn and reduce travel noise • Improved traffic flow • Few property impacts (after construction) Sample Location: BART Central Contra Costa Viaduct, Contra Costa Cons: • Increased traffic on local road(s) • Increased noise from vehicles • Substantial visual impacts • Utility Impacts • Major construction Impacts 8

Mission for 2018 34 Ideas Initial Screening of 34 Ideas (Begins today) 4 - 8 Alternatives for Study (June) 1 Preferred Solution (December) 9

Community Engagement • Connecting Palo Alto website www. cityofpaloalto. org/connectingpaloalto • On-line questionnaire with 800 responses • Held 2 Community Workshops, with 228 attendees • Held 4 Community Roundtables, with 381 attendees • Held 13 Rail Committee meetings • Collected 63 public comments / inquiries • Built a database of interested stakeholders • Produced Connecting Palo Alto e-newsletter • Posted extensively on social media 10

Master List of Ideas • Community Engagement produced 40 grade separation ideas • Examples: • Close Palo Alto Avenue crossing and connect Alma Street to Alma Street in Menlo Park • Citywide railroad under roadway trench within existing railroad right-of-way from Menlo Park city limits to Mountain View city limits with two new depressed rail stations 11

Refining Process for Decisions 7 1 20 Tier 1 Criteria: Most Important , 6 r e b m e t • East-West connectivity: facilitate movement across the corridor for all modes of transportation Technical • Traffic congestion: reduce delay and congestion for automobile traffic at rail crossings • Ped/Bike circulation: provide clear and safe routes for pedestrians and bicyclists seeking to cross the rail corridor, separate from automobile traffic p e l S • Rail operations: support continued rail operations and Caltrain service improvements i c un Financial • Cost: finance with feasible funding sources o C y t i C Tier 2 Criteria: Also Important • Environmental impacts: reduce rail noise and vibration along the corridor y b d e • Environmental impacts: minimize visual changes along the rail corridor t p do Property Construction A • Local access: maintain or improve access to neighborhoods, parks, schools and other destinations along the corridor while reducing regional traffic on neighborhood streets • Cost: minimize right-of-way acquisition by eminent domain • Construction: minimize disruption and the duration of construction 12

Refining Process for Decisions Technical Financial Tier 1: Facilitate movement Reduce delay and congestion Provide safe ped / bike routes Support rail operations Tier 1: Finance with feasible funding sources Tier 2: Reduce rail noise Minimize visual changes Maintain or improve local access Property Construction Tier 2: Minimize right-of-way acquisition Tier 2: Minimize disruption and duration 13

TAC Opinion Constructability New Estimated Community Support Minimize Construction Impacts Minimize Right-ofway Minimize Visual Changes Reduce Noise Funding Feasibility Support Rail Operations Ped-Bike Circulation Description of Alternative Initial Screening Criteria Tier 1 Tier 2 Reduce Delay and Congestion ID Facilitate Movement - All Modes Evaluation Criteria with Sample Ideas Advance into Study Alternatives A Grade Separation Idea A X B Grade Separation Idea B C Grade Separation Idea C ✔ ✔ D Grade Separation Idea D X E ✔ Grade Separation Idea E Standard Scoring: = Highest weight = Middle weight = Lowest weight Fatal Flaw Scoring: X ? ✔ ? X ? X ? ✔ N Y Y = Feasible X = Possibly Feasible X = Not Feasible 14

Results of Initial Screening Citywide Type of Separation (Alphabetical Order) Closure Hybrid (Road under Rail) Palo Alto Churchill Ave Closed, Widen Embarcadero (CAE) Churchill Ave Closed, Seale Bike/Ped (CAS) Palo Alto Ave Closed, Everett Bike/Ped (PCE) Palo Alto Ave Closed, Widen University (PCU) No Build / Do Nothing Meadow Palo Alto Ave Hybrid (PAH) Churchill Ave Hybrid (CAH) Palo Alto Ave No Build, Safety Upgrades (PAN) Churchill Ave No Build, Safety Upgrades (CAN) Charleston Meadow Dr Closed, Loma Verde Bike/Ped (MDL) Meadow + Charleston Meadow + Hybrid, Loma Verde Charleston Bike/Ped (MCL) Hybrid (MCH) Meadow Dr Hybrid (MDH) Charleston Road Hybrid (CRH) Meadow Dr No Build, Safety Upgrades (MDN) Meadow + Charleston Meadow Dr Closed, Trench (MCT) Charleston Trench (MCX) Rail under Road (Trench) Rail under Road (Tunnel) Road over Rail (Berm/Viaduct) Road under Rail 15

Results of Initial Screening – Closure Ideas PCE: Palo Alto Ave Closed, Everett Bike/Ped PCU: Palo Alto Ave Closed, Widen University CAE: Churchill Ave Closed, Widen Embarcadero CAS: Churchill Ave Closed, Seale Ave Bike/Ped MDL: Meadow Dr Closed, Loma Verde Bike/Ped Road Closure at Tracks: North California Avenue, Palo Alto 16

Results of Initial Screening – Hybrid Ideas PAH: Palo Alto Ave Hybrid CAH: Churchill Ave Hybrid MCL: Meadow + Charleston Hybrid, Loma Verde Bike/Ped MCH: Meadow + Charleston Hybrid MDH: Meadow Dr Hybrid CRH: Charleston Rd Hybrid (Road Under Rail): Holly Street, San Carlos 17

Results of Initial Screening – No Build Ideas PAN: Palo Alto Ave No Build, Safety Upgrades CAN: Churchill Ave No Build, Safety Upgrades MDN: Meadow Drive No Build, Safety Upgrades No Build: Safety Improvements, e. g. Quad Gates, Redwood City 18

Results of Initial Screening – Rail Under Road Ideas MCT: Meadow + Charleston Trench MCX: Meadow Closed, Charleston Trench Rail Under Road (Trench): Alameda Trench Corridor, Compton 19

Connecting Palo Alto: Rail Program Master List of Ideas – Initial Screening City Council Rail Committee 20 March 21, 2018