DATE: 06/03/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
2026-191
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
RADIO ROAD RAILROAD CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. ST-2022-05
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve a Construction and Maintenance Agreement with Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) that provides for work within the BNSF right-of-way for the Radio Road Railroad Crossing Improvements, Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2022-05.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Agreement with BNSF for the Radio Road Railroad Crossing Improvements, Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2022-05
b. Approve any modifications to the form of the agreement deemed necessary by the City Attorney, which do not impact the compensation to be paid and which are consistent with the Council’s directions herein.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
On June 1, 2022, the City Council formally accepted the Section 130 Railway-Highway Crossing Program Grant from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the improvements to the Radio Road railroad grade crossing. The Section 130 program is a federally funded program that aims to increase safety at identified crossings throughout the United States. The City has been working closely with a design consultant and several agencies, such as Caltrans, CPUC, and BNSF, for the preparation of roadway and gradecrossing improvement plans for the Radio Road grade-crossing. The purpose of the project is to improve safety at the Radio Road grade crossing by mitigating existing potential hazards to reduce the chance of future incidents. The potential hazards may include lack of separated pedestrian pathways, the possibility of vehicles driving around lowered gate arms, and clear delineation of vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian pathways on approach and through the crossing.
On October 15, 2025, staff brought options to the City Council on how the project would be constructed. Council supported the recommendation by staff to close Radio Road for 8-12 weeks to complete the construction as opposed to keeping the roadway partially open to traffic which would double the construction time. Providing detours and ensuring adequate noticing to businesses was considered for all options to ensure impacts to businesses were minimized. A representative from AO Coolers, a tenant of EBS Construction, spoke at the meeting and said that the project would significantly impact his business operations. Traffic
engineering staff met onsite with the representative in October and December of 2025.
Management staff also met with EBS Construction, the owner of the building, to come up with possible solutions to AO Coolers’ operations, and they were receptive. A separate meeting with AO Coolers was held on February 11, 2026, to share the City’s discussion with EBS.
Impacted businesses were informed of the project at an informational meeting that took place at City Hall on May 28, 2026, at two sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening to accommodate business schedules. Closer to the construction date, the City will send out appropriate notices to inform the public and impacted businesses to plan for appropriate detours.
ANALYSIS:
The Agreement for the Radio Road Railroad Crossing Improvements, Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2022-05 outlines the parameters for occupying and performing construction on BNSF right-of-way, including insurance, notifications, and roles and responsibilities of BNSF (including inspection, flagging, oversight) and the City during construction and occupancy. The approval of the Agreement will allow for a temporary construction license to be granted to the City to enter upon and use the portion of BNSF’s right-of-way to construct the proposed improvements. These improvements may include, but are not limited to, installation of active warning devices, signal bungalows, precast concrete panels, as well as roadway curbs, sidewalk, raised median, and paving improvements to the roadway.
The Agreement developed by BNSF Railway Company for this project is included as “Exhibit 1” and attached hereto. City staff recommends the approval of the Agreement with BNSF for the improvements to the Radio Road Railroad crossing. The project is tentatively scheduled to begin construction in Spring 2027, with an anticipated completion date of Summer 2027.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact for these actions as the Radio Road Railroad Crossing Improvements, Capital Improvement Project No. ST-2022-05, is fully reimbursable through the Section 130 Grade Crossing Improvement Program Grant. City Council approved an appropriation and estimated revenue increase within the Public Works Grants/Agreements Fund 243 during the June 1, 2022, Council meeting when the grant was accepted.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
These actions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Action (CEQA), as the actions are not a “project” as defined by CEQA (PRC Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378), guidelines which define a “project” as the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or reasonable foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and that is an activity directly undertaking by any public agency including public works construction and related activities. These actions involve the approval of a construction and maintenance agreement. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required at this time.
PREPARED BY: ISMAEL RIVERA, ASSOCIATE ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Construction and Maintenance Agreement
2. Exhibit 2 - Project Location Map