DATE: June 27, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: I-880/Whipple Road – Industrial Parkway Interchange Improvement Project: Review and Discuss Aesthetic and Design Features
RECOMMENDATION
That Council receives a presentation and provides comments on the aesthetic and design options for the I-880/Whipple Road – Industrial Parkway Interchange Improvement Project.
SUMMARY
Mark Thomas and Company, the design consultant for the I-880/Whipple Road – Industrial Parkway Interchange Improvement Project, will be presenting aesthetic and design options for Council’s review and comments. These aesthetic and design options include items regarding City motif, retaining wall design, bridge fencing design, abutment, and column concrete decorative treatment along with lighting style.
BACKGROUND
The I-880/Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway Southwest (SW) and the I-880 Industrial Parkway West interchange improvements have been identified in the Central Alameda County Local Alternative Transportation Improvement Program (LATIP). As part of the LATIP, the Project Initiation Document (PID), was prepared for all LATIP projects in October 2009. The proposed improvements have also been included in the Alameda County’s sales tax Measure BB. Following the LATIP PID and in support of the Measure BB sales tax measure, a feasibility study was prepared and completed in May 2016, recommending the project move forward into the project specific PID phase.
A project specific PID for the I-880/Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway SW and the I-880 Industrial Parkway West Interchange Improvements involved preparation of a Project Study Report-Project Development Support (PSR-PDS) was approved in August 2018. The PID established the preliminary purpose and need for the project and discussed build alternatives with a design variation that would be carried forward into the Project Design and Environmental Phase. This phase is currently underway.
On May 25, 2021, the project was presented to Council. The preferred option was presented at that time along with the evaluation criteria for selection.
Existing Facilities:
I-880/Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway SW Interchange:
The existing I-880/Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway SW interchange is a partial cloverleaf type structure. Crossing under I-880, Whipple Road consists of two westbound through lanes and three eastbound lanes (two through lanes with a right turn lane to the northbound loop on-ramp) with added turning lanes at the adjacent local street intersections. A sidewalk exists along the north side of Whipple Road. There are no dedicated bicycle facilities through the interchange.
The preferred alternative would preserve the three existing Whipple Road Undercrossing structures and make improvements to the interchange and local roads within the constraints of the existing structures.
The proposed improvements include the following features:
Widen Industrial Parkway SW from six lanes to seven lanes at the Whipple Road intersection.
Widen the existing sidewalk along the north side of Whipple Road to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles on a 14-foot-wide multi-use path by constructing retaining walls at the existing undercrossing bridge abutments.
Construct a new 14-foot-wide multi-use path along the south side of Whipple Road to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles by constructing retaining walls at the existing undercrossing bridge abutments.
Widen the existing northbound I-880 diagonal off-ramp to Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway Southwest to a two-lane exit.
Convert the existing fifth northbound lane to an auxiliary lane on northbound I-880 from the Alvarado Niles Road interchange to the Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway SW interchange and eliminate the current fifth northbound lane through of the Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway SW interchange, and eliminate the existing lane drop north of the Whipple Road-Industrial Parkway SW interchange.
Realign and widen the northbound I-880 loop on-ramp from Whipple Road from one lane to two lanes (Metered General-Purpose Lanes).
Realign the northbound I-880 diagonal on-ramp to “square-up” the ramp terminus intersection.
Restripe Whipple Road near the Industrial Parkway Southwest Intersection to improve left turn movements from eastbound Whipple Road to northbound Industrial Parkway SW.
The vertical clearance beneath the undercrossing will be improved from 14 feet-10 inches to 15 feet. Existing vertical clearance signs will be replaced as part of the project.
Bicycle and Pedestrian crossings will be signalized and actuated at the ramp terminal intersections.
I-880/Industrial Parkway West Interchange:
The existing I-880/Industrial Parkway West interchange is a partial interchange along northbound I-880 consisting of a diagonal on-ramp, and a partial cloverleaf along southbound I-880. The existing Industrial Parkway West overcrossing at I-880 consists of two through lanes in each direction with a raised concrete median with added turning lanes at the adjacent local street intersections. Sidewalks run along Industrial Parkway West in both directions. There are no dedicated bicycle facilities through the interchange.
DISCUSSION
Mark Thomas and Company, the design consultant for the I-880/Whipple Road – Industrial Parkway Interchange Improvement Project, will be presenting aesthetic and design options for Council’s review and comments. These aesthetic and design options include items regarding City motif, retaining wall design, bridge fencing design, abutment, and column concrete decorative treatment along with lighting style.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
This item has no direct economic impact. However, the recommendation supports the Project, which will provide interchange improvements and new local road connections. These improvements will significantly improve access to the City and make the overall transportation system more efficient.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This item supports Council’s Strategic Priority to Invest in Infrastructure, though not directly related to an existing project.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
There are no sustainability features associated with this item.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Community involvement took place in 2018 and 2019 and included presentations to Council, Council Infrastructure Committee (CIC), a public open house, stakeholder outreach, pop-up events, and a project flier mailed to nearby residents and businesses.
During the preparation of the PSR-PDS, a presentation of the range of potential project alternatives was provided to Council on April 24, 2018. The project and alternatives were generally well-received by Council and comments focused on the project’s benefits of improving multimodal access and safety.
At the outset of the current Design and Environmental Phase in Fall 2018, stakeholder outreach was initiated through a targeted research process in which key stakeholders were selected by geographic distance from the project site, land ownership, and governance. Stakeholder meetings were undertaken with four key stakeholder groups: Bicycle-Pedestrian; Local Agencies; Local Businesses, Auto Auction, and Trucking Industry; and Transit and Paratransit Agencies. Stakeholder meetings were held in August 2018 at the offices of each key stakeholder.
A public open house was held on January 23, 2019. Notification for the open house included direct mailers, email, and telephone outreach. A postcard mailer was delivered to 8,899 addresses located within a two-mile radius of the project site. The cities of Hayward and Union City disseminated the meeting announcement via their respective e-blast networks.
Following preparation of the draft project report, the project team held several public stakeholder meetings presenting viable alternatives. The notable meetings were:
On-line Public Meeting – February 18, 2021
Information on this project and the Draft environmental documents was presented during an online public meeting on February 18, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, an online meeting was held in lieu of an in-person meeting. The purpose of the open forum hearing was to update the public, announce the availability of the environmental documents, and to solicit comments from the public regarding the project and the alternatives under consideration in the environmental planning phase. An informal question and answer segment took place after the formal presentation and served as an opportunity for interested parties to pose questions.
Presentation to Council – May 25, 2021
At the request of City staff and elected officials, the project team was requested to provide a project briefing to Council and the public. The preferred alternative was presented along with the evaluation criteria for selection, and the council provided support for the preferred alternative.
Alameda CTC Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee – May 27, 2021 The purpose of the meeting was to update the Committee on the project status and to solicit input on the preferred alternative. While no specific comments were received, the team made commitments to continue engagement with bicycle advocate groups during final design.
NEXT STEPS
The project team will receive and consider the Council’s comments for future implementation of the aesthetic and design features for the project.
Prepared by: Kathy Garcia, Deputy Director of Public Works Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
_______________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager
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