City of Palo Alto
Grade Separation Project
Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive,
and Charleston Road
City Council
September 28, 2026
Presenters: Jessica Dai, Edgar Torres, and Whitney DiGiantommaso City Council Direction #2
2 Direction to advance selected concepts to 35% design and environmental documentation.
GRADE
SEPARATION
APPROACH
CROSSING Charleston Road
UNDERPASS
Direct Access Ramp
PARTIAL UNDERPASS
Churchill Avenue
without Landscape Strip
Includes Seale Avenue
Bike/Ped Crossing
Meadow Drive
HYBRID
Elevated rail bridge
Project Area
Downtown
Palo Alto
Current Project Phase
4 2025 2026 2027
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Preliminary Engineering and Environmental
15% Design 35% Design and Environmental Concept Development and Refinement
City Council Direction #2:
Direction to advance to 35%
Design and Environmental
Documentation
City Council Direction #1:
Identified alternatives to
advance to 15% Design
Completed 35% Design and
Environmental Documentation
#1 #2
We are here
Direction from City Council
GRADE
SEPARATION
APPROACH
CROSSING Charleston Road
UNDERPASS
Direct Access
Ramp
PARTIAL
UNDERPASS
Churchill Avenue
Vehicle Crossing
(without Landscape Strip)
Bike/Ped Crossing
(Seale – Alma
Street Ramp)
Meadow Drive & Charleston Road
HYBRID
Elevated rail
bridge
UNDERPASS
Direct Access
Ramp
5 Major Drivers at each Crossing informed Council
Churchill Avenue
Partial Underpass without landscape
strip, Alma Street Ramp at Seale Avenue
Major Driver
Potential property impacts
Prioritized reducing potential property
impacts along Alma Street, as traffic
operations did not differ between the two
options.
Tradeoff
No landscape buffer between the curb
and the sidewalk along Alma Street.
Meadow Drive
Hybrid
Major Driver
Potential property impacts and
bicycle/pedestrian accessibility
Avoided the potential full residential
acquisitions the Underpass option
required while preserving every turning
movement at the intersection.
Tradeoff
A raised track profile and retaining wall
adjacent to a segment along Alma
Street.
Charleston Road
Underpass with Direct Access Ramp
Major Driver
Potential property impacts and
direct traffic access
Reduced potential property acquisitions
east of the tracks while providing more
direct traffic access at the intersection.
Tradeoff
Restricted movements between Park
Boulevard and Charleston Road.
6 South Palo Alto Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Project 7 Downtown
Palo Alto
South Palo Alto Bicycle and
Pedestrian Connectivity Project
Evaluating two design alternatives for a new
grade-separated bicycle and pedestrian rail
crossing near El Dorado Avenue.
Project Status: Planning and Conceptual Design
Funded Through: 15% Design (City funds)
Alternative 1 Alternative 2
Page Mill Rd
Churchill Ave
Seale Ave
Alma St
Uni versi ty Ave
15% Design Findings and Next Steps
8 Key Design Element 15% Design Findings 35% Design Will Provide Track
• Churchill Avenue tracks remain at existing
elevation.
• Track profile raised at Meadow Drive and
Charleston Road (when delivered together)
• Refined vertical and horizontal alignment,
shoofly design, and confirmation of track profile
under each delivery scenario
Project Footprint • Developed preliminary project footprint for environmental studies • Established project footprint for approvals Roadway and Drainage
• Established roadway profiles and preliminary
drainage, including pump stations at each
depressed crossing
• Refined profiles and geometry, plus a traffic
study of construction-period and permanent
operations
Structural and Geotechnical
• Established structural approach at each
crossing, including retaining wall systems and
box structures.
• Site-specific geotechnical investigation of soil,
groundwater, and settlement risk
Utilities • Developed preliminary utility base map and
conflict matrix from records research
• Verified locations and depths through subsurface
investigation and potholing, a detailed conflict
matrix, and refined relocation plans
Palo
Alto
High
School
Churchill Ave – Partial Underpass
9 • No modifications to track
• Roadway lowered approximately 22 feet
via a concrete box under the tracks
• Constructed by box jacking
Seale Ave – Bicycle and Pedestrian Undercrossing
10 West Ramp
to/from
Undercrossing
East Ramp
to/from
Undercrossing
Peers Park
• Tunnel extended approximately 65 feet west into Peers Park, where retained soil depth reaches up to 18 feet
• Ramp end retaining wall lengths reduced by 14 feet at each end
• Constructed by box jacking
11 Meadow Drive – Hybrid
• Meadow Dr and Charleston Rd combined
delivery will result in tracks raised
• Track raised approximately 7 feet
• Temporary track required to maintain
rail service during construction
12 Charleston Road – Underpass
• If Charleston Rd constructed alone:
• No modifications to track
• Charleston Road lowered 24 feet
• Constructed by box jacking
• Roadway and path raised on
cantilever slabs to avoid the existing
gas transmission line
Shoofly (Temporary Tracks for Construction)
13 1.1 Mile
(Temporary Tracks)
~4,700’ Length of
Encroachment along Alma
Street
Delivery Scenarios Evaluated
14 CHURCHILL
AVENUE
CROSSING
Charleston Road
+
Meadow Drive
Charleston Road
Meadow Drive
MEADOW AND Charleston Road CHARLESTON
CROSSING
Churchill Avenue
with Seale Avenue
Concurrently Sequentially
Total Project Cost Estimate Life Cycle
15 Concept Design
Purpose of the Estimate
Schedule
High-level schedule estimate
Preliminary Design &
Environmental Review
Schedule
Preliminary schedule
Design Development
Schedule
Revised schedule
Final Design &
Construction Documents
Schedule
Project baseline schedule
Support concept due diligence
and inform early decisions
Purpose of the Estimate
Support environmental review
and funding plan
Purpose of the Estimate
Support procurement, and
contract packaging
Purpose of the Estimate
Establish construction budget
Final
Design
35%
Design
65%
Design
15%
Design
Cost Estimate Cost Estimate Cost Estimate Cost Estimate Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Preliminary Detailed Project baseline budget WE ARE
HERE
LATE
2027
Risk Associated with Costs*
16 35%
Design +
Environmental
65%
Design
Construction
Documents
✓ Risks Addressed/Mitigated
Stable project footprint identified
! Risks Remaining
Delivery method not confirmed
Unknown utilities
Potential property impacts not confirmed
Soil and groundwater undefined
Construction sequencing uncertainty
Schedule and funding uncertainty
✓ Risks Addressed/Mitigated
Delivery method
Project footprint refined
! Risks Remaining
Utility relocations
Potential property acquisition
Railroad work windows
Construction staging
✓ Risks Addressed/Mitigated
Utilities located
Soil investigated
Potential property acquisitions appraised
! Risks Remaining
Market conditions
Regulatory approvals
Long-lead time materials
✓ Risks Addressed/Mitigated
Scope finalized
Utility design complete
Potential property acquired
Railroad windows confirmed
! Risks Remaining
Unforeseen conditions
Price increases before award
Range of Estimate
Improves with
Design
*Typical risks shown; not inclusive of all potential risks 15%
Current Design
Phase
Total Project Cost Estimate – Buildup
17 Construction Contractor Cost
(Direct & Indirect)
• Permitting and Utilities
Designer/Engineer of Record Costs
Agency Costs
(Caltrain, City, etc.)
Real Property and Easements
Escalation
(Cost of Time)
Project Contingency
(Unallocated & Allocated)
• Project Management and
Oversight
• Environmental Documentation
and Permitting
• TASI
• Construction Administration,
Management,
and Inspections
Total Project Cost Estimates
18 Charleston Road +
Meadow Drive
Charleston
Road
Meadow
Drive
Charleston Road
Costs and durations are preliminary in nature and represent rough order-of-magnitude estimates that will be further refined during future phases of design.
Delivery Scenario
Estimate Year
(Year of Dollar) 2026
Estimated
Construction Start 2032
High-Level
Construction Duration 3 – 4 years 5 years 9 years 4 years Total Project Cost
Estimate
(Year of Expenditure)
$420M – 450M $1B – 1.1B $1.2B – 1.3B $480M – 530M
Churchill Avenue
with Seale Avenue
Meetings Held
CSTSC – 8/20
Community Meeting #1 – 8/25
Community Meeting #2 – 8/26
PABAC – 9/3
Rail Committee – 9/8
City Council – 9/28
Key Topics Discussed
Bicycle, Pedestrian, and School Access
Design Elements and Development
Total Project Cost Estimate
Construction Considerations
What we are doing next
Comments and project team responses logged in
the project comment tracker
Community meeting materials posted to the project
website
Engagement Recap
19 Engagement Feedback
20 CSTSC
August 20
• Walking and bicycling
routes serving students
• Construction effects near
school and property
• Sequencing with the
South Palo Alto Project
Community Meetings
August 25 & 26
PABAC
September 3
Rail Committee
September 8
• Total project cost
estimate and schedule
• Bicycle, pedestrian and,
and school access
• Construction effects near
homes
• Charleston Road ramp
configuration
• Pedestrian and bicycle
detour routes during
construction
• Project cost relative to
funding currently
identified
• Clearer public
explanation of how
alternatives were
narrowed
21 Project Phase Funding Sources
Planning & Conceptual
Design $5M
15% Design
$20M
35% Design
Final Design
Construction
Anticipated Funding Sources
FRA Rail Crossing Elimination Grant
VTA Measure B Grade Separation Fund
$23.79M $9M State TIRCP Award
City
Measure K
Phases fully funded
Funding
Strategy to be
Determined
Findings from design process
will inform future City Council
decisions surrounding
prioritization, phasing, and
implementation strategy
City Capital
Funds
VTA Measure B Local
Streets & Roads Fund
Potential Unallocated Funding:
City Measure K: $5M – $30M
VTA Measure B: $325 – $350M
❑ 3D visualizations of each crossing
❑ Technical studies including construction traffic analysis, noise, air quality, biology, cultural resources, and related studies completed
❑ Refined project footprint
❑ CEQA and NEPA environmental documentation
❑ Construction sequencing and closure duration
❑ Updated cost estimates and schedules
22 Design and Environmental
Documentation
35%
Design Next Steps
City Council Direction #2
23 Direction to advance selected concepts to 35% design and environmental documentation.
GRADE
SEPARATION
APPROACH
CROSSING Charleston Road
UNDERPASS
Direct Access Ramp
PARTIAL UNDERPASS
Churchill Avenue
without Landscape Strip
Includes Seale Avenue
Bike/Ped Crossing
Meadow Drive
HYBRID
Elevated rail bridge