Public Works
DATE: June 16, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works/City
Engineer
Hillal Hamdan, Senior Civil Engineer
Subject:
Grade Crossing Construction and Maintenance
Agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
(BNSF) for the Harbour Way South and Wright Avenue
Crossing
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Fees associated with the right of way agreement, temporary construction license, easement, and related
processing costs are estimated at $104,238.10 and are
anticipated to be reimbursable through the California
Department of Transportation Railway Highway
Crossings (Section 130) Program. Funding for these
costs is included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Capital Improvement Program budget (Account String:
543643-400733-23022).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
July 22, 2021
December 19, 2023
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City must enter into a Grade Crossing Construction
and Maintenance Agreement and related easement
documents with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
(BNSF) to complete planned safety improvements at the
railroad crossing located at Harbour Way South and
Wright Avenue. The agreement will allow the City to
access railroad property during construction and
establish long-term responsibilities for maintenance and operation of the completed improvements.
AGENDA
REPORT
RECOMMENDED ACTION: ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE a Grade Crossing Construction and Maintenance Agreement with
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and
related project documents for the Harbour Way South
and Wright Avenue railroad crossing safety
improvements project; AUTHORIZE payment of
associated easement, license, railroad coordination, and force-account costs using available grant reimbursement funding; and AUTHORIZE the City Manager, or their
designee, to execute the agreement and related project
documents – Public Works Department (Hillal Hamdan
510-631-1398/Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478).
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond is working with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) to improve safety at the existing railroad crossing located at Harbour Way South and Wright Avenue in the Richmond Inner Harbor area. The crossing is identified as U.S. Department of Transportation Crossing No. 015342U (Attachment 1).
The project includes roadway improvements, upgraded railroad crossing surfaces, new traffic signals and railroad activation equipment, updated pavement striping and signage, and pedestrian safety improvements. These upgrades are intended to improve visibility, traffic flow, and overall safety for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and rail operations.
Because portions of the project are located within BNSF railroad right-of-way, the City is required to enter into a Grade Crossing Construction and Maintenance Agreement with BNSF before construction can begin (Attachment 2). The agreement provides the City with temporary access during construction and establishes a permanent easement needed to operate and maintain the improvements.
Under the agreement:
BNSF will complete railroad-related work, including signal improvements, crossing surface installation, inspection, and railroad coordination activities; The City will complete roadway and traffic improvements and coordinate construction activities and utility work; and
BNSF will continue to own and operate the railroad facilities and right-of-way.
The agreement also establishes standard railroad safety, insurance, construction coordination, and maintenance requirements that apply to projects occurring within active railroad corridors.
Fees associated with the right-of-way agreement, temporary construction license, easement, and related processing costs are estimated at approximately $104,238.10, consisting of:
Administrative Fee: $2,500.00
Temporary Construction License Fee: $6,172.80
Permanent Easement Fee: $95,565.30
The project is funded through the Caltrans Railway-Highway Crossings (Section 130) Program, which supports railroad crossing safety improvements throughout California.
Staff anticipates that eligible project costs associated with the agreement will be reimbursable through the program.
Approval of the agreement is necessary for the City to proceed with construction of the planned safety improvements. Without the agreement and easement documents, the City would not have authorization to access railroad property or complete the improvements within the crossing area.
City Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving a Grade Crossing Construction and Maintenance Agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and related project documents for the Harbour Way South and Wright Avenue railroad crossing safety improvements project; authorizing payment of associated easement, license, railroad coordination, and force-account costs using available grant reimbursement funding; and authorizing the City Manager, or their designee, to execute the agreement and related project documents (Attachment 3).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Crossing Improvement Plans and Exhibits
Attachment 2 – Grade Crossing Construction and Maintenance Agreement with BNSF Railway
Attachment 3 – Resolution