TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: John Ristow
AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: November 7, 2022
Approved Date
11/15/22
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 6
SUBJECT:
FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SAFETY
ENHANCEMENTS ALONG VASONA RAIL CORRIDOR
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or designee to negotiate and execute the Funding Agreement between the City of San José and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to fund safety enhancements at rail-street crossings on the Vasona Rail Corridor, with the City contribution amount not to exceed $3,302,612.
OUTCOME
Approval of the Funding Agreement will contribute funds toward construction costs for certain safety enhancements to be installed on the Vasona Rail Corridor.
BACKGROUND
The Vasona Rail Corridor provides light rail services from downtown San José through downtown Campbell. In the City of San José, there are 10 street crossings: Dupont Street, Sunol Street, Auzerais Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Race Street, Parkmoor Avenue, Fruitdale Avenue, Leigh Avenue, Stokes Street, and Bascom Avenue. The Vasona Rail Corridor is designated as a Quiet Zone in which train operators do not routinely blow their horns as they approach crossings.
Quiet Zones are overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration and must meet minimum safety standards.
In 2017, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) programmed a capital improvement project to design and construct pedestrian safety enhancements at certain rail crossing locations on the Vasona Rail Corridor. VTA’s project scope was originally focused on installing COUNCIL AGENDA: 11/29/22
FILE: 22-1743
ITEM: 2.16
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 7, 2022
Subject: Funding Agreement for Construction of Safety Enhancements Along Vasona Rail Corridor
pedestrian treatments at the exit quadrants at street crossings, such as gates, fencing, and tactile warning strips; it did not include pedestrian treatments on the entry quadrants due to limited budget and because there are existing vehicular gates in the sidewalks at the entry quadrants which provide some level of warning to pedestrians via the flashing lights on the vehicle gate pole. However, in August 2019, the City, VTA, California Public Utilities Commission, and Federal Railroad Administration participated in a field diagnostic walk-through of all the Vasona crossings as a required process for Quiet Zone designation. In that meeting, the participants recommended that safety improvements be made on the corridor, in addition to VTA's planned project. Subsequently, the City proposed that VTA expand its project scope to address many of those recommendations. On May 17, 2021, the City and VTA executed a funding agreement for the City to fund the design of the additional City-funded improvements. With the project design work nearly complete, VTA is preparing to solicit construction bids. This Funding Agreement with VTA will provide funding for VTA to construct the City-funded safety enhancements on the Vasona corridor.
ANALYSIS
The City and VTA are partnering to enhance safety on the Vasona Rail Corridor. VTA is leading the design and construction of a safety enhancement project. The City proposed an expansion to VTA’s original project scope to strengthen the safety of the corridor and maintain the established Quiet Zone. The overall project scope will address recommendations made by the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Railroad Administration to enhance safety at crossings on the corridor.
The scope of work that will be funded by the City’s contribution is described below.
Dupont Street
VTA’s original project scope did not propose any improvements at this location. City-funded enhancements will connect the sidewalk gap and install pedestrian gates on the south side of the street; there is no sidewalk on the north side of the street. This will enhance safety for users accessing the Los Gatos Creek Trail, including future users generated by ongoing residential developments nearby.
Sunol Street
VTA is funding new pedestrian gates at two of the four sidewalk approaches to the crossing.
City-funded enhancements will add pedestrian gates at the remaining two sidewalk approaches and convert the existing two-quadrant vehicle gate system to a four-quadrant gate system. This will enhance safety for pedestrian and vehicular traffic from ongoing residential developments nearby and the recently constructed Del Monte Park.
Auzerais Avenue
VTA is funding pedestrian treatments on one sidewalk approach on the north side of the street; there is no continuous sidewalk on the south side of the street. City-funded enhancements will add pedestrian treatments to the other sidewalk approach on the north side of the street. This will
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 7, 2022
Subject: Funding Agreement for Construction of Safety Enhancements Along Vasona Rail Corridor
enhance safety for pedestrian traffic from ongoing residential developments nearby as well as the new Del Monte Park.
Stokes Street
VTA is funding pedestrian treatments on one sidewalk approach; there is an existing pedestrian treatment at another sidewalk approach. City-funded enhancements will add pedestrian treatments to the two remaining sidewalk approaches and will add a vehicular exit gate on the eastbound lane. This will enhance safety especially for the adjacent Del Mar High School users who walk, bike, and ride to school through this crossing.
Bascom Avenue
VTA is funding pedestrian treatments at three sidewalk approaches. City-funded enhancements will add pedestrian treatments at the one remaining sidewalk approach. This will enhance safety for pedestrians from existing and upcoming developments including the Bascom Gateway development.
Table 1 below summarizes the cost breakdown for locations in San José; VTA’s project includes two other locations outside of San José that are not shown in the table below.
Table 1: Cost Breakdown
Location
Estimated
Construction Cost Cost-Sharing
Estimated
Construction Cost
City Share
Estimated
Construction Cost
VTA Share
Bascom $ 995,669.41 75% VTA, 25% CSJ $ 248,917.35 $ 746,752.06 Stokes $ 845,235.44 25% VTA, 75% CSJ $ 633,926.58 $ 211,308.86 Leigh $ 192,937.10 100% VTA $ 0 $ 192,937.10
Fruitdale $ 331,528.31 100% VTA $ 0 $ 331,528.31
Parkmoor &
Race $ 442,457.08 100% VTA $ 0 $ 442,457.08
Lincoln $ 381,199.69 100% VTA $ 0 $ 381,199.69
Auzerais $ 448,879.68 50% VTA, 50% CSJ $ 224,439.84 $ 224,439.84 Sunol $ 1,200,847.91 20% VTA, 80% CSJ $ 960,678.33 $ 240,169.58 Dupont $ 684,214.37 100% CSJ $ 684,214.37 $ 0
Spare Parts $ 45,413.10 100% VTA $ 0 $ 45,413.10
SUBTOTAL $ 2,752,176.47 $ 2,816,205.62
Construction Administration Cost
(20% of City Construction Cost) $ 550,435.30
Estimated City Contribution $ 3,302,611.77
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 7, 2022
Subject: Funding Agreement for Construction of Safety Enhancements Along Vasona Rail Corridor
CONCLUSION
Approval of this Funding Agreement with VTA will provide funding for VTA to construct additional safety enhancements on the Vasona Rail Corridor.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
The not-to-exceed City contribution amount in this agreement is based on the estimated construction costs developed by VTA. Should construction costs of the City-funded enhancements exceed this estimate, staff will return to City Council if an amendment to the Funding Agreement is needed.
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE
The recommendation in this memorandum is aligned with Climate Smart San José energy, water, and mobility goals.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City’s Council agenda website for the November 29, 2022 City Council meeting.
COORDINATION
The City Attorney Office, City Manager’s Budget Office, and Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement have reviewed this memorandum.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION/INPUT
This item does not have any input from any board or commission.
COST SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS
The City commits to spending an amount not to exceed $3,302,612 for the construction of the City-funded enhancements through this Funding Agreement.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
November 7, 2022
Subject: Funding Agreement for Construction of Safety Enhancements Along Vasona Rail Corridor
BUDGET REFERENCE
The table below identifies the fund and appropriations to fund the Funding Agreement.
Fund
#
Appn
# Appn Name Total Appn
Amount for
Contract
2022-2023
Adopted
Capital
Budget Page
Last Budget
Action (Date,
Ord. No.)
429 416E Quiet Zone $9,193,000 $3,302,612 1020
10/18/22,
30833
CEQA
Categorically Exempt, File No. ER20-204, CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Existing Facilities.
/s/
JOHN RISTOW
Director of Transportation
For questions, please contact Jessica Zenk, Deputy Director, at (408)535-3543.