TO: TRANSPORTATION AND FROM: John Ristow
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DATE: April 10, 2023
ACTIVITIES QUARTERLY REPORT
Approved Date
4/21/23
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the status report on regional transportation funding, programs, and projects of interest to the City of San José involving other regional, state, and federal agencies such as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the California High Speed Rail Authority, and the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans), as part of the approved City Roadmap.
BACKGROUND
The Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee work plan includes semi-annual verbal reports on current activities related to regional transportation funding, programs, and projects.
This written report, provided annually, focuses on current Regional Highway, Rail & Transit Projects.
ANALYSIS
I. Regional Highway Projects
Staff regularly reports to the T&E Committee the status of the following priority highway-related San José projects eligible for VTA 2016 Measure B funding, which include:
• US 101/Blossom Hill Road Interchange Improvement Project (completing construction Spring 2023)
• US 101/Trimble Rd/De La Cruz Blvd Interchange Project (under construction; completion expected Summer 2025)
• US 101/Mabury Rd-Berryessa Rd-Oakland Rd Corridor Improvement Project (environmental phase underway and anticipated to be completed by mid-2025) T&E AGENDA: 05/01/23
ITEM: (d) 2
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• US 101/Zanker Rd Overcrossing Project (environmental phase underway and anticipated to be completed by mid-2024)
• I-280/Winchester Blvd Interchange Project (environmental phase underway and anticipated to be completed by mid-2024)
The first two projects listed are currently in construction and fully funded through Measure B, Senate Bill 1, and/or local funds. The last three projects listed are currently in the environmental phase and are partially funded through Measure B and other local funds. More details on each project are available in Appendix I.
II. Regional Rail & Transit Projects
Staff also works with regional partners to advance rail and transit projects within the City of San José, which include:
• Eastridge to BART Regional Connector (beginning construction late 2023/early 2024) • California High-Speed Rail (completed environmental review for San José segments in 2022; seeking funding for advanced design)
• Caltrain Electrification (construction and train car manufacturing underway; electrified service to begin Fall 2024)
• BART Silicon Valley, Downtown/Santa Clara Extension (Phase II) (environmental phase underway and anticipated to be completed by mid-2024)
• Diridon Station (Business Case under development, anticipated to completed late 2024) • Diridon to Airport Connector (Phase one of the Pre-Development Agreement (PDA) considered by City Council April 2023)
More details on each project are available in Appendix I.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Department of Public Works and San José Mineta International Airport.
/s/
JOHN RISTOW
Director of Transportation
For questions, contact Jessica Zenk, Deputy Director for Transportation Planning and Project Delivery, [email protected], (408) 535-3543.
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Appendix I
Regional Highway Projects
Staff regularly reports to the T&E Committee the status of the following priority highway-related San José projects eligible for VTA 2016 Measure B funding.
The first two projects listed are currently in construction and fully funded through Measure B, Senate Bill 1, and/or local funds. The last three projects listed are currently in the environmental phase and are partially funded through Measure B and other local funds.
A) US 101/Blossom Hill Road Interchange Improvement Project The US 101/Blossom Hill Road Interchange Improvement project was identified in the Edenvale Area Development Policy (EADP). The EADP emphasized improving traffic congestion and providing safer and more convenient multimodal access between jobs, housing, and retail development. Improved east-west pedestrian and bicycle access across US 101 near the Blossom Hill interchange is critical, particularly as:
• Coyote Creek Trail, east of the US 101/Blossom Hill Rd Interchange, is a major northsouth trail used by people for active transportation and recreation. • Xander's Crossing pedestrian bridge, west of the US 101/Blossom Hill Rd Interchange, provides safe connectivity across the railroad tracks and Monterey Rd to access the Blossom Hill Caltrain Station and nearby high-density mixed-use development. The bridge also connects people to Cottle Light Rail Station via Cottle Rd.
To accomplish the goals of the EADP, the Project:
• Constructs a Class I bicycle/pedestrian path along the north side of Blossom Hill Rd through the interchange, connecting Xander's Crossing and Coyote Creek Trail • Widens the existing roadway over US 101 to add a vehicular travel lane along Blossom Hill Rd in each direction
• Widens the existing southbound and northbound off-ramps to accommodate additional turning lanes and modify the traffic signals at each intersection The Project was environmentally cleared in May 2018, and the design was approved in March 2020. In December 2019, City executed an agreement with VTA to have VTA manage the construction phase and administer the Measure B funds on the Project. The Project was advertised and awarded in June 2020 and broke ground for construction in September 2020. The Project is proceeding per schedule. With the significant improvements described above completed, City, VTA, Caltrans, and the local community celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, November 18, 2022. While some culminating project items are still in
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progress, the Project is substantially completed as of Spring 2023 with an additional year for plant establishment on City right-of-way and three years on Caltrans right-of-way. The total project cost is approximately $47 million, with funding from Measure B and local (developmentbased) sources.
B) US 101/Trimble Rd/De La Cruz Blvd Interchange Project The US 101/Trimble Project is one of the City's priority transportation projects, as it upgrades the regional highway system, supports economic development opportunities, and connects bicyclists and pedestrians to the Guadalupe River Trail. The Project is included in the North San José Area Development Policy. It will improve traffic circulation, enhance safety for vehicles merging onto southbound US 101 from the De La Cruz Blvd/Trimble Rd interchange, and improve safety/mobility for bicyclists and pedestrians across the interchange. The Project will:
• Construct a separated bike/pedestrian path overcrossing, connecting the Guadalupe River Trails System to De La Cruz Blvd and Central Expy;
• Reconstruct the existing three-quadrant cloverleaf interchange to a partial cloverleaf interchange;
• Replace the existing De La Cruz-Trimble Rd overcrossing structure to provide additional lanes and structural support for the bike/pedestrian facilities; • Provide an additional through lane in each direction on De La Cruz Blvd, from Trimble Rd to Central Expy;
• Reconstruct the intersection of De La Cruz Blvd and Central Expy to add additional through and turn lanes and improve operational and multimodal connectivity; and • Construct a new intersection at the US 101 southbound off-ramp terminus at De La Cruz Blvd.
The Project's final design was completed in early 2021 and broke ground for construction in September 2021. The Project is proceeding per schedule, with work concentrated on the new De La Cruz-Trimble Rd overcrossing structure. The Project is anticipated to be completed by the Summer of 2025. The total project cost is approximately $76 million, with funding from Measure B, Senate Bill 1, and local (development-based) sources.
C) US 101/Mabury Rd-Berryessa Rd-Oakland Rd Corridor Improvement Project The US 101/Mabury Rd-Berryessa Rd-Oakland Rd Corridor Improvement Project is included in North San José Area Development Policy (NSJADP) and US 101/Oakland/Mabury Transportation Development Policy. The Project will alleviate traffic congestion at the nearby US 101/Oakland and US 101/McKee interchanges and improve local traffic circulation and freeway access in the area. It will also provide access to the Berryessa/North San José BART Station, the planned Berryessa Urban Village, and the nearby development at the Flea Market.
With US 101 serving as a major barrier for people walking or bicycling, the proposed Project will enhance bicycle/pedestrian connectivity to the development in the area, the planned Coyote
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Creek Trail extension, and San Jose's Better Bikeway network. The scope of the Project includes:
• Construct a full interchange over US 101 at either Mabury Rd or Berryessa Rd with modifications to the current US 101/Oakland Rd interchange with the latter alternative; • Enhance the bicycle/pedestrian connectivity in the area following the City's Complete Streets Design Standards and Guidelines.
In August 2018, Caltrans accepted findings that the US 101/Mabury Interchange would not adversely impact safety or operations along US 101. However, Caltrans stipulated that specific operational improvements – namely, auxiliary lanes – would have to be included and studied in the environmental phase. In addition, Caltrans and the City also agreed to study the local street network and other interchange improvements.
In tandem, the City began examining the US 101 corridor from Mabury Rd to Oakland Rd and considering an interchange at Berryessa Rd as a potential alternative. An interchange at US 101 and Berryessa Rd would include modifications to the US 101/Oakland Rd interchange and improve interchange spacing along US 101. The City coordinated with Caltrans to include this alternative in the study and received concurrence from Caltrans in July 2019.
In December 2019, the City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to evaluate the US 101/Mabury-Berryessa-Oakland corridor and allow for new perspectives on the Project. The RFP solicited engineering consultant services to prepare scoping, environmental studies, project reports, and potentially a final design of the Project. The City awarded the Project to HNTB in October 2020.
A virtual scoping meeting was done on January 19, 2022. This scoping meeting provided information on the proposed Project and gathered initial public input. Currently, the Project is in the environmental phase, where the Project teams are performing environmental technical studies. The environmental phase is anticipated to be completed by mid-2025.
As part of the VTA's Call for Projects to prioritize Measure B Highway Program funds, the Project was ranked second among thirteen submitted projects.
The Project is estimated up to $227 million.
D) US 101/Zanker Rd Overcrossing Project
The Project, identified in the North San José Area Development Policy, proposes to construct a new bridge overcrossing connecting Zanker Rd to Skyport Dr/North 4th St over US 101. In addition, the Project will modify and consolidate existing US 101 on- and off-ramps. The Project will accomplish the following:
• Improve access to the San Jose International Airport;
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• Improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities within the project area; • Enhance transportation services within the North San José development area.
In June 2020, Caltrans concurred with the conclusions of the Design Information Bulletin 77 (DIB77) studies performed to ensure that the Zanker Rd Overcrossing Project will not significantly adversely impact the safety and operation of US 101.
A virtual scoping meeting was held on October 20, 2021, to provide information on the proposed Project and gather initial input from the public. The Project is currently in the environmental phase, with the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Draft Project Report in progress. The environmental phase is anticipated to be completed by mid-2024.
As part of the VTA's Call for Projects to prioritize the Measure B Highway Program project, the Project was ranked third among thirteen submitted projects.
The Project is estimated at $240 million.
E) I-280/Winchester Blvd Interchange Project
The Project will improve traffic operations, reduce congestion on local roadways, provide a new access from northbound I-280, and improve bicycle and pedestrian access in the project area.
The Project will construct a new freeway-to-freeway connector ramp to access northbound SR17 to northbound I-280 and construct a new Monroe Ave pedestrian overcrossing to replace the existing underused overcrossing, which also conflicts with the new northbound I-280 off-ramp.
Additional project scope includes the following:
• Widen the existing Winchester Blvd bridge over I-280 by approximately 35 feet to provide enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities in both directions. As part of this, the lane configuration on Winchester Blvd across the bridge would be modified to improve operations at both the Winchester Blvd/Moorpark Ave and the Winchester Blvd/Tisch Way intersections.
• Remove and replace a portion of the existing soundwalls along the north side of I-280 and east of Winchester Blvd.
• Construct buffered bike lanes and approximately 10-foot wide sidewalks within the project limits on both northbound and southbound Winchester Blvd. • Construct dedicated bike lanes on Tisch Way from Hatton St to Winchester Blvd.
A virtual scoping meeting was held on October 20, 2021, to provide information on the proposed Project and gather initial input from the public. The Project is currently in the environmental phase, and the project team is working on completing the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Draft Project Report. The environmental phase is anticipated to be completed by mid-2024.
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As part of the VTA's Call for Projects to prioritize the Measure B Highway Program project, the Project was ranked fourth among thirteen projects that were submitted.
The Project is estimated at $229 million.
Regional Rail & Transit Projects
A) Eastridge to BART Regional Connector
The Eastridge to BART Regional Connector (EBRC) Project is being designed and constructed by VTA, will extend light rail services approximately 2.4 miles along Capitol Expy from the Alum Rock Station to the Eastridge Transit Center with elevated structures along the alignment and grade separations at Capitol Ave, Story Rd, Ocala Ave, Cunningham Ave, and Tully Rd. The Project includes an elevated light rail station at Story Road and an at-grade station at the Eastridge Transit Center. The EBRC extension will operate primarily in the median of Capitol Expy within a partially exclusive and partially semi-exclusive right-of-way. The EBRC project includes an aerial guideway (with Mechanically Stabilized Earth wall approaches), trackwork, two passenger stations, two traction power substations, and minor road widening.
In 2020, a Petition for Review of Regional Measure 3 (RM 3) funding was filed at the California Supreme Court. RM 3 is one of the funding sources that the Project would use for construction along with 2000 Measure A, Senate Bill 1, and the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program. In January 2023, the California Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit, and the RM 3 funding allocation is expected to be provided to the Project. VTA has also applied for additional construction funding through the State’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to close the remaining funding gap to deliver the Project. The total Project is estimated to be $530 million.
The Project has completed the design phase, with construction anticipated to begin at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024, pending funding availability from TIRCP. The passenger service is expected to start by the end of 2028.
B) High Speed Rail
Approximately 21 miles of the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) project is within San José City limits, extending from the Santa Clara Caltrain station in the north along the Caltrain line through Diridon Station, Tamien Station, Communications Hill, and along Monterey Corridor through South San José and Coyote Valley.
The Final Environmental Impact Report/Statement (EIR/S) for the San José to Merced Project Section was adopted on April 28, 2022. The City and the HSR Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in February 2022 to coordinate their work going forward. The MOU
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memorializes shared objectives of both agencies, and the future roles and responsibilities of each agency regarding:
• Access planning around Diridon Station
• The future Diridon Integrated Station project
• Grade separations along Monterey Road
In 2022, DOT was awarded federal funds for preliminary design and environmental review of the three grade separations along Monterey Road. Staff anticipate bringing a grant agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration and a consultant contract for the planning, design, and environmental work to Council in June or August of this year.
C) Caltrain Electrification
Caltrain continues to electrify its tracks and all 133 electric train cars are in manufacturing to replace the majority (75%) of the diesel service. Construction activities within the City limits was completed in 2022, system integration and testing is underway, and passenger service is slated to begin in Fall 2024. New train cars are being built, with initial train sets delivered to the Caltrain maintenance facility in San José in 2022. In December 2022 and January 2023, Caltrain closed its $410 million funding shortfall, through a mix of federal and state funding sources.
Caltrain Electrification will improve both service and capacity. There will be more trains – up to six per hour per direction in the peak – whereas today the maximum number of trains per direction is five. Electric trains are also faster, particularly able to stop and start faster, enabling San José to San Francisco connections in less time with more stops along the way. The new trains have more amenities than current trains – for example, onboard status displays, wifi, power outlets, security cameras, energy efficient lights, and more. Last but certainly not least, the electric trains are cleaner and quieter for the surrounding community and passengers – with clearly huge greenhouse gas and air pollution reduction benefits. 1 D) BART Silicon Valley, Downtown/Santa Clara Extension (Phase II) BART Phase II will extend six miles from the Berryessa/North San José Station into downtown San José and terminate in the City of Santa Clara. It will include three underground stations in San José, 28th St/Little Portugal, Downtown, and Diridon Station; and one at-grade station in the City of Santa Clara adjacent to the Santa Clara Caltrain Station. Most of the alignment in San José will be underground in a single-bore tunnel containing double tracks.
On October 25, 2021, VTA received a Letter of Intent from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announcing their intention to obligate federal funds for the Project. In December of 2022, VTA transitioned from the Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program to New Starts, which allows for a nearly 50% federal funding contribution to the Project cost, compared to 25% with EPD. VTA continues to refine the Project’s construction cost estimates and solidify the 1 https://www.caltrain.com/caltrain-electrification-project.
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funding plan in order to execute a Full Funding Grant Agreement with FTA, anticipated in early 2024.
In May of 2022, VTA awarded a contract to Kiewit Shea Traylor, a Joint Venture (KST), for an initial phase of work (Stage 1) in Contract Package 2 Tunnel and Trackwork (CP 2). Stage 1 work covers design and preconstruction services, including exploration of innovations that will positively benefit the project construction, schedule, and/or cost. KST explored innovations to the Project with VTA and BART staff from summer 2022 through late 2022. Key innovations they identified included (1) a larger diameter tunnel, (2) a reconfigured 28th St/Little Portugal Station Reconfiguration, and (3) Ventilation Optimization. By increasing the tunnel diameter from ~43 feet to ~48 feet, the tracks can remain side-by-side throughout the entire system with center platforms at stations. This reduces the construction cost and time and improves passenger access. The 28th St/Little Portugal Station is reconfigured to allow the station platform and mezzanine to be built within the tunnel, like the Downtown San Jose and Diridon Stations; this significantly reduces excavation volume and improves passenger experience. Ventilation is optimized by utilizing the space within the tunnel under the tracks; this allows above-ground mid-tunnel facilities at Stockton/Schiele and Santa Clara/13th St to be eliminated from the Project.
In parallel with the innovations work, VTA worked with staff from the City of San Jose, BART, and SPUR to explore refinements to the station designs that would address concerns raised about passenger access and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) potential. At the Downtown San Jose Station main entrance, the footprint of the station entrance building was enlarged; this allowed the number of escalator runs to be reduced from three in the previous design to two in the current design which improves passenger access. The larger station footprint has the drawback of limiting TOD above the station, however up to two stories could fit above the station. VTA has discussed the potential for public amenity above the station, for example a park. VTA has also stated that TOD that would have gone over the station could potentially be redistributed to the rest of the block which is mostly owned by VTA.
Over the summer of 2022, VTA worked with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to commission an independent review of the Project, specifically to review the construction methodology. In November of 2022, the review panel concluded that both twin-bore and single-bore methodologies are feasible, have risks that can be mitigated, and must meet the same federal and state safety requirements; they estimated up to a 2-year delay if the Project were to change the tunnel methodology at this point.
In December of 2022, VTA amended its contract with KST for up to $460M to enable early work construction activities, including the purchase of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), associated TBM support, west portal construction activities, and Downtown San Jose Station enabling works. This is part of CP 2 Stage 1.
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During CP 2 Stage 1, KST will also develop a cost estimate for the Project, which VTA will independently validate. If VTA agrees with the cost, VTA would amend its agreement with KST to include the remainder of CP2 work (Final Design and Heavy Construction), Stage 2. This milestone is anticipated in 2024.
The Requests for Proposals for the Contract Packages for the Stations (CP 4), Newhall Yard/Santa Clara Station (CP 3), and Systems (CP 1) are still under development. Originally slated to be delivered by “Design-Build”, VTA is evaluating alternative delivery methods for CPs 1, 3, and 4.
VTA and the City executed a Master Cooperative Agreement in October of 2020 and two supplemental cooperative agreements in June of 2021 and February of 2023. The supplemental cooperative agreements define provisions for reimbursements, betterments, permits and inspections. Additional cooperative agreements will be executed throughout the Project duration as needs arise.
The Phase II project will start early works construction in June of 2023, start heavy construction in 2024, complete substantial construction in 2028, and complete testing and begin passenger service by 2030. The Project’s first construction impact mitigation plan for early works construction at Newhall Yard will go to City Council in May of 2023.
E) Diridon Station
The HSR Authority, Caltrain, VTA, MTC, and the City of San José (Partner Agencies) are working together on a plan to expand and redesign Diridon Station. In the coming years, electrified Caltrain, BART, and high-speed rail will add to the current mix of trains, buses, and light rail that currently serve San José Diridon Station. This is expected to increase the daily number of trips at the station from 17,000 today to over 100,000 by 2040.
The Partner Agencies developed a conceptual layout for the future station after two years of intensive work with a consulting team led by Arcadis and Benthem Crouwel (ABC). City Council formally accepted this conceptual layout in early 2020. The Partner Agencies recently contracted with a new consulting team led by Mott MacDonald to further refine the conceptual design and move the Project from planning toward implementation. The Mott MacDonald team is carrying out a "Business Case," a process commonly used in countries like the U.K. and Australia, to make the case for the investment in the Project. The Business Case will:
1. Refine the scope of the Diridon Station Program and come up with a clear project definition. This will include technical studies on a number of interrelated projects that the realization of the Diridon Station vision depends, including further study of the Historic Depot and separate endeavors like the potential future relocation of facilities such as the Caltrain Maintenance yard, the PG&E Substation, and others.
2. Demonstrate the value of the Project and program and confirm feasibility.
3. Ready the Project and program for environmental review and competitive grant applications.
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The Business Case work is now underway and will go through the end of 2024.
F) Diridon to Airport Connector
This Project would build a high-quality transit service between San José Diridon Station (Diridon) and the San José Mineta International Airport (Airport). Connecting these two growing transportation hubs makes sense, as doing so will improve connectivity and enhance efficiency for travelers. The Airport is experiencing major growth and subsequently exploring expansion as identified in the Airport Master Plan, approved in April 2020. Unlike the other two major airports in the Bay Area, the Airport is not currently connected to surrounding transportation hubs through high-quality transit. As discussed above, Diridon is also experiencing substantial growth through Caltrain electrification, the BART extension, and the eventual extension of California High-Speed Rail from the Central Valley. The Project one of the 14 projects adopted within VTA's 2000 Measure A sales tax program. In 2017, the City undertook a study showing that a transit connection between the Airport and Diridon Station would have three times the ridership of a connection to Santa Clara Station.2
The Project consists of a three-to-four-mile transit solution that connects two important regional transportation hubs by providing high-frequency transit service on a new dedicated guideway.
The transit system will be operated by electrically propelled, automated, transit vehicles.
Additionally, the Project could potentially be the first step towards future extensions. The proposed transit solution has the scalable capacity to allow for future extensions within San José and beyond, such as the Stevens Creek corridor.
In April 2022, City Council approved an ordinance that authorized the use of alternative project delivery methods and established certain requirements for procurement and contracts related to the Project. Specifically, this ordinance authorized staff to procure and deliver the Diridon Station to Airport Connector Project via a design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) method. Award of phase one of the Pre-Development Agreement (PDA) is scheduled to come before City Council for consideration in April 2023.
2 Automated Guideway Transit Study
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/79069/637710160696870000