TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: John Ristow
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: September 8, 2026
Approved
Date:
9/16/26
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 4
SUBJECT: Grant Application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program Cycle 2 for the Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or her designee to submit a grant application and cover letter to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program Cycle 2 for the Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project.
SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
Approval of the recommendation will allow the City of San José to submit a grant application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program Cycle 2 grant program for the Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project. The grant application requires a cover letter from the Chief Executive Officer or other officer authorized by the applicant’s governing board authorizing the application submittal; the letter is to include confirmation that local funds are available for the proposed Project.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 9/29/26
FILE: 26-998
ITEM: 2.15
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 8, 2026
Subject: Grant Application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program Cycle 2 for the Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project
BACKGROUND
The Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project (Project) is located at the intersection of the Highway 237 Trail, Gold Street Connector, and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in the Alviso area in San José. The Project would improve safety and accessibility of dedicated shared-use path connection between Gold Street and the Bay Trail while maintaining roadway operations, emergency vehicle access, and railroad safety requirements.
Currently, about 24 trains per day cross the trail at the Project location with a maximum train speed of 45 miles per hour. Vehicular traffic on Gold Street Connector at the Project location is about 10,000 vehicles per day. Increasing development in Alviso and northern San José is expected to bring more trail users and vehicles to the Project location. The proposed Project would connect the trail across the railroad tracks and add railroad warning devices for trail users in both directions, reducing the risk of crashes between trail users and vehicles or trains.
The Highway 237 Trail is a key link in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Bay Trail Plan, providing an east-west connection between the Peninsula and the East Bay.
Trail users can access a number of resources from the trail, including the Alviso Historic District, Alviso Marina County Park, Sunnyvale Baylands Park, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Twin Creeks Sports Complex. The Highway 237 Trail also connects directly to two major trails in San José: Coyote Creek Trail and Guadalupe River Trail, as well as the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail in the city of Santa Clara.
A 2024 Trail Count and Survey Report documented 354 trail users at the project location in one day. City staff have received complaints from trail users about the trail gap at the railroad tracks.
ANALYSIS
Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program is a $150 million grant initiative to improve bicycle and pedestrian connections to the San Francisco Bay Trail. Upon City Council approval of this recommendation, the Department of Transportation will submit a grant application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program grant for the Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project including a cover letter signed by the City Manager or her designee.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 8, 2026
Subject: Grant Application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program Cycle 2 for the Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
If the Project is awarded the grant, City staff will return to City Council to request grant funding approval and to award the future design and construction contracts.
FISCAL IMPACTS
Should the application be selected and funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Department of Transportation does not anticipate ongoing operating and maintenance costs to be incurred in the General Fund.
Future budgetary actions to recognize and appropriate grant funding will be recommended for City Council approval, subject to the appropriation of funds.
At this time, the total Project cost is estimated to be $10 million, with a spending plan estimated to begin Fiscal Year (FY) 2027-2028, concluding in FY 2030-2031.
Approximately $8.5 million of the budgeted Project costs are anticipated to be funded by the grant, with $1.5 million costs estimated in City match. The table below includes a more detailed estimate for the planning, development, and construction of the Project.
Table 1 – Spending Plan by FY
Estimated Expenses FY 2027-
2028
FY 2028-
2029
FY 2029-
2030
FY 2030-
2031 Total
Staffing $85,000 $340,000 $850,000 $850,000 $2,125,000
Contractor Services Design
Consultant Costs $255,000 $510,000 $170,000 $170,000 $1,105,000 Contractor Services Construction
Contractor Costs $0 $0 $2,635,000 $2,635,000 $5,270,000 Other Non-Person/Equipment $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Staffing (City Match)* $15,000 $60,000 $150,000 $150,000 $375,000 Contractor Services (City Match)*
Design Consultant Costs $45,000 $90,000 $30,000 $30,000 $195,000 Contractor Services (City Match)*
Construction Contractor Costs $0 $0 $465,000 $465,000 $930,000 TOTAL $400,000 $1,000,000 $4,300,000 $4,300,000 $10,000,000
Revenue Reimbursement $340,000 $850,000 $3,655,000 $3,655,000 $8,500,000
*City match is anticipated to include a mix of development-based and capital improvement funds
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
September 8, 2026
Subject: Grant Application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program Cycle 2 for the Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project
COORDINATION
The memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, City Manager’s Budget Office, Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department, and the Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City Council Agenda website for the September 29, 2026 City Council meeting.
BOARD, COMMISSION, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT
No board, commission, or committee recommendation or input is associated with this action.
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-006, Grant Application with no commitment or obligation to enter into an agreement at the time of application.
PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING
This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution.
/s/
John Ristow
Director, Department of Transportation
For questions, please contact Jessica Zenk, Deputy Director, Planning and Project Delivery, Department of Transportation, at [email protected] or (408) 535- 3543.
ATTACHMENT:
Grant Application Cover Letter to Metropolitan Transportation Commission Andrew B. Fremier, Executive Director
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Bay Area Metro Center
375 Beale Street, Suite 800
San Francisco, CA 94105
The Highway 237 Trail Rail Crossing Improvement Project (“Project”) is located at the intersection of the Highway 237 Trail, Gold St Connector, and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in the Alviso area of San Jose. Currently, the Highway 237 Trail discontinues at the railroad tracks; trail users are diverted to the roadway (Gold St Connector) to traverse the tracks and then get back onto the trail, exposing trail users to conflicts with roadway vehicles.
Presently, about 24 trains per day cross the trail at the Project location with a maximum train speed of 45 miles per hour. Vehicular traffic on Gold St Connector at the Project location is about 10,000 vehicles per day. Increasing development in Alviso and North San Jose is expected to bring more trail users to the Project location. The Project would connect the trail across the railroad tracks and add railroad warning devices for trail users in both directions, reducing the risk of crashes between trail users and vehicles or trains.
The Highway 237 Trail is a key link in the MTC’s Bay Trail Plan, providing an east-west connection between the Peninsula and the East Bay. Trail users can access several resources from the trail, including the Alviso Historic District, Alviso Marina County Park, Sunnyvale Baylands Park, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Twin Creeks Sports Complex. The Highway 237 Trail also connects directly to two major trails in San Jose: Coyote Creek Trail and Guadalupe River Trail, as well as the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail in the city of Santa Clara.
A 2024 Trail County & Survey Report documented 354 trail users at the Project location in a single day. City staff have received safety-related complaints from trail users about the trail gap at the railroad tracks, and this Project would address those concerns. The City of San Jose is enthusiastic to pursue this improvement project with the assistance of the MTC Safe Routes to Transit & Bay Trail grant program.
I confirm that the City has $1,500,000 in leveraged funding towards the Project.
Emily S. Lam
Director, Administration, Policy, and Intergovernmental Relations Office of the City Manager
City of San José
200 East Santa Clara Street
San José, CA 95113
ATTACHMENT