Train Horn Noise
Status Update
July 15, 2024
Tina Pham, P .E.
Senior Engineer
Public Works
1 Council Direction and Feedback
• Staff is seeking Council feedback on the progress to date and next steps for establishing a “Quiet Zone”
• Does Council have any concerns with the proposed closure at Villa Terrace? • Does Council have any concerns with the proposed median improvements on E. Bellevue Ave, with primary design impacts being removal of five parking spaces and restricting access to and from homes within the median area to only right turns?
• Does Council support continued pursuit of the “Quiet Zone” as proposed by staff?
2 AGENDA
• City Staff’s Progress Toward Train Quiet ZoneEstablishment • Scenarios for Quiet Zone Qualifications
• Public Outreach and Education
• Preliminary Design Considerations
• Railroad Stakeholder Coordination
• Recommended Next Steps
3 Timeline of Staff Efforts
4 2017
Minimizing Train
Horn Noise was
included as a Council
Priority
2018/
2019
Council
representatives met
with U.S. Reps. J.
Speier and A. Eshoo,
FRA, EPA, and the
offices of Senators D.
Feinstein and K.
Harris
Staff Update to City
Council in August
2018
2020
Staff Update to City
Council in January
2020
4th & 5th Ave
Railroad X-ing
Project Initiated
2021
25th Ave Grade
Separation Project
Completed
(includes grade
separations for 28th
Ave and 31st Ave
crossings)
2022/
2023
Traffic Study for Villa
Terrace and E.
Bellevue Ave
Staff Update to City
Council in June 2023
4th & 5th Ave
Railroad X-ing
Project Design
Completed
2024
Public Outreach and
Design initiated for
Villa Terrace and E.
Bellevue Ave
Council/Staff
representatives met
with FRA
4th & 5th Ave Railroad
X-ing Project City’s
Construction
Completed
2022 Traffic Study
Recommended
Alternative
5 Existing Conditions:
Both at-grade crossings remain
open
Alternative:
Close Villa Terrace & add medians
at the E. Bellevue Ave Crossing
Alternative:
Close both Villa Terrace & E.
Bellevue Ave Crossings
5 Updated Scenarios for Quiet Zone Qualification
6 Scenarios
Risk
Index
% of
Threshold
Estimated
Costs
Anticipated Quiet
Zone Enactment Date
Evaluated in
2022 Traffic
Study?
Current Conditions with
4th and 5th Ave Railroad Grade Crossings Projects
138.5% N/A N/A Yes – as a baseline
A) 4-Quad gates at all 8 at-grade crossings 35% $21.0 million Beyond 2029 B) Add 4-Quad gates at Villa Terrace 114% $3.5 million N/A C) Add 4-Quad gates at E. Bellevue Ave 113% $3.5 million N/A D) Add 4-Quad gates at Villa Ter & E. Bellevue Ave 89% $7 million 2029 E) Add closure at Villa Terrace 111% $0.4 million N/A Yes F) Add closure at E. Bellevue Ave 110% $0.4 million N/A Yes G) Add closure at Villa Ter & E. Bellevue Ave 79% $0.8 million 2025 Yes H) Add closure at Villa Ter & medians at E. Bellevue Ave 84% $0.5 million 2025 Yes 7 Public
Outreach
Goals
Educate the community on the
benefits and challenges associated
with City’s efforts to establish a train
“Quiet Zone”
Inform residents and businesses of
upcoming changes to at-grade
crossings at Villa Terrace & E.
Bellevue Ave
Provide timely information to
interested parties regarding train
“Quiet Zone” efforts, SSMs projects
status, and construction impacts
Comprehensive Public Outreach Efforts
8 Outreach Materials:
Mailed notices
E-news updates
Posters, A-frames,
etc.
Social media
Website updates,
including FAQ
Direct Engagement
Strategies:
Coordination with
local stakeholders
including schools
and property
management
companies
Door-knocking
efforts at over 300
homes
Online Community
Survey:
Survey gathered
input from 201
community
members
Strong support for
the Project shown
Key Survey
Findings:
90% awareness of
alternative routes in
the event of Villa
Terrace closure
66% support for
Villa Terrace closure
59% in favor of E.
Bellevue Ave
median installation
Some Concerns
Raised:
Traffic congestion
Driveway access
due to the proposed
medians
Median visibility
Parking removal
Preliminary Design Considerations –
Villa Terrace
9 Preliminary Design Considerations –
Villa Terrace
10 Looking East Looking West
Preliminary Design Considerations –
E. Bellevue Ave
11 Preliminary Design Considerations –
E. Bellevue Ave
12 Looking East Looking West
Parking Supply
Options
• Ongoing, near-term (within the next
year), and long-term (within 1-2 years)
options to help address potential parking
supply concerns:
• Driveway Apron Parking (ongoing)
• Existing Red Curb Removal (near-
term)
• Comprehensive Zoning Code
Update enabling residents to create
parking on their properties (long-
term)
• Off-street Parking Incentives (long-
term)
• Complete Streets North Central Plan
(long-term)
13 Railroad
Stakeholder
Coordination
14 Step 4 Issue a Notice of Quiet Zone Establishment (NOQZE) Step 3
FRA conducts an inspection of the crossings
City responds to comments submitted by all required stakeholders Implement modifications to crossings, as necessary
Step 2
Issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) to establish a “Quiet Zone” to FRA and all required stakeholders
Provide a 60-day comment period
Step 1
Meet with all required stakeholders:
Federal Railroad Administration, California Public Utilities Commission, and Caltrain, etc.
Administrative Steps to Establish a “Quiet Zone”
Public Outreach Next Steps
15 PERIODIC UPDATES TO
INTERESTED PARTIES
REGARDING TRAIN
“QUIET ZONE”
EFFORTS
INDIVIDUAL
STAKEHOLDER
MEETINGS DURING
DESIGN
CONSTRUCTION
NOTIFICATIONS TO
INFORM RESIDENTS OF
CONSTRUCTION
TIMELINE AND
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
PROACTIVE
CONSTRUCTION
COORDINATION AND
MANAGEMENT TO
MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO
INDIVIDUAL
STAKEHOLDERS
Construction
Schedule for Next Steps
16 Summer 24 Fall 24 Winter 24 Spring 25 Summer 25 Fall 25 End of 2025 Public Outreach
Council Update
Jul 15
Design
Caltrain
4th & 5th
“Quiet Zone”
Administrative
Steps
NOQZE
60 Day
Comment
Period
Note: After Train Quiet Zone Establishment, staff will continue to monitor the “Risk Index” to ensure Train Quiet Zone is maintained ConstructionVilla Terrace and
E. Bellevue Ave
Train Quiet Zone
EstablishmentNOI
Council Direction and Feedback
• Staff is seeking Council feedback on the progress to date and next steps for establishing a “Quiet Zone”
• Does Council have any concerns with the proposed closure at Villa Terrace? • Does Council have any concerns with the proposed median improvements on E. Bellevue Ave, with primary design impacts being removal of five parking spaces and restricting access to and from homes within the median area to only right turns?
• Does Council support continued pursuit of the “Quiet Zone” as proposed by staff?
17