City Council Public Hearing
August 30, 2022
Caltrain Grade Separation
Feasibility Study
Study Issue DPW No. 14-13
2City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Project Background
3City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Project Locations
4City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Community Outreach & Public Meetings
• Email list created
• Project webpage
• On-going Business Outreach Meetings
• July 12, 2017 – Agency Stakeholder Meeting
• July 26, 2017 – Business Outreach Meeting
• Aug. 10, 2017 - Mary Avenue Community Meeting
(100 participants)
• Aug. 17, 2017 - Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
Commission Meeting
• Aug. 22, 2017 - Mary Avenue Expressions Complex
Meeting
• Aug. 24, 2017 - Sunnyvale Avenue Community
Meeting (65 participants)
• Sept. 2017 - Mary Avenue Online Survey
(128 responses)
• Sept. 2017 - Sunnyvale Avenue Online Survey
(77 responses)
• Sept. 6, 2017 - Sunnyvale Downtown Association
Meeting
• Oct. 17, 2017 - City Council and BPAC Joint Meeting
• Jan. 23, 2018 - City Council Meeting
5City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Community Outreach & Public Meetings, cont.
• City Council Study Session
(April 5, 2022)
• City Manager’s Update (May
13, 2022)
• Multiple Email blasts
• Art & Wine Festival booth
(June 4-5, 2022)
• Multiple NextDoor posts
• Multiple Facebook posts
• Horizon article (Summer 2022)
• Mary Avenue Community
Meeting (June 8, 2022)
• Sunnyvale Avenue Community
Meeting (June 9, 2022)
• Survey from June 13 to July 31,
2022 (462 responses)
• Downtown Association Board
• Chamber of Commerce Policy
and Business Committee
• Chamber of Commerce Board
• Agency Stakeholder Meetings
• Direct emails, letters and
meetings:
Local Businesses
Residents
Property Owners
Impacted Stakeholders
HOAs
Community Groups
Schools
Places of worship
VTA
6City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue Options
7City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue Underpass
8City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue Underpass
Traffic Study Summary
Circulation same as “no build”
Average vehicular delays
• Less than “no build”
• Greater than Jughandle
Average vehicular travel times
• Less than “no build”
• Similar to or greater than Jughandle
Bicycle-Vehicle conflict points
• Same as “no build”
• Less than Jughandle
Pedestrian-Vehicle conflict points
• Same as “no build”
• Same as Jughandle
9City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue Underpass with Jughandle
10City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue Underpass with Jughandle
Traffic Study Summary
Circulation changed from “no build”
• Changed turning movements
• Two smaller signalized intersections
Average vehicular delays
• Less than “no build”
• Less than Underpass
Average vehicular travel times
• Less than “no build”
• Similar to or less than Underpass
Bicycle-Vehicle conflict points
• Less than “no build”
• Less than Underpass
Pedestrian-Vehicle conflict points
• Same as “no build”
• Same as Underpass
11City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue Option Comparison
Underpass Underpass with Jughandle
Safety • Improved over “no build” • Improved over “no build” Noise • Decreased from “no build” • Decreased from “no build” Circulation - Vehicular • Same pattern as “no build”
• Greater delay than Jughandle
• Longer or similar travel times
• Altered pattern
• Reduced delay
• Shorter or similar travel times
Circulation – Bicycle and
Pedestrian
• Same pattern as “no build”
• Same conflict points as “no build”
• Altered pattern
• Decreased conflict points
Potential Private Property
Impacts
• More complex property impacts • Less complex property impacts Construction Impacts • Impacts on both Mary and Evelyn
• More driveway impacts
• More utility impacts
• Similar railroad maintenance road
• More roadway reconstruction
• More construction time
• Construction impacts only on
Mary
• Less driveway impacts
• Less utility impacts
• Similar railroad maintenance
road
• Less roadway reconstruction
• Less construction time
Construction Cost Estimate • Higher cost: $375M - $425M • Lower cost: $280M - $320M 12City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue – Survey Summary
• 462 responses
• Most use local businesses
(30%) or commute (21%)
• Most travel by car (67%)
or bicycle (22%)
• Option Preferences:
Jughandle (49%)
Underpass (27%)
Dislike both (17%)
Like both equally (7%)
• Reasons for preferences:
Lower cost
Better circulation - all modes
Safest
Less property impacts
Less construction impacts
• Comments
Bike/pedestrian friendly
Construction impacts
Circulation pattern
Senior housing
Funding
13City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue – Community Feedback
• Bicyclists and Pedestrians mixed
Some prefer Underpass with less intersections
Some prefer Jughandle with less elevation changes
Create better active mode connections
• Businesses
Prefer Jughandle – less property impacts
Concerns:
• Construction disruption
• Property impacts
14City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue – Staff Recommendation
• Select the Mary Avenue Underpass with Jughandle
option to be defined as the Proposed Project for the
grade separation of the Mary Avenue crossing of the
Caltrain railroad tracks for the Environmental Review
15City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue – Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
Commission Recommendation
• Agreed with Staff Recommendation
• Recommend to City Council the selection of the Mary
Avenue Underpass with Jughandle option to be
defined as the Proposed Project for the grade
separation of the Mary Avenue crossing of the Caltrain
railroad tracks for the Environmental Review
• Amendments:
Final design be brought to BPAC before City Council approval Final design should meet more than minimum Active
Transportation Plan standards for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
Investigate closing Bidwell Ave. at Mary Ave. to vehicles 16City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Thank You
17City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022
Q&A SLIDES
18City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Why is Grade Separation Needed?
Source: Caltrain Business Plan, City of Sunnyvale Booklet, May 2019
19City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Why is Grade Separation Needed?
Source: Caltrain Business Plan, City of Sunnyvale Booklet, May 2019 0:14 0:21 0:24
0:12 0:15 0:20
20City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue – Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
Commission Recommendation
• Final design should meet more than minimum ATP
standards for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
21City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue – Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
Commission Recommendation
• Investigate closing Bidwell Ave. at Mary Ave. to
vehicles
22City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Mary Avenue Underpass Tunnel with Jughandle
Mary Avenue
Evelyn Avenue
Jughandle
23City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Sunnyvale Avenue Underpass Tunnel
Hendy Ave
Evelyn Ave
Washington Ave
Caltrain Tracks
24City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City (Google Maps)
Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond (BKF)
Roadway Underpass Local Examples
25City of Sunnyvale – Caltrain Grade Separation Feasibility Study – August 30, 2022 Santa Clara Caltrain Station Undercrossing
Palo Alto Homer Avenue Undercrossing
Bicycle and Pedestrian Undercrossing
Local Examples