Title
Update on Oakland-Alameda Estuary Bridge Project (Discussion)
Body
To: Transportation Commission
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Over the past 16 months, City staff, its consultant team, partners and stakeholders, including the City of Oakland, have made significant progress on the current planning and scoping phase for the Oakland-Alameda Estuary Bridge project (Bridge). The Bridge, when completed, will provide an alternative to the deficient Posey Tube path and will connect west Alameda to Jack London Square, Amtrak, Downtown Oakland, and two nearby Oakland BART stations.
This phase of work, called a Project Initiation Document (PID), will provide the technical foundation for the next phases the bridge design and implementation process, and is completely funded with a $1.55 million grant from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (CTC). In July 2022, the City Council authorized staff to execute two contracts, with HNTB and Arup, to develop the PID and provide community engagement, and for technical oversight, respectively.
This staff report and presentation (Exhibit 1) provides an update on the work completed to date, and next steps.
BACKGROUND
In 2009, the City developed a comprehensive Estuary Crossing Final Feasibility Study Report (Study Report) to analyze and evaluate all of the potential strategies for crossing the Oakland Estuary (Estuary) either by foot, bike, or transit. This planning effort was the first to directly analyze the feasibility of new or improved Estuary crossings, with the goal of developing crossing designs that would appeal to users, adjacent communities, decision-makers, transit providers, and funding authorities. Near-, mid-, and long-term solutions were explored, including many bridge types, improvements to the Posey/Webster Tubes, as well as bus and water shuttle services. The top recommended, long-term option was determined to be a moveable Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge.
In October 2016, the City Council directed that staff begin working on the Bridge project and consider hiring a maritime engineer to further study the project feasibility.
In 2018, the City Council adopted the Transportation Choices Plan with the “West End Bicycle/Pedestrian Crossing” (Project #39), which included the near-term action to “fund a project study report to determine the specifics and feasibility of an additional crossing” and to meet and coordinate with the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
In 2019, Alameda CTC allocated over $300,000 to conduct a detailed feasibility study of the proposed lift-bridge, plus other crossing options, and the potential demand for different crossing options.
In 2020, Alameda CTC added the project to the 2020 Countywide Transportation Plan’s 10-Year Priority Projects and Programs List.
In 2021, the Estuary Crossing Study: Detailed Feasibility and Travel Demand Analysis (Study) was completed: www.alamedaCA.gov/bridge. It confirmed that a lift bridge meeting the Coast Guard requirements to have a 600-foot span between piers that can be raised to 175 feet, is technically feasible from an engineering and geotechnical perspective. The travel demand model showed that, depending on its location, 5,000 to 6,000 bicyclist and pedestrian trips would cross the bridge each week day, resulting in over 40,000 fewer auto trips across the estuary per week. The total cost to design, engineer and build the bridge was projected to be just under $200 million, with annual costs to operate and maintain the bridge around $3.5 million per year. With confirmation of feasibility, including letters of support from the USCG and the Port of Oakland (Port), the City began seeking funding for the PID.
In 2021, Alameda CTC voted to allocate $1,555,000 in funding for the PID to the City. To pursue and move the new west end bicycle/pedestrian bridge project forward, a PID must be completed, which is a necessary step towards applying for and eventually receiving funding for the environmental review phase. The same year the Council authorized staff to enter into a funding agreement with Alameda CTC for the PID phase.
In July 2022, after a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, City staff recommended and the City Council authorized executing contracts with (1) HNTB Consulting totaling for $1,350,000 to prepare the PID and provide outreach services; and (2) Arup, for $200,000 to provide specialized engineering expertise peer review services.
The Bridge is included in multiple City planning documents, including the City’s draft Strategic Plan, as well as City of Oakland, countywide, regional and state plans.
DISCUSSION
The contracted work began in August 2022. Since starting work, Alameda City staff and its consultants have worked in partnership with City of Oakland staff, and meet with many stakeholders and the community. Three possible alignments were selected for further study in the PID, which will be drafted by January 2024 and finalized by May 2024. The attached presentation (Exhibit 1) provides an overview of the work completed to date, the work underway now, and the next steps.
The work completed since August 2022 is summarized below.
• Established a comprehensive Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and a diverse Stakeholder and Equity Advisory Committee (S/EAC) for the project.
• Held 4 TAC meetings and 3 S/EAC meetings.
• Drafted a “Purpose and Need” Statement, and received input on it from the advisory committees.
• Determined project study area.
• Identified and mapped all major constraints in the study area.
• Developed 12 realistic alignments, that fit draft Purpose and Need statement and were not overly-constrained.
• Developed detailed screening matrix with 13 criteria, and applied it to the 12 alignments.
• Developed consensus with the advisory committees on the 3 alternatives (with height, span and ramping) to be evaluated in the PID.
• Met with various stakeholders individually (including WETA, Alameda Municipal Power (AMP), Port of Oakland, Alameda CTC and MTC).
• Met with regulatory agencies to introduce project and review permitting requirements.
• Held regular coordination meeting with consultants and City of Oakland staff.
• Held meetings with Caltrans Director of District 4 and her staff to discuss Caltrans involvement now and in the future on the project.
• Presented project to various local and regional advisory boards and committees.
• Developed a project web page, logo, fact sheet, survey and FAQs.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from hearing an update on this Bridge project.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The Bridge project is consistent with the General Plan (2021) and makes progress towards meeting all four of the goals in the Mobility Element, which are as follows:
• Equity: Provide for the mobility needs of all Alameda residents, workers, and visitors regardless of income, age, ability or neighborhood.
• Safety: Eliminate fatalities and severe injuries on Alameda’s streets, sidewalks, crosswalks and trails by 2035.
• Choices: Expand and improve alternatives to low occupancy automobile trips to incentivize mode shift to more environmentally sustainable modes of transportation while recognizing the diverse needs for mobility.
• Sustainability: Reduce the impacts of transportation systems on the environment, and transition to a more resilient transportation system to address the impacts of climate change.
Furthermore, General Plan Policy ME-15 Estuary Crossings states: “Work with Oakland, Alameda County, Caltrans, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, the State of California, the US Coast Guard, and other local, regional and federal partners to improve and ensure the maintenance and safe operations of Alameda’s existing bridges and tubes, and improve bicycle, pedestrian and transit access between Alameda and Oakland.”
Policy ME-15 Action (b) states: “West Alameda to Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge. Prioritize work with Oakland, Caltrans, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, the State of California, the US Coast Guard, and other relevant agencies to design, fund, construct and operate a bicycle and pedestrian bridge from
West Alameda to Oakland in order to increase bicycle and pedestrian access across the estuary.”
The 2018 Transportation Choices Plan includes the “West End Bicycle/Pedestrian Crossing” (Project #39) which included the near term action to “fund a project study report to determine the specifics and feasibility of an additional crossing” and to meet and coordinate with the USCG.
The ATP’s 2030 Infrastructure Plan includes Project #8: Oakland-Alameda Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge and calls for completing the PID and identifying a Lead Agency for all future phases by 2024.
The City’s draft 2023 Strategic Plan (Fiscal Years 2023-2026) includes a project to “Plan and identify funding for the design of a Bicycle Pedestrian Bridge on the west end” (#TIE2).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Preparation of design and feasibility studies are exempt from environmental review under CEQA Guidelines section 15262. Once the PID is completed and the project design is better defined, environmental review will be required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
Supporting bicycling and walking will help the City meet its goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by supporting mode shift away from automobiles. The City’s 2019 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan found that transportation accounts for 70% of the City’s GHG emissions, and that moving people out of automobiles is paramount to reducing transportation-related emissions.
Alameda CTC studies show that the bridge, if constructed, would result in over 40,000 fewer auto trips across the estuary per week, which would result in a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.
RECOMMENDATION
Accept an update on the Alameda-Oakland Estuary Bridge project.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibit:
1. Presentation on Oakland-Alameda Estuary Bridge