Title
Discuss Link21: New Regional Rail/Transbay Rail Crossing Project Update (Discussion Item)
Body
Background
The City of Alameda supports a BART station in Alameda as part of Link21 - the new regional rail and transbay rail crossing project between San Francisco and Oakland. In 2013, Mayor Marie Gilmore formally requested BART to consider BART to Alameda and to include Alameda in its planning efforts. As part of the City’s Transportation Choices Plan outreach effort in 2015, the City conducted a statistically significant public opinion survey to gauge attitudes, and two-thirds of respondents (65 percent) strongly support (47 percent) or support somewhat (18 percent) a BART station in Alameda. Consequently, the Transportation Choices Plan (2018) included “BART to Alameda” as one of the long-term projects.
Link21 is sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (Capitol Corridor) to transform the passenger rail network serving the 21-county Northern California Megaregion, which includes the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey Bay area, the Sacramento area, and the Northern San Joaquin Valley. At the core of Link21 is a new transbay rail crossing project between Oakland and San Francisco. In addition to the new transbay rail crossing, Link21 will include other projects to improve the reliability, frequency, capacity and hours of service for Northern California's rail network.
Discussion
At the Transportation Commission meeting, the Link21 staff/consultant team will provide an update on the project, which is the first annual update as requested by the Transportation Commission in July 2020 (Exhibit 1). Link21 is at the beginning exploratory phase of the project doing a market analysis, a business case framework and a comprehensive outreach. The project milestones include finalizing a project concept and alignment, environmental clearance, design and then construction. Construction is expected in 2040. Link21 project information is available on the webpage here: <https://link21program.org/en> . Link21 staff/consultant team has not yet defined the project, and no decisions have been made on rail technology, alignments or service in that they are in the early stages
BART/Capitol Corridor have not decided on the exact alignment of the New Transbay Rail Crossing. After reviewing past proposed alignments prepared by BART and considering Alameda’s transportation needs, Planning, Building and Transportation Department staff believe that the best possible locations for a new Alameda BART station would be on the west end of Alameda in the vicinity of Webster Street, the College of Alameda or at Alameda Point. In support of the City’s two designated Priority Development Areas (NAS Alameda and Northern Waterfront), these potential locations would support construction of an underground, urban-style BART station similar to the station in Downtown Berkeley or at 19th Street in Oakland. Staff does not recommend a suburban-style BART station with large parking structures or parking lots similar to the Dublin station or the Walnut Creek station. The west end locations also provide the best opportunities for development of supportive, mixed use, higher density, transit, pedestrian, and bicycle-oriented development in the immediate vicinity of the new station.
The City of Alameda is an eager partner and City staff expresses strong support of the Link21 project - including BART to Alameda, the multi-jurisdictional planning process and the BART/Capitol Corridor collaboration. The City of Alameda supports the Link21 project not only for its congestion relief benefits but also for its ability to act as an emergency lifeline transportation corridor in the event of a disaster transporting not only passengers but also tools, water or equipment.
Budget Considerations/Fiscal Impact
None.
Recommendation
Discuss Link21: New Regional Rail/Transbay Rail Crossing Project Update.
Respectfully submitted by,
Gail Payne
Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibit:
1. Link21 Presentation
2. Link21 Monthly Report - August 2021