Title
Discuss Link21: New Regional Rail/Transbay Rail Crossing Project Update (Discussion)
Body
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda supports a rail 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 as either regional rail or BART technology. 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
Link21 staff regularly present status reports at the Transportation Commission with meetings in July 2020, September 2021 and now in March 2023. Link21 staff also plan to present a regional rail status update to the City Council on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, and will continue to present regular status reports at the Transportation Commission each year. Previously, Link21 staff highlighted work to date on the early exploratory phase of the project with a market analysis and a business case framework. Link21 project information is available on the webpage here: https://link21program.org/en.
No decisions have been made on rail technology, alignments or service in that Link21 is in the early stages. Exhibits 1 and 2 show Link21’s latest monthly report and presentation, which highlight fall 2022 community engagement activities as well as example concepts with maps. The Link21 milestones include finalizing a project concept and alignment, environmental clearance, design and then construction. In spring 2024, Link21 is expected to advance a project concept including technology. Construction is expected in 2040.
The City of Alameda is an eager partner and City staff expresses strong support of the Link21 regional rail project. San Francisco and Oakland are the two highest destinations for Alameda residents commuting to work. A fixed rail transit service that runs frequently would provide a viable travel alternative for not only these two high demand destinations but beyond to the greater San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento region.
City staff believe that the best possible locations for a new Alameda BART station would be on the west end of Alameda or at Alameda Point. In support of the City’s two designated Priority Development Areas (Naval Air Station Alameda and Northern Waterfront), these potential locations would support construction of an underground, urban-style rail station similar to Downtown Berkeley or Oakland. 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.
BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS/FISCAL IMPACT
None.
RECOMMENDATION
Discuss Link21: New Regional Rail/Transbay Rail Crossing Project Update.
Respectfully submitted by,
Gail Payne
Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibits:
1. Link21 Monthly Report - January 2023
2. Link21 Presentation