Fremont council members will approve its legislative priorities and its funding wish list.  Interesting that the city is seeking money for the Warm Springs BART station when everyone knows it’s going to be a dud thanks to Union Pacific.

Maybe it’s too late to scrap it altogether and have BART build the Irvington station and let the city’s big redevelopment bond pay for fostering business growth and affordable housing near that station.

Anyway, here’s the list:

FUNDING PRIORITIES

1. Auto Mall Parkway between I-680 and Osgood Road, and Mission Boulevard between I-680 and Warm Springs Boulevard: 680 trying to reach the Warm Springs BART station will increase the already congested segments on Auto Mall Parkway between I-680 and Osgood Road and on Mission Boulevard between I-680 and Warm Springs Boulevard. The City supports seeking regional, state or federal funding to assist with making the necessary improvements to either of these roadway segments to mitigate some of the BART impacts.

2. Warm Springs BART west entrance: from both the east side of the station, toward the BART parking lot, and the west side of the station, toward the TESLA factory. However, the current Warm Springs Extension Project only has funding for station access from the east. With the large amount of vacant land west of the station, the City desires to provide access from the west side of the BART station to facilitate development and redevelopment of parcels west of the station. However, with the recent sale of the vacant NUMMI properties to Union Pacific Railroad, the need for access on the west side of the station is dependent upon the UPRR’s ultimate use of this property. Should UPRR be willing to develop a portion of that land with uses that generate substantial BART ridership, the City supports the use of regional, state or federal funding to provide access from the properties west of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and BART tracks, over the UP tracks into the west side of the BART station.

3. Irvington BART Station: assumed the extension would include an Irvington BART Station located near the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Osgood Road. Due to funding constraints, BART’s Warm Springs Extension funding plan does not include the Irvington Station. Instead, the Irvington Station has been designated as an optional station with the City being responsible for identifying and securing the necessary funding for the station. With the recent approval of the Redevelopment Agency’s Plan Amendment, sufficient Redevelopment funding now exists to fully fund the Irvington Station assuming these funds are not affected by the governor’s recent budget proposal to eliminate redevelopment agencies. Although sufficient Redevelopment funding may be available, this is a very substantial project with regional transportation benefits. Therefore, the City and Agency seek regional, state and federal funding for the Irvington Station to offset a portion of the Agency’s cost.

 

4. Street/Pavement rehabilitation: investment of over $1 billion. As any street system ages and traffic loading increases (caused by increasing traffic, changes in bus routes and the use of heavier waste hauling and delivery trucks), the long-term maintenance needs increase. The City’s Pavement Management System (PMS) has identified approximately $190 million in needed pavement maintenance over the next five years. That level of funding would bring the entire street system up to a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of 78. The optimal PCI is 83. The current PCI is 62. After one-time federal and state funding is exhausted, the City only has funding for approximately $4.8 million annually for pavement rehabilitation projects.

5. Interoperability.

Regional Communications System Joint Powers Authority (EBRCSA) to build an interoperable P-25

compliant radio communications system for cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The

current estimated total cost for the new system is almost $70 million. EBRCSA has secured

approximately $39 million in funding from grants and anticipates securing approximately an

additional $14 million in grant funding over the next four years. To finance the remaining $17

million needed to complete the radio system, Alameda and Contra Costa counties increased the size

of their debt issuance. As part of the debt issuance, EBRCSA asked each member agency to

financially commit to participate in the debt based on the number of radios each agency will operate

on the new system. On September 28, 2010, the City Council authorized the CityManager to

negotiate and execute documents for EBRCSA to own, build, and operate the radio system and

appropriated $1,458,150, for the one-time service payment representing the City’s portion of the

total debt. Prior to 2013, when the new radio system is expected to be operational, the City needs to

purchase digital radio equipment for non-public safety departments in the City, including

Maintenance, Recreation, Building Inspection, Construction and Landscape. The radios used by the

Fremont Fire Department and Police Department were replaced in Fiscal Years 2008/09 and

2009/10, respectively. The City currently has a partially funded Capital Improvement Project with a

balance of $264,354 (excluding the one-time service payment). The total project cost to replace

radios for the non-public safety departments is approximately $1 million.

$1 million.

6. Warm Springs BART extension:

funding component has been delayed due to delays in State transportation bond sales. Should

additional funding be required as the project proceeds, the City will support BART’s pursuit of

additional regional, State or federal funds.

 

7. Mission Boulevard/I-880 interchange improvement project:

Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC)

Transportation Authority (VTA) on a project to improve the Mission Boulevard interchange area.

Phase IA of the project has been completed. Phase IB includes widening Mission Boulevard and

constructing on and off ramps fromMission Boulevard to Kato Road, which were removed in Phase

IA. Phase II includes a grade separation at Warren Avenue to facilitate the BART extension to San

 

1

from a merger of the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA) and the Alameda County Congestion

Management Agency (ACCMA).

 

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February 22, 2011 Page 7.2.13

Jose and eliminate the Union Pacific Railroad grade crossings that are routinely blocked by freight

trains. The project also requires changes to the Truck-to-Rail Transfer Facility south ofWarren

Avenue to accommodate the Warren Avenue Grade Separation and the future BART extension

improvements. The City has committed over $40 million to the project, including almost $8 million

of City-owned right-of-way.

design is only 95% complete and final construction estimates have not been prepared.

8. I-680/I-880 Cross connectors:

improving one or more connections between I-680 and I-880, called “cross connectors”. VTA has

completed an evaluation of the short-term and long-term projects encompassed by the cross

connector study. The “short-term” improvements include improvements to the I-680/Mission

Boulevard interchange and the widening of Mission Boulevard between Warm Springs Boulevard

and I-680 (estimated cost $65 million); widening of Auto Mall Parkway to six lanes (estimated cost

$40-$45 million); and widening Fremont/Grimmer Boulevards at grade to six lanes (estimated cost

$55-$66 million). Neither the City nor VTA has been able to identify any funding for these projects.

 

Estimated shortfall: $160 – $171 million.

9. ADA compliance for intersections:

comply with the latest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards within the public right-ofway.

The new ramps will meet the ADA requirements for slopes, landings, and detectable warning

surfaces. The ramps will improve the accessibility of public sidewalks, and the detectable warning

surfaces will alert visually impaired pedestrians to the presence of an intersection.

shortfall: $45 million.

10. Sidewalk repair:

are just as old or older. The roots from these street trees can displace pavement and cause hazardous

conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. The City now provides temporary patches and has a longterm

plan to fix sidewalks. However, the needs exceed the City’s available resources. As the City

ages, this problem will grow unless funds can be secured to increase capacity to deal with the street

trees and sidewalks.

11. Citywide fiber optic and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) deployment:

existing copper signal interconnect cable (that communicates media for the City’s traffic signals)

ages and becomes obsolete, it needs to be replaced by high bandwidth fiber optic cable. The use of

fiber optic cable provides unlimited possibilities to serve other City needs and facilities not available

in the past with copper interconnect cable. Fiber optic cables can link traffic signals, closed circuit

television cameras, and changeable message signs. In addition, the use of fiber optic cable gives the

City the ability to provide a more secure and reliable high bandwidth connection to other City

facilities, such as fire stations, community centers, recreation centers, and libraries. These facilities

are either not connected at all, or they are on less reliable, lower bandwidth, leased lines. Installing

fiber optic cable also gives the City the opportunity to provide wireless private and public “hotspots”

at high-density public gathering places. These hot-spots will facilitate emergency response by

providing both police officers and firefighters with the same online computer access in their vehicles

on the street as they would get if they were sitting in a City office. This project, which can be phased

and constructed on a segment-by-segment basis, would install fiber optic cable throughout Fremont

to interconnect facilities such as traffic signals, fire stations, community centers, recreation centers,

Item 7.2 Legislative Policies And Funding Priorities

February 22, 2011 Page 7.2.14

and libraries. In addition, the installation of closed circuit television cameras and changeable

message signs throughout the city would enable staff to better manage and direct traffic.

cost: $12 million.

12. Mowry Avenue widening between Overacker Avenue and Mission Boulevard (under two

active railroad bridges):

Boulevard passes under two old narrow railroad bridges that force the roadway to narrow to one lane

in each direction. This segment of Mowry is one of the most congested roadways in the City. In fact,

this segment was determined to be “deficient” by the County’s Congestion Management Agency. To

eliminate the bottleneck, this segment of Mowry Avenue needs to be widened to two lanes in each

direction. This requires demolishing and reconstructing both railroad bridges while maintaining

freight service and widening the street.