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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2010-06-15o~zx„s~~ MINUTE S -~ ~. SPECIAL MEETING CITY COUNCIL c'~LIFOR~~~ OF THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING COMMUNITY ROOM 33 ARROYO DRIVI: SOUrhH SAN FRANCISCO TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010 Called to Order: 7:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call: Present: Present: Councilmembers Gonzalez*, Garbarino and Matsumoto, Vice Mayor Mullin, Mayor Addiego. *Councilman Gonzalez arrived at 7:03 p.m. 3. Agenda Review. None. 4. Public Comments -comments were limited to items on the Special Meeting Agenda. None. 5. Study Session on High-speed Rail. Public Works Director White introduced the California High-speed Rail Presentation. He explained the purpose of the meeting was to educate Council, staff and the public on the high- speed rail project, the potential impact and proposed program. Robert Doty of the California High-speed Rail Authority ("CHSRA") provided a power point presentation focusing on the CHSRA's direction. CHSRA had recently partnered with Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board ("JPB") to establish an initial organizational framework whereby CHSRA and JPB engage as partners in the planning, design and construction of improvements in the Caltrain Rail Corridor that would accommodate and serve both the near-term and long-term needs of CHSRA inter-city high-speed rail service and JPB commuter rail rapid transit service. Mr. Doty stated that the Preliminary Alternative Analysis for the San Francisco to San Jose portion of the proposed service had recently been published. The Alternative Analysis reconfirms that the four-track, grade separated, shared Caltrain and high-speed train system is feasible and is the recommended alternative on the Peninsula. The plan would allow high-speed trains to move at speeds of up to 125 MPH and Caltrain could operate at speeds of up to 110 MPH through the corridor. Planning assumptions included that high-speed trains would use current infrastructure where possible with planned shared stations including San Jose, Millbrae and other Peninsula locations. Mr. Doty requested feedback from South San Francisco on its plans to move the station and adjust the platform. He explained plans for the high-speed rail service included having the terminus and start points for the San Francisco post be both at 4th and King and the Transbay Terminal, because neither could independently accommodate the increased traffic. Mr. Doty then presented slides showing the various types of proposed track construction. He then invited questions from Council. Councilman Gonzalez expressed concern over the speed of the train on the Peninsula and the potential for accidents/injuries. He further questioned the speed from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Mr. Doty explained a speed evaluation would protect against accidents and while there would be a variation of actual speeds throughout the comdor with considerably less speed through curves, the train would go no faster than 125 MPH anywhere on the Peninsula. He also highlighted track design strategies that would minimize the potential for pedestrian accidents. Mr. Doty further responded that the high-speed trains could reach speeds of up to 220 MPH through the Central Valley and other open space portions of the State. The total trip time from San Francisco to Los Angeles was expected to be 2 hours and 40 minutes. Councilman Gonzalez emphasized that safety should be the priority and advocated for tunneling populated areas. He further stated he did not agree with having stops located between San Francisco and San Jose. Mr. Doty reiterated that track design, including features such as trenching, barriers, dedicated rights of way, enclosed tunnels and no track access would mitigate against the potential for accidents. Mr. Doty believed stops between San Francisco and San Jose would be necessary to accommodate ridership configuration and technical requirements and traffic which could not all be handled at 4th and King and the Transbay Terminal. Vice Mayor Mullin thanked Mr. Doty for his presentation. He commented on the complexity of the information and its usefulness in bringing residents up to speed. He noted that the Caltrain Station Relocation Project was essential to the City's downtown revitalization plan and questioned how the project might be impacted by high-speed rail. Mr. Doty noted he was aware the City and Caltrain had been working together on the Station project for sometime. He commented on funding problems that had arisen with respect to Caltrain's portion of the project and noted that any renovation and/or new station in South San Francisco must take maintenance of the utility of freight operations into consideration. Further, the current configuration would not work as it would require the movement of a high degree of SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JUNG 15, 2010 MINUTES PAGE 2 traffic through a very narrow channel. He opined a lot of analysis would be necessary to determine the best configuration for the Station. He further noted that getting the process started quickly might make the availability of ARRA funding a reality. Councilman Garbarino commented on the importance of staging with respect to the location of the new Station. He further stressed the importance of negotiating with Union Pacific regarding the marshal yard. Mr Doty explained negotiating with Union Pacific would be difficult, but was a necessary part of the project. Mayor Addiego expressed disappointment that Mr. Doty's presentation did not include much more information than what was available regarding the project through local media outlets. He requested clarification regarding the four track system and whether it would likely be at grade or aerial level through South San Francisco, irrespective of where the new Station might end up. Mr. Doty explained CHSRA was presently studying existing infrastructure to determine the likely track configuration throughout the corridor. He noted, however, that Council's ability to comment would be open ended. Mayor Addiego next questioned the speed at which the high-speed trains might be moving through South San Francisco. Tim Cobb of the CHSRA responded that the curve is fairly severe north of San Bruno Station. This curve would likely be taken at a speed of 75-80 MPH. Accordingly, the highest attainable speed through South San Francisco would likely be 80-85 MPH. Mayor Addiego stated that South San Francisco was a willing partner in the project and had inadvertently been preparing for the last 30 years by maintaining a presence in grade separation issues and discussions. He acknowledged the presence in the audience of High-speed :Rail Advocate, the Honorable Judge Quentin Kopp, and commented on the importance of this significant infrastructure upgrade. Director of Public Works White advised it was the City's intent to deliver a letter to the CHSRA regarding certain concerns by June 30th. He invited the public to send comments to the Department regarding community concerns. Councilman Gonzalez commented on the poor condition of the railroad bridge on Airport Boulevard. He questioned plans for this bridge with respect to the upgrade project. Mr. Cobb explained infrastructure throughout the system was presently being studied. He would keep this bridge in mind with respect to adequacy and potential modification. Vice Mayor Mullin called on Public Works Director White to serve as the interface between the Community, Caltrain, CHSRA and Council to make sure the City would not miss out on potential opportunities and/or other issues with respect to the project. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 15, 2010 MINUTES PAGE 3 Public Works Director White assured Council that the Department was keeping track of developments with respect to high-speed rail and its impact on plans for the new Caltrain Station. Further, the City was positioning itself to take advantage of opportunities by purchasing properties and making other improvements near the proposed location of the new Station. Vice Mayor Mullin commented on the proposed Station's significance to the business community. He further commented on the importance of commuter rail and the success of high- speed rail. He opined the dialogue between the players that evening was a significant step in the right direction. 15 . Adjournment. Being no further business, Mayor Addiego adjourned the meeting at 8:06 p.m. Approved: (/ . Mark N. Addiego, Mayor City of South San Francisco SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 15, 2010 PAGE 4