HomeMy WebLinkAboutPW Transit Center Update____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: 09/04/2018
Disposition: Accepted Report
Agenda Item No: 6.a
Meeting Date: September 4, 2018
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Public Works
Prepared by: Bill Guerin, Director City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: TRANSIT CENTER UPDATE
SUBJECT: INFORMATIONAL UPDATE FROM GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION
DISTRICT REGARDING THE NEW DOWNTOWN SAN RAFAEL TRANSIT CENTER
RECOMMENDATION: Accept the informational report and provide feedback to staff.
DISCUSSION: In June 2012, the City Council approved the Downtown Station Area Plan, setting the stage to
create vibrant, mixed-use, livable areas supported by a mix of transit opportunities, including passenger rail
service by the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) downtown San Rafael station. SMART is now in full
revenue operations on their Initial Operating Segment (IOS 1) from the Sonoma Airport to downtown San Rafael
and has begun construction of their operating segment from the downtown train station, located between
Fourth Street and Third Street, to the final termination of the rail line in Larkspur. This new operating segment
will bisect the existing Bettini Transit Center and then cross several significant City streets including Third,
Second, Irwin, Rice and Anderson Drive. The impact to the existing transit center is significant, necessitating the
expansion and/or relocation of the existing Transit center.
Staff from the City of San Rafael, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (GGBHTD), Marin
Transit, SMART, and others developed and evaluated a series of options that culminated in three recommended
alternatives. The three alternatives were presented to Council on 10/17/2016 in the San Rafael Transit Final
Report. In spring of 2017, the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) provided $1.25 million to GGBHTD to
complete the environmental analysis and develop the conceptual design for the new transit center. The
GGBHTD stated their willingness to explore additional options that would be developed before beginning
environmental review, and assessed as a part of the environmental review process. GGBHTD hired a team led
by Kimley Horn to develop their environmental analysis and preliminary design that will culminate in a preferred
option when the environmental review is completed. Staff from the City (and its consultant ALTA Planning),
Marin Transit, and SMART are working with GGBHTD and their consultants to refine the existing options and to
prepare variations as well.
SAN RAFAEL
THE CITY WITH A MISSION
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
GGBHTD has held public outreach meetings, conducted surveys and reached out to various advisory groups to
get feedback on the proposed ideas. As a result of that effort, refinements have been made to the original
concepts and new ideas have been introduced. GGBHTD has spent considerable time developing all of the ideas
and is expected to select a preferred alternative in the fall. The City of San Rafael has a critical role in the
approval of the final concept and GGBHTD is seeking to update the City Council as to what has taken place to
date and the next steps. GGBHTD staff will present the background and concepts to the City Council in order for
the Council and public to provide input.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: GGBHTD has created a project webpage (http://goldengate.org/SRTC/) to share
information about the project, including the public meetings and open houses, surveys, videos of presentations,
and ways to get involved in the planning process. The City of San Rafael helps to promote these opportunities to
the community through the City’s website, social media and the City Manager’s newsletter.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact to the action requested in this report.
RECOMMENDATION: Accept the informational report and provide feedback to staff.