HomeMy WebLinkAboutPW Multi-Use Path Study SessionSPECIAL STUDY SESSION
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL
MONDAY, July 18, 2016 AT 5:00 PM
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
1400 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael, California
AGENDA
Members of the public may speak on Agenda item.
1. Discussion re: Multi -Use Path (PW)
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D 1: Larkspur Extension EA Concents
D2: Citv Street Section Concent
D3: Concent Alternatives 1, 1A. 1B & 1C
D4: Concent Alternative 2
D5: Concent Alternative 3
ADJOURNMENT:
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meeting/hearing, individuals are requested to refrain from wearing scented products.
Contents
ExecutiveSummary.................................................................................................................. i
Background............................................................................................................................................................. i
Study....................................................................................................................................................................... i
AlignmentConcepts............................................................................................................................................... ii
Conceptual Alternatives 1, 1 A, 1 B & 1 C................................................................................................................ ii
DrainageChannel Impacts....................................................................................................................................iii
Right-of-Way......................................................................................................................................................... iv
EvolvingSMART Layout....................................................................................................................................... iv
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................................ iv
Multiuse Pathway Feasibility Study - Rice Dr. to 2nd Street................................................1
SanRafael.................................................................................................................................1
1. Purpose.............................................................................................................................................................. 1
2. Background........................................................................................................................................................1
3. Existing Conditions, Constraints and Potential Conflicts...................................................................................2
4. Concepts and Alternatives Analysis................................................................................................................12
5. Findings............................................................................................................................................................18
Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................................................. 22
Appendix A. Source Documents.........................................................................................................................23
Appendix B. Future Considerations.................................................................................................................... 24
Appendix C. Excerpts from General Order No. 26-D...........................................................................................27
AppendixD. Concept Layouts............................................................................................................................ 29
Executive Summary
Background
A pathway along the SMART right-of-way (ROW) from Rice Drive to 2nd Street was shown in the North-South
Greenway Study (Marin County, 1994) and several later iterations of the proposed SMART project; however,
Measure Q the 2008 Sonoma and Marin County voter approved ballot measure to fund the SMART commuter rail
and bikeway project did not include a pathway from Rice Drive to 2nd Street.
In 2014 as part of the Larkspur extension rail project SMART explored the potential of including a pathway in the
project; however, due to resource agencies concerns of adverse impacts on the adjacent drainage way, a
pathway component was not included as it would require additional time and resources that could jeopardize the
federal funding for the railroad extension.
The Larkspur Extension environmental documents (EA - Dec 2014, FONSI - May 20, 2015) included the
SMART/Francisco Boulevard West Realignment, rail lines and a two lane street with shoulders that could serve
as bike lanes, but without a sidewalk.
Continued public concern, especially pressure by bicycle advocates, over the lack of pedestrian and bicycle
facilities culminated in the decision to conduct a study of feasibility of constructing a pathway between Andersen
Dr. and 2nd Street, which includes the Rice Dr. to 2nd Street segment.
The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) requested the County of Marin lead an independent peer review to
evaluate the feasibility of a new multi -use pathway within existing public rights-of-way between 2nd Street and
Rice Drive in San Rafael.
Study
This feasibility study is to independently evaluate if a multi -use path, along with railroad and roadway facilities,
can fit within the available public right-of-way along the Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit (SMART) corridor from
Rice Drive to 2nd Street in San Rafael. This study considers alternative concepts developed to address the stated
goal and reflects the Francisco Boulevard W/SMART roadway & railroad flip also known as the realignment
concept.
The most significant constraints to providing a pathway from Rice Drive. to 2nd. Street are:
The narrowness of available publicly owned right-of-way (ROW) including areas of clouded title,
The physical constraints of the wetlands in the drainage channel on the west and the Highway 101 on-ramp
structure on the east near the Irwin St. intersection, and
Balancing federal, state and local agency safety and environmental standards.
The concepts and layouts for this study were developed from February to April of this year and SMART rail
alignment concepts of March 2016 or before.
Page I i Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Alignment Concepts
The concepts explored include:
Larkspur Extension EA Concept - The layout in the approved Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment
(EA) document (See Appendix D 1).
City Street Section Concept - An enhanced EA alignment that adds a 6 -foot -wide sidewalk on the west side of
Francisco Blvd. W. (See Appendix D 2).
Conceptual Alternatives 1 through 1C - A series of concepts that presents various configurations with a similar
footprint as the City Street Section Concept aimed to improve the functionality for bicycle and pedestrian users
(See Appendix D 3).
Alternative 2 -An alignment that utilizes apparent SMART ROW on the west side of the drainage channel to navigate around
the pinch pointjust south of Irwin Street (See Appendix D 4).
Alternative 3 - An alignment that combines Concept 1 B with the Concept 2 alignment and increases the width of the
bicycle and pedestrian facilities (See Appendix D 5).
Characteristics of each concept
The Larkspur Extension (EA) Concept — the alignment shown in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment with the
street consisting of two 12 -foot travel lanes and two 4 -foot shoulders with no sidewalk or bike path that:
Represents the project analyzed and cleared in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment (EA) - Dec
2014, and Finding of No Significant Impacts (FONSI) - May 20, 2015).
Provides full (12') vehicle lane widths.
Provides no pedestrian facilities
Provides minimal bikeway facilities.
City Street Section Concept a previously developer concept that adds a 6 -foot wide sidewalk to the EA Concept as depicted
on the City of San Rafael Cross Section that:
Provides pedestrian facility with a 6 ft. wide sidewalk.
Provides full (12') vehicle lane widths.
Does not improve upon the minimal bikeway facilities identified in the EA Concept.
Includes putting a section of the drainage channel in a culvert.
Conceptual Alternatives 1, 1 A, 1 B& 1 C
A series of conceptual alternative alignments and configurations have been developed to enhance the
functionality for bicycle and pedestrian users within a similar footprint as the City Street Section Concept. These
concepts reduce the widths of the street's vehicle lanes and shoulders and reallocates the area to various
configurations of pedestrian and bicycle facilities on the west side of the street.
Each of these Alternatives:
Provide increased off-street pedestrian and bicycle space.
Page I ii Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Minimizes environmental impacts on the drainage way.
Reduces street vehicle lane widths from 12 feet to 11 to 10.5 feet.
Reduces street shoulder widths from 4 feet to 2 to 1.5 feet.
The roadway provides additional width to allow for truck turning movements at the Rice Dr. intersection.
Alternative No. 1 is the base alternative concept that reallocates the 40 to 41 foot wide area identified in the City Street Section
concept to provide more room for pedestrian and bicycle use with a 12 -foot -wide multi -use pathway along most of the
roadway.
The width of the multi -use pathway reduces to 9 feet wide for about 250 feet south of Irwin Street to minimize
direct impacts on the mapped drainage channel.
Conceptual Alternative 1A — provides a 2 foot wide raised median between the street and the multi -use path
which is reduced to 10 feet wide. This configuration is similar to a two-way cycle track providing a low vertical
barrier for horizontal separation.
Conceptual Alternative 1B — provides separated bike and pedestrian mode use with the pedestrian sidewalk
adjacent to the roadway and an 8 foot wide bikeway behind the 5 foot sidewalk.
Conceptual Alternative 1C — consists of a multi -use path separated from the roadway with a buffer area of
decomposed granite that can be used by pedestrians if they so choose and creates a 5 foot buffer between the
paved path and the edge of the street.
Conceptual Alternative 2 - utilizes SMART ROW west of the drainage channel by moving the bike path to the west side of the
drainage channel for about 250 feet south of Irwin Street while keeping the sidewalk next to the roadway east of the channel.
Altemative 2 can be combined with any of the other Alternatives (1-1 C),
Conceptual Alternative 3 — is a more robust version of Concept 1B with the Concept 2 alignment. This
Alternative provides for a 10 foot wide bikeway and a 6 foot wide sidewalk for pedestrians south of Irwin Street.
Drainage (hgnnel 1MDPr-t--
Resource Agencies have made it clear that they will be looking for the alternative with the least environmentally
damaging impacts on the channel and the habitat within the banks.
At the March 16, 2016 Marin County Permit Coordination meeting the resource agencies, the agencies:
Strongly discouraged culverting or filling of the channel.
Recommend minimizing disruption of the channel banks and shading of the channel.
Were receptive to the concepts of cantilevering portions of the pathway and the Alternative 2 bridge crossing of
the channel as long as disruption and shading of the channel were minimized.
The February 2016 SMART DRAFT rail alignment provides more room for the street and pathway that would
allow several of the pathway concepts to be implemented without directly impacting the jurisdiction waterway and
with minimal impacts to the banks of the drainage way.
Page I iii Pathway Feasibility Study— Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Right -of -Way
The right-of-way shown in the Environmental Assessment documents for the Larkspur Extension is ambiguous or
clouded in several locations and the legal title may need to be cleared to allow for rail, street or pathway
construction. SMART is currently working on layouts to minimize right-of-way conflicts.
Based on the 2013 SMART rail alignments shown in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment and the
City of San Rafael property ownership map, it appears that a bicycle/pedestrian pathway could not be added to
the railroad/street reconfiguration between Rice Drive and 2nd Street without obtaining clear title to portions of 2
or 3 parcels.
P:\/nI\iinrr c,NAART I gvni if
As a part of the current Larkspur Extension design SMART has been evaluating and developing rail alignments
through the study area. The SMART design team continues to explore concepts that minimize right-of-way and
environmental impacts while providing the safety and geocentric needs of the rail and street facilities.
Conclusion
Confirmation of existing or available right-of-way remains the biggest issue and potential constraint to
implementing a facility that functionally serves pedestrian, bicycle, motor vehicle and rail transit users in the
limited corridor.
It appears a variety of alignments and cross sections are physically feasible if SMART and the City have clear title
to the needed rights-of-way.
With the exception of the City Standard Section Option and possibly Alternative 3, the various pathway options
minimize impacts to the adjacent drainage channel and are equal to, or less than the impacts shown for the
alignment cleared in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment.
The Rice Dr. to 2nd St. pathway segment has neither CEQA nor NEPA clearance. Construction of the pathway
will be subject to CEQA requirements and may be subject to NEPA if a Federal nexus is found.
Page I iv Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Multiuse Pathway Feasibility Study - Rice Dr. to 2nd Street,
San Rafael
Purpose
The goal of the feasibility study is to independently evaluate if a multi -use path, along with railroad and roadway
facilities, can fit within the available public right-of-way along the Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit (SMART)
corridor from Rice Drive to 2nd Street in San Rafael. This study considers alternative concepts developed to
address the goal and reflects the Francisco Boulevard W./SMART roadway & railroad flip also known as the
realignment concept.
Irwin Street intersection and the wall -to -drainage channel 'Pinch Point'
2. Background
A pathway along the SMART right-of-way (ROW) from Rice Drive to 2nd Street was shown in the North-South
Greenway Study (Marin County, 1994) and several later iterations of the proposed SMART project; however, a
pathway from Rice Drive to 2nd Street was not included in Measure Q, the 2008 Sonoma and Marin County voter
approved ballot measure to fund the SMART commuter rail and pathway project. SMART made several
subsequent efforts to include the pathway in the project.
In 2010 SMART began refinement of the railroad and pathway designs began with the Advanced Conceptual
Engineering (ACE) design. The ACE phase of the SMART design proposed flipping the rail and Francisco
Boulevard W alignments to improve safety and functionality. The concept plans depict the rail/roadway flip with
Francisco Drive W. consisting of two traffic lanes and a sidewalk on the west (or south) side of the street and the
two rail lines to the east between the street and Highway 101.
The flip design (aka: Realignment) was not advanced further due to the economic downturn that reduced
SMART's bonding capacity and resulted in SMART phasing the project. The first phase of the SMART project
was scaled back to include only work from Downtown San Rafael to Santa Rosa; referred to as the Initial
Operating Segment (IOS). The Rice Drive to 2nd Street segment is south of and outside the IOS limits.
Pagel i Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
As part of the Larkspur Extension Project NEPA clearance process (2014), SMART once again considered the
potential of including the Rice Drive to 2nd Street pathway segment as a component of the rail extension project.
However, at an April 1, 2014 resource agency coordination meeting, the Regional Water Quality Control Board
and California Fish & Wildlife representatives were adamant that, in the `pinch area' (between Rice Drive and
Irwin Street), the SMART project must not adversely impact the existing drainage channel unless there is no other
practicable alternative.
Because the concerns of the agencies would require additional time and resources that could jeopardize the
federal funding for the railroad extension, SMART did not include a pathway component as part of the Larkspur
extension rail project.
The Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment and FONSI (EA - Dec 2014, FONSI - May 20, 2015) included
the SMART/Francisco Blvd W Realignment with two rail lines and a roadway of two 12' traveled lanes and two 4 -
foot shoulders (that could serve as bike lanes) but no sidewalk.
Because the Multi -use Pathway (MUP) along the SMART right-of-way from Andersen Dr. to 2nd St., was not
included in the project descriptions for the SMART Measure Q EIR nor in the Larkspur Extension Environmental
Assessment, the Rice Dr. to 2nd St. segment of the MUP has neither CEQA nor NEPA clearance. An EIR
Amendment will be needed for CEQA, and if MUP implementation has a Federal nexus amendment of the
Environmental Assessment may be needed.
The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) asked the County of Marin to lead an independent peer review to
evaluate the feasibility of a new multi -use pathway using SMART, City of San Rafael, and Caltrans right-of-way
between 2nd Street and Rice Drive in San Rafael. Concerns and questions persisted about the lack of pedestrian
and bicycle facilities, the "pinch point" of limited right-of-way width near Irwin St. and resource agency
requirements that may, or may not, affect the feasibility of installing a multi -use path within existing right-of-way.
Funded by TAM, the County of Marin Public Works Department commissioned Alta Planning and Design to
conduct an independent Peer Review and Feasibility Study of the existing rail and street designs and the
feasibility of providing functional bicycle and pedestrian facilities within the available existing public right-of-way.
3. Existing Conditions, Constraints and Potential Conflicts
3.1 Existing Conditions
The 2nd Street to Rice Drive segment of the SMART corridor occurs in a highly urbanized area situated between
the Highway 101 freeway and commercial/industrial development along Francisco Boulevard W. The Existing
Condition is a defunct rail line south of Downtown San Rafael that crosses over San Rafael (Mahon) Creek,
Francisco Boulevard W north of Irwin, and both Irwin Street and Rice Dr. just west of Francisco Blvd W, on its way
to Larkspur. The old rail line is a single track and portions of the track no longer exists (Figure 1).
Pagel 2 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Drainage channel, pump station inlet structure and Highway 101 on-ramp structure, south of Irwin Street
At the north end of the drainage channel (just south of Irwin Street) is a large inlet that allows the water to flow to
a pump station on the east side of Hwy 101 where the water is discharged into San Rafael Creek, itself a tidally
influenced water way.
On the east side of the study area a structure supporting the south bound Hwy 101 on-ramp creates an imposing
physical barrier. From information provided, the structure appears to be partially in the City of San Rafael ROW
for Francisco Boulevard W.
Irwin Intersection with Highway 101 on-ramp structure on the right (east)
On the north bank of Mahon Cr., just west of the pedestrian bridge landing, is a City of San Rafael drainage pump
station. The fence enclosing the facility is adjacent to the back of sidewalk.
The ROW and physical space on the west side of the street between Mahon Cr. and 2nd St. is very limited and
contains numerous surface mounted utilities, many that are street/traffic related.
Pagel 3 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
The study area has a variety of existing utilities typically found along a roadway that provide potential conflicts
including:
Surface mounted electrical service cabinets just north of Rice Dr.
Various underground conduits and associated vaults, valves and risers including a sewer force main at Rice Dr.
and jogging to the north; and large drainage facilities from the south side of Irwin St. to the north bank of Mahon
Cr.
Overhead (aerial) utility lines and associated poles and down guys.
Traffic signal poles & cabinets, streetlight poles at the southwest corner of the Francisco Blvd. W. & 2nd St.
intersection.
Utility pole, paved parking area and old tracks, north of Rice Drive
3.1.1 Biotic Setting
The parts of this corridor segment that would be affected by the Multi -Use Path (MUP) consist primarily of existing
paved areas, ruderal uplands, and an approximately 1,010 -foot -long drainage channel. Additionally, the corridor
crosses San Rafael Creek (aka Mahon Creek) at its northern end, south of 2nd Street. Within the west side of the
SMART ROW from Rice Drive to Irwin Street is a tidally influenced drainage channel that has been delineated as
Waters of the United States, subject to the jurisdiction of State and Federal regulatory agencies. Although there
is the potential for several special status species to occur in the general vicinity, none were found to occur within
Pagel 4 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
the study area as part of the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment (2014).
Drainage channel and existing culvert, north of Rice Drive
A
49
3.1.2 Rights of Way (ROW)
Rights of way, property line and parcel information was received from SMART, the City of San Rafael and
Caltrans (see Appendix A for a list of source documents).
The Right of Way and Property Ownership Maps provided by the City of San Rafael (Figure 2) indicate that there
may be privately held properties within the physical area occupied by Francisco Boulevard W. and the old rail line
from Rice Drive to 2"d Street. In addition to these potential ROW conflicts, portions of the SMART ROW have
privately built improvements that are, or were, in private use.
One ROW AutoCAD layers provided by SMART depicts the ROW of the Northwest Pacific Railroad (NWPRR)
Valuation Maps. This ROW is shown more or less centered on the old rail line which does not correlate with other
property line and ROW information received.
3.2 Constraints and Potential Conflicts
The most significant constraints and potential conflicts include physical constraints, potential right-of-way and
clouded title issues, and a drainage channel with biotic resources as referenced on the Potential Constraints and
Conflicts exhibit (Figure 1).
3.2.1 Right-of-way (ROW) Constraints and Potential Conflicts
Right-of-way information is based on documents received from SMART and Caltrans, as referenced in Section
4.1, Source Documents and Appendix A. Property ownership information described below is based on the
Property Maps provided by the City (Figure 2).
The Property Map shows a privately owned parcel amongst the publicly owned parcels and rights of way just
north of Rice Drive (APN 013-041-54 (Bacci), #2 on Fig. 1). This area is a paved parking lot including light posts.
Pagel 5 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Potential right-of-way confilct, north of Rice Drive
Although not in the Rice to 2nd Street study area proper, just south of Rice Drive and on the east side of the
SMART ROW, two parcels (APN 013-041-53 & 56, Bacci) may conflict with the planned double track rail lines
south of Rice Dr. (#9 on Fig. 1).
Based on the Property Map, north of Irwin Street (#6 on Fig. 1) there are potential rights of way conflicts with APN
013-021-40 (La Terra Trigoglio) and APN 013-021-24 (Miller); however, if the NWPRR Valuation Map ROW lines
provided by SMART prevail, the roadway and pathway may not conflict with the private parcels. APN 013-021-23
(JBR) does not appear to create a ROW conflict but does have parking lot improvements in the SMART ROW.
Should SMART or the City not have rights to construct the roadway on APN 013-021-40 (La Terra Trigoglio) right-
of-way acquisition would be needed to construct any of the conceptual alignments as there is less than 20 feet of
ROW width between the CPUC required 10 foot rail off -set and the adjacent parcel.
There may be easements, leases or use agreements to be reconciled for these locations.
Review of property deeds, legal descriptions or title reports was not part of this study and would need to be
conducted in a future phase to more accurately assess the right-of-way need for these conceptual alignments.
Pagel 6 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Potential right-of-way conflicts, north of Irwin Street
3.2.2 Existing Physical Constraints and Potential Conflicts
The most physically constricted area of available ROW is just south of Irwin Street (#5 on Figure 1) with
the drainage channel on the west and the arc of the Caltrans structure (and ROW) for the south bound
Hwy. 101 on-ramp, on the east, leaving a width of just over 70 feet available for the double track railroad,
street and pathway. An existing 6 foot wide pedestrian bridge over Mahon Creek (#7 on Figure 1)
provides a pedestrian connection from the Mahon Creek Trail on the south bank of the creek to the
crosswalk of 2nd. St. at Francisco Blvd. W. A bridge of 10' to 16' wide would be needed to accommodate
two-way bicycle and pedestrian usage.
Existing Pedestrian Bridge over San Rafael Cr. and Francisco Blvd W & 2nd Street Intersection
The 2nd Street and Francisco Blvd W intersection (#8 on Fig. 1) is uninviting and challenging for
northbound cyclists due to the high volume vehicular right hand turn movements onto eastbound 2nd
Street. At 2nd Street the most anticipated bicycle demand will be straight- north onto W Tamalpais. This
makes the option of on -street bike lane less desirable, at least for the Irwin Street to 2nd Street segment
unless substantial improvements, reconfiguration or signal phasing revisions of the 2nd Street
intersection are undertaken.
As stated in 3.1, Existing Conditions, the study area has a variety of existing utilities typically found along
a roadway that provide potential conflicts including:
Surface mounted electrical service cabinets just north of Rice Dr.
Various underground conduits and associated vaults, valves and risers including a sewer force main at
Rice Dr. and jogging to the north; and large drainage facilities from the south side of Irwin St. to the north
bank of Mahon Cr.
Overhead (aerial) utility lines and associated poles and down guys.
Traffic signal poles & cabinets, streetlight poles at the southwest corner of the Francisco Blvd. W. & 2"d
St. intersection.
If found to be in conflict, these facility can normally be relocated before or during construction through
timely coordination with the facility owners.
Page I io Pathway Feasibility Study— Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
3.3 Potential Biotic Constraints
3.3.1 Wetlands and Other Potential Waters of the U.S./State of California
Based on an unverified wetland delineation report done by AECOM in June 20141, the 2nd Street to Rice
Drive segment contains the following aquatic features:
Unnamed Drainaae Channel. This drainage channel is a potentially jurisdictional other water of the U.S.
as well as a water of the State of California. The ditch is 6 - 12 feet wide at the ordinary high water line
(OHWL) and probably 15 — 25 feet wide at the tops of banks. It collects runoff from the surrounding
developed areas; the runoff is pumped from the ditch's terminus at Irwin Street into San Rafael Creek via
an underground pipe connected to a pump station located on the east side of Highway 101. At least 500
linear feet of the western channel bank consists of a vertical sheet pile wall. The earthen banks are either
barren or covered by ruderal species. The channel bed and bank below the OHWL supports a few small
patches of hydrophytic species, primarily cattails as well as a few small stands of pickleweed along its
margins.
San Rafael Creek. San Rafael Creek is a navigable water of the U.S. as well as a water of the State of
California. It flows into San Rafael Canal and thence into San Pablo Bay. At the SMART corridor
crossing, San Rafael Creek is approximately 20 to 25 feet wide at the OHWL. The creek banks are
largely unvegetated at the crossing location.
3.3.2 Special Status Species
Green Sturgeon. Based on the draft Biological Assessment (BA) prepared by AECOM in November
20142, the only federally -listed species with the potential to occur in the project vicinity is green sturgeon
1AECOM, Inc. Draft Preliminary Delineation of Waters of the United States, Including Wetlands. Sonoma -
Marin Area Rail Transit Downtown San Rafael -Larkspur Extension. Prepared for Sonoma -Marin Area Rail Transit
District. July 2014.
2 AECOM, Inc. Draft Biological Assessment Sonoma -Marin Area Rail Transit Downtown San Rafael -
Larkspur Extension. Prepared for Sonoma -Marin Area Rail Transit District. November 2014.
Page 1 ii Pathway Feasibility Study - Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
(Acipenser medirostris - Threatened). The BA indicates that San Rafael Creek in the project vicinity and
the unnamed drainage channel contain very poor habitat for adult or juvenile green sturgeon; additionally,
this species would be precluded from entering the channel due to the presence of tidal gates and pumps.
In -water work for the project would however have the potential to indirectly affect green sturgeon
approximately 1.5 miles downstream in San Pablo Bay. The BA includes a range of measures to be
implemented as part of the construction process that would avoid and minimize the potential for such
effects.
Other Special -Status Species. The SMART project's draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared
by Parsons Brinckerhoff in 20053 indicates that the 2nd Street to Rice Drive would have some potential to
affect non -federally listed species -status species, including western pond turtle (Clemmys marmorata
marmorata) and several bat species that could roost beneath exiting bridge crossings. Additionally
nesting birds could be affected by construction during the breeding season. The EIR includes various
mitigation measures to be implemented as part of the construction process that would avoid and minimize
the potential for such effects.
For additional information on potential permit and mitigation requirements please see Appendix B.
3.4 Constraints and Potential Conflicts Summary
In summary, the majority of the physical and biotic constraints and conflicts lie south of Irwin Street where
the south bound on-ramp to Highway 101 and the existing drainage channel restrict available space;
however, potential right-of-way issues throughout the segment may prove more challenging than the
physical and biotic constraints.
4. Concepts and Alternatives Analysis
4.1 Source Documents
The sources used to develop the Concept and Conceptual Alternatives Drawings were provided by
SMART, the City of San Rafael and Caltrans. The information provided included digital files and hard
copies of maps and other documents. See Appendix A for a list of the computer files and documents
provided by the agencies and additional technical references.
4.2 Proposed Alignments and Alternative Concepts
Concepts were evaluated and developed from existing alignment layouts, information provided by
SMART and the City of San Rafael, and input received at project team meetings January 14 and March 8,
2016 at the Marin County Civic Center. Input on potential impacts from environmental resource agency
3Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. Sonoma -Marin Area Rail Transit Project Draft Environmental Impact Report.
Prepared for Sonoma -Marin Area Rail Transit District. 2005. State Clearinghouse No. 2002112033.
Page 1 12 Pathway Feasibility Study— Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
staff was provided at the March 16, 2016 Marin Permit Coordination Meeting held at the County Annex
1600 Los Gamos Drive, San Rafael.
The concepts included the layout shown in the approved Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment,
an alignment based on a cross section proposed by the City of San Rafael (Figure 3) and a series of
Conceptual Alternatives that provide a variety of facility configurations aimed to improve the functionality
for bicycle and pedestrian users within a similar footprint as the City Street Section Concept with a 6 -foot -
wide sidewalk.
The Concepts Alternative drawings identify the rail alignments shown as 2013 and/or 2016 on the plan
sheets (See Appendix D).
4.2.1 Alignments Based on Existing Layouts
The Larkspur Extension (EA) Concept — the alignment shown in the Larkspur Extension Environmental
Assessment with the street consisting of two 12 -foot travel lanes and two 4 -foot shoulders with no
sidewalk or bike path (See Appendix D 1). This configuration is significant as it is the project analyzed
and cleared in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment (EA) - Dec 2014, and Finding Of No
Significant Impacts (FONSI) - May 20, 2015) thereby representing a theoretically acceptable level of
encroachment on the drainage channel. The proposed wall extends from the pump station inlet structure
on the south side of Irwin to approximately 150 ft. south, running along the east side of the channel and
west side of the roadway
One of the main concerns with the on -street bike lanes is that they put northbound cyclists in a precarious
position at the 2nd St. as they must merge with or cross over the dominate right turn vehicular movement.
The 4 foot widths shown are minimal and if the lane is adjacent to a wall or fence or does not have a 3
foot width of one surface type, the facility is sub -standard.
City Street Section Concept— a concept based on the City of San Rafael Cross Section (Figure 3) of two
12 -foot travel lanes and two 4 -foot shoulders and a 6 -foot -wide sidewalk (See Appendix D 2). The City
Standard Alignment would require retaining walls along the drainage channel and a portion of the 6 foot
sidewalk to be cantilevered over the drainage channel.
The culvert shown on the City Street Section Concept reflects the culvert shown in drawing X -SMART -
Align San Rafael -Fra ncisco(flip)-DRAFT. dwg.
Pagel 3.3 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Figure 3. Street section proposed Francisco Boulevard W from San Rafael
And like the Larkspur Extension (EA) Concept, the on -street bike lanes put northbound cyclists in a
precarious position at the 2nd St. as they must merge with or cross over the dominate right turn vehicular
movement.
The SMART rail alignments of March 2016 would allow the street alignment to be pushed east away from
the channel for much of the area south of the culverted channel. Impacts within the channel banks and
the wetlands would be greatly reduced through this area.
4.2.2 Conceptual Alternatives Configurations
A series of conceptual alternative alignments and configurations were developed to enhance the
functionality for bicycle and pedestrian users within a similar footprint as the City Street Section Concept
(See Appendix D 3).
Conceptual Alternative No. 1
Alternative No. 1 establishes the base alternative concept while reflecting the March 2016 Draft
SMART/Francisco Boulevard W. realignment layout. Alternative No. 1 reallocates the 40 -foot -wide area
identified in the City Street Section Concept to provide additional room for pedestrian and bicycle use.
Pagel 14 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Alternative No. 1 revises the roadway to include two 11 -foot vehicular lanes, two 2 -foot shoulders and a
12 -foot -wide multi -use pathway on the west side of the roadway. The width of the multi -use pathway
reduces to 9 feet approximately 250 feet south of Irwin Street to minimize direct impacts on the mapped
drainage channel.
To minimize impacts to the mapped drainage channel, this 250 -foot section of pathway is proposed to be
partially cantilevered over the channel bank. The retaining wall for the cantilever section would be outside
of the limits of the Corps of Engineers jurisdictional area of the channel, and less intrusive than the wall
shown in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment and FONSI (EA - Dec 2014, FONSI - May
20, 2015). The cantilevered wall would be below the top of channel bank and likely require permits from
the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
(CDFW).
Alternative Layout No. 1 (and Alternatives 1A — 1 C) reduces the 2 ft. width of the barrier between SMART
and Francisco Blvd W. shown on previous concepts to 1.5 -ft. by eliminating the vertical taper on the
SMART side of the barrier as motor vehicles would not be present (The purpose of the vertical taper is to
allow the tires of an off -course motor vehicle to contact the barrier before the chassis to reduce the
severity of the collision).
The total width of Alternative Layout No. 1 including the rail barrier is 40 feet, 37 feet where the pathway
is reduced to 9 feet. A 10 -foot separation form the back of the barrier to the centerline of the SMART rail
line is maintained.
For approximately 250 feet to the north of Rice Dr. the Alternative 1 layout maintains the roadway
geometry (32 -foot curb to curb width) shown in the March 2016 SMART plan to allow for truck turning
movements at the Rice Dr. intersection.
North of Irwin Street the shoulder widths increase to 4 feet where ROW and physical constraints allow,
and the existing 5 -foot -wide bridge over Mahon Creek is to be replaced with a 10- to 12 -foot -wide bridge
to better accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians.
Conceptual Alternatives 1 A, 1B &, 1C, 2& 3
Alternative Concepts 1A, 1B & 1C have the same basic alignment and footprint (a 40 -foot width) as
Alternative 1. These Alternatives explore various street and pathway cross sections and configuration that
serve pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle uses. It should be noted that for Alternatives 1 B & 1 C the street
travel lanes and shoulders widths were reduced by 6 inches each to allow more room for the pathway.
Although the width reductions may not comply with City Standards they are consistent with current best
practices for urban roadway safety per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), National Association of City Transportation
Officials (NACTO) and other research groups.
Conceptual Alternative 1A — provides a 2 foot wide raised median between the street and the multiuse
path which is reduced to 10 feet wide. This configuration is similar to a two-way cycle track providing a
low vertical barrier for horizontal separation. As with Alternative 1, pedestrians and cyclists share the
pathway space. The 2 foot median would be dropped through the 250 ft long cantilever area due to the
width restriction. This Alternative provides 4 feet between the paved path and the street's edge of
traveled way.
Pagel 15 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Conceptual Alternative 1B — provides separated bike and pedestrian mode use with the pedestrian
sidewalk adjacent to the roadway and an 8 foot wide bikeway behind the 5 foot sidewalk.
Conceptual Alternative 1 C — consists of a multi -use path separated from the roadway with a buffer area of
decomposed granite that can be used by pedestrians if they so choose. Similar to Alternative 1B, this
Alternative provides 5 feet between the paved path and the edge of the street per Caltrans Standards.
Conceptual Alternative 2 - utilizes apparent SMART ROW on the west side of the drainage channel by
moving the bike path to the west side of the drainage channel 250 feet south of Irwin Street via a new 10-
12 -foot -wide bridge across the channel (See Appendix D 4). This Alternative provides more room for
pedestrians and cyclists through the most physically confined portion of the study area while minimizing
impacts on the channel or the need for a large cantilever over the channel. Alternative 4 would displace
an area used for parking at the automotive shop on the west side of the drainage channel. The area is
within the SMART ROW and would reduce currently available parking by 4 or 5 stalls. The Alternative 2
alignment can be combined with any of the other Alternatives (1 through 1C) alignments but not with the
EA or City Standard concepts as these concepts have on -street bike lanes not a sidepath.
Conceptual Alternative 3 — is a more robust version of Concept 1 B with the Concept 2 alignment through
the pinch point south of Irwin Street (See Appendix D 5). This Alternative provides for a 10 foot wide
Class 1 Bikeway and a 5.5 foot wide sidewalk (6 foot including the top of curb) for pedestrians from Rice
Dr. to the north side of Mahon Creek. The Concept proposes to widen the existing bridge over Mahon
Creek to 16 feet wide or add a new 10 to 12 foot wide bicycle bridge. North of Mahon Creek the pathway
would be a shared use sidewalk, and possibly a dismount zone due to the limited physical space.
Alternative 3 most closely reflects the current best practices and industry standards for multimodal
transportation facilities. Sidewalk, bikeway and vehicle lane widths meet state and federal criteria as do
the rail to street and street to pathway clearances as prescribed by the CPUC and Caltrans respectively.
In order to meet these requirements compromises were made in the shoulder widths of the bikeway and
street in some areas, but these reductions still me acceptable minimums. Alternative 3 would create the
most shading impacts on the drainage channel.
4.4 Impacts on the Drainage Channel
The culverted channel shown on the City Street Section Concept would have significant impacts on the
channel, the habitat within the banks, and the hydraulic retention capacity of the channel.
Filling of the existing channel or placing the channel in a culvert was strongly discouraged by the resource
agencies at the March 16, 2016 Marin County Permit Coordination meeting.
To provide a quality pedestrian and bicycle facility that does not require filling at or below the ordinary high water line
(OHWL) of the drainage channel (and thereby avoid the need for a Corps of Engineers permit), a portion of the
pathway will need to be cantilevered and/or routed to the west side of the drainage channel for 200 to 250 feet south of
Irwin Street.
Alternative 3 would create the most shading impacts. All other alignments would have significantly less
impacts on the habitat within the banks and the hydraulic retention capacity of the channel and their direct
impacts would be equal to or less than the impacts identified in the Larkspur Extension Environmental
Assessment and FONSI. Alternatives 1 through 1C would each have less impacts to the channel as the
retaining wall would be moved away from the channel as described in Conceptual Alternative No. 1. The
Page 1 16 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
shading impacts of these alternatives on the channel would be insignificant as the cantilevered portions of
the path is on the northwest side of the channel allowing the sun to reach the bank below.
The hydraulic flow capacity of the channel was not modeled as part of this study; however none of the
alignments, including the City Standard Option, are anticipated to reduce the channel's hydraulic flow
capacity as flow rates are dictated by the downstream pump station.
4.4 Evolving SMART Layout
The Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment was based on the 2013 SMART rail alignment and
the Draft SMART/Francisco Boulevard W. realignment (flip) layout with a street consisting of two 12 -foot
vehicle lanes and two 4 -foot shoulders. With a barrier on the east between the rails and the street the
concept has a 34 foot minimum width, and with a retaining wall on the west where needed to minimize
impacts on the drainage channel the width is 35 feet minimum.
This configuration is significant as it is the project analyzed and cleared in the Larkspur Extension
Environmental Assessment (EA) - Dec 2014, and Finding Of No Significant Impacts (FONSI) - May 20,
2015) thereby representing a theoretically acceptable level of encroachment on the drainage channel.
A draft rail layout of March 2016 pushes the two railroad tracks east, closer to the Highway 101 on-ramp
and provides for additional room for the roadway and pathway in some areas.
As a part of the current Larkspur Extension design SMART has been further evaluating and developing
rail alignments through the study area. The SMART design team continues to explore concepts that
minimize right-of-way and environmental impacts while providing the safety and geometric needs of the
rail and street facilities.
The final rail, street and pathway configuration has yet to be determined, but is expected to be in general
conformance with the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment (EA) - Dec 2014, and Finding Of
No Significant Impacts (FONSI) - May 20, 2015).
4.5 Additional Opportunities
A minimum 10 foot off -set from the centerline of the SMART main line to the rail/roadway barrier has been
used on all alignments. As the SMART design progresses and the track configuration and limits of the rail
curves are refined a reduction of the area between the two tracks may be possible or the rail/roadway
barrier may be permitted to be within the 10 foot off -set area providing more room for the street and
pathway facilities. Such refinements could allow an additional foot or two of width to be available for the
street and pathway facilities at critical locations.
SMART is evaluating a concept that moves the Francisco Boulevard W. crossing of the rails to a location
further north where more flexibility in the rail alignment may provide more space away from the drainage
channel for the crossing.
Because of the evolving Larkspur Extension rail design now in progress, the amount of space available
for the street and pathway may change.
Pagel 3.7 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Findinas
Confirmation of existing or available right-of-way remains the biggest issue and potential constraint to
implementing a facility that functionally serves pedestrian, bicycle, motor vehicle and rail transit users in
the limited corridor.
Without clear title to the right-of-way none of the configurations presented in this report could be
implemented nor could the Francisco Blvd W/SMART rail flip concept shown in the Larkspur Extension
Environmental Assessment be implemented.
The rail alignment through the study area has yet to be finalized as the SMART design team continues to
explore and refine concepts that minimize right-of-way and environmental impacts while providing the
safety and geometric needs of the rail and street facilities.
To date, resource agencies were receptive to the concept of cantilevering the pathway over the drainage
channel to minimize direct impacts and the concept of a bridge crossing of the channel to move a portion
of the path to the west side of the channel as shown on Alternative 2.
From a physical space perspective, the Larkspur Extension EA Concept and each of the Conceptual
Alternatives 1 — 1C and 2 appear to be feasible if right-of-way issues and resource agency permits are
resolved.
Conceptual Alternative 3 design would need to be refined and reviewed by the resource agencies to
determine if it is feasible.
From an environmental perspective the City Standard Section concept is the most challenging as
resource agencies strongly discourage any filling of the channel or installation of a culvert. However, the
March 2016 SMART draft rail alignment would allow the street to be shifted east, and if the sidewalk was
cantilevered over the channel (similar to Alternative 1) the culvert could be eliminated and this concept
would also be feasible.
Some Design Exceptions for facility widths or clearances may be necessary to document reductions in
facility widths or clearances prescribed by agencies with applicable jurisdiction such as City of San
Rafael, SMART, CPUC and Caltrans.
The Rice Dr. to 2nd St. segment of the multiuse pathway has neither CEQA nor NEPA clearance.
Continued close coordination with the resources agencies will be beneficial through the environmental
clearance and permitting process.
Pros and Cons of each Alignment Concept
Each Concept has been evaluated for significant characteristics that are beneficial or possible detrimental relative to
other concepts.
Construction costs are not part of the analysis and because all segments have similar right-of-way needs, it is
considered a neutral aspect.
Page 118 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Larkspur Extension (EA) Concept —
Pros:
Represents the project analyzed and cleared in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment (EA) - Dec 2014,
and Finding of No Significant Impacts (FONSI) - May 20, 2015).
Provides full (12') vehicle lane widths.
Cons:
Provides no pedestrian facilities
Provides minimal bikeway facilities.
City Street Section Concept—
Pros:
Provides pedestrian facility with a 6 ft. wide sidewalk.
Provides full (12') vehicle lane widths.
Cons:
Bike Lanes do not meet minimum standards due to the four foot lane widths combined with the two foot gutter in the
west bike lane and the solid barrier immediately adjacent to the east bike lane.
Does not improve upon the minimal bikeway facilities identified in the EA Concept.
The sidewalk would require fill within the drainage way, or be cantilevered over a 250 foot portion of the drainage way
south of Irwin St.
Conceptual Alternatives 1
Conceptual Alternative No. 1 is the base alternative concept that reallocates the 40 to 41 foot wide area identified in
the City Street Section concept to provide more room for pedestrian and bicycle use with a 12 -foot wide multi -use
pathway along most of the roadway.
The following pros and cons apply to Alternatives 1 through 1C with individual Concept characteristics
note under each specific Alternative.
Pros:
Provides increased off-street pedestrian and bicycle space with a multi -use pathway.
The roadway provides additional width to allow for truck turning movements at the Rice Dr. intersection.
Minimizes environmental impacts on the drainage way; is less intrusive than the wall shown in the Larkspur Extension
Environmental Assessment.
Cons:
The pathway narrows to a 9 ft. width. The lack of buffer does not meet State established minimums.
Page I ig Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Conceptual Alternatives 1A, 1B & 1C
Conceptual Alternative 1A —
Pros:
Provides a buffer between the pathway and the street.
Cons:
Reduces street vehicle lanes to 10.5 wide.
The buffer may not meet State established minimums.
Conceptual Alternative 1 B —
Pros:
The sidewalk provides a buffer between the pathway and the street.
Cons:
Reduces street vehicle lanes to 10.5 wide.
The buffer may not meet State established minimums.
Conceptual Alternative 1C —
Pros:
Provides a buffer between the pathway and the street.
Cons:
Reduces street vehicle lanes to 10.5 wide.
The buffer may not meet State established minimums.
Conceptual Alternative 2 —
Pros:
Provides increased off-street pedestrian and bicycle space with a multi -use pathway.
Can be combined with any of the other Alternatives (1-1 C).
Cons:
Requires an additional bridge crossing of the drainage channel.
Will increase shading of the drainage channel.
Conceptual Alternative 3 —
Pagel 20 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Pros:
Provides increased off-street pedestrian and bicycle space with a multi -use pathway.
Provides for a 10 foot wide bikeway and a 6 foot wide sidewalk for pedestrians south of Irwin Street.
Cons:
Requires an additional bridge crossing of the drainage channel.
Will increase shading of the drainage channel.
May require more retaining wall along the channel and a longer section of pathway cantilevered over the channel.
Conclusion
A variety of the concepts appear feasible once rights-of-way are confirmed,
The preferred concept selected should be one that meets the community's long term needs and
regulatory agency requirements and be coordinated with and incorporated into the Francisco Blvd
W./SMART rail realignment design currently in progress so as not to preclude construction of the
pathway.
The final rail, street and pathway configuration is expected to be in general conformance with the
Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment (EA) - Dec 2014, and Finding Of No Significant Impacts
(FONSI) - May 20, 2015).
Because the Rice Drive. to 2nd Street pathway segment has neither CEQA nor NEPA clearance it may be difficult to
incorporate the construction into the Larkspur Extension rail construction contract.
Pagel 21 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Acknowledaementc
The following people contributed to the development of this report:
Study Working Group Members:
Carey Lando, County of Marin
Dan Dawson, County of Marin
Craig Tackabery, County of Marin
Bill Whitney, TAM
Kevin McGowan, City of San Rafael
Dean Allison, City of San Rafael
Bill Gamlen, SMART
Ahmed Thleiji, SMART
Michael Wiltermood, SMART
Patrick Seidler, Transportation Alternatives for Marin
Alisha Oloughlin, MCBC
Kenneth Kao, MTC
Ann Richman, MTC
Craig Bosman, MTC
Consultant Team:
Mike Jones, Alta Planning & Design
Paul Klassen, Alta Planning & Design
Joe Machado, Coastland Civil Engineering
Steven Ross, LSA
George Molnar, LSA
Pagel 22 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Appendix A. Source Documents
A.1 Source Documents
The data and information used to develop the Concept and Conceptual Alternatives Drawings were
provided by SMART, the City of San Rafael and Caltrans. The information provided included digital files
and hard copies of maps and other documents.
The following are the sources used to develop the Concept and Conceptual Alternatives Drawings:
From SMART:
Parcel Lines (shown in black)
X-MARIN-CO-BASEMAP-
January 2011
All
CA8311-F
2011 Wetland Delineation
Wetland Polygon. shx
April 2014
All
Proposed Rail Mainline
X-Align-LarkspurExt
March 2016
All
Alignment'
Proposed Rail Siding
X -Siding
March 2016
All
Alignment'
Existing Ground Topography
X-TOPO-MP15-17.2
March 2016
All, used for evaluation, not
shown on the plans
NWPRR Valuation Map Right-
X-ROWExist_DRAFT
January 2016
All
of -way (shown in red)
AECOM Larkspur Extension
Francisco Blvd West "Flip"
July 2013
Larkspur Extension EA only
(PDF)
Alignment with portion of
X -SMART-
January 2016
City Street Section only
drainage channel in culvert
Align_San_Rafael-
Francisco(flip)-D RAFT. dwg
From City of San Rafael:
Assessor's Parcel Information
Francisco Blvd W. Typical
Section
From Caltrans (District 4):
Property Ownership Map
Street X section
March 2016
March 2016
All
City Street Section Option
Pagel 23 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Caltrans Right-of-way line r00022 017 2015-05-28.pdf March 2016 All
Caltrans Right-of-way line r_00022 018 1991-08- March 2016 All
01—sn-03063.pdf
From Coastland:
4 The SMART rail alignments shown on the Concepts are from X-Align-LarkspurExt and X -Siding, March
2016. The SMART rail alignments shown on the Larkspur Extension EA Concept are from the adopted
Environmental Assessment for the Larkspur Extension (Appendix G Alignment Plans, AECOM Francisco
Blvd West "Flip" plans, July 2013). Where both rail alignments are shown on the plans they are labeled
by the source year: 2013 or 2016.
Technical References:
The 10' off set of the rail centerline from obstructions and pathway are SMART standards to account for
the ballast above the grading plane, maintenance access and the 2 foot pathway (per GO -118-A) to be
inside the fence/barrier. GO 26-D also requires the 10' off -set to the edge of roadways (established curb
lines).
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has established roadway and bikeway standards
for use in California. The predominate Caltrans document being the Highway Design Manual (HDM) and
chapters 300 Geometric Cross Section and 1000 Bicycle Transportation Design are the most applicable
to this study.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) requirements, especially General Orders (GO) 26-D,
88-B and 118-A establish clearance, grade crossing and maintenance walkway requirements respectively
(see excerpts in Appendix C). GO 26-D and 118-A influence separation of the railway with the street and
88-B may dictate requirements at roadway crossings of railways, affecting only the Rice Dr.
intersection/grade crossing.
SMART Design Criteria Manual, Chapter 3 — Non -Motorized Pathway, January 21, 2013, Rev. 3.
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) — Urban Bikeway Design Guide 2015
Appendix B. Future Considerations
Future Considerations
Page 1 24 Pathway Feasibility Study— Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
As the design of the project progresses the following issues should be considered:
Physical Conflicts or Restrictions
Railroad Crossing Control Equipment & Gate Houses (CILs)
Street intersection changes and improvements including signals and associated controllers
Utility relocation needs
Regulatory Restrictions
Design Exceptions may be needed for City of San Rafael, SMART and Caltrans Standards and
requirements to fit all the facilities within the limited right-of-way while avoiding significant encroach into
the drainage channel.
California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rail standards
and regulations that establish railroad geometry and clearances, particularly horizontal clearances set
forth in in CPUC General Order No. 26-D (see Appendix 2) may dictate the available right-of-way for the
Rice Dr. to 2nd Street segment.
Environmental Regulatory Constraints
• Environmental Clearance. The Multi -use Pathway (MUP) along the SMART right-of-way from
Andersen Dr. to 2nd St., was not included in the project descriptions for the SMART Measure Q
EIR nor was it included in the Larkspur Extension Environmental Assessment. Therefore the Rice
Dr. to 2nd St. segment of the MUP has neither CEQA nor NEPA clearance. An EIR Amendment
will be needed for CEQA, and if MUP implementation has a Federal nexus amendment of the
Environmental Assessment may be needed.
• Permits Needed. It would appear that under all alternative designs, impacts along the unnamed
drainage ditch would occur above the OHWL. Therefore, no Corps of Engineers approval would
be needed (since there are no wetlands extending beyond the OHWL). However, approvals
would be needed from the RWQCB (i.e. Waste Discharge Requirements permit) and CDFW (i.e.
Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement) for the drainage channel alternatives. Removal of
the existing 5 -foot -wide suspended pedestrian bridge over San Rafael Creek (adjacent to
Francisco Boulevard West and south of 2nd Street) and replacing it with a new 10 -foot -wide
bridge to accommodate the MUP would likely only require approval of a Section 1602 permit from
CDFW because the bridge would be suspended from the top of the bank; there would be no
disturbance of the creek bed.
Since the project has alternatives that do not appear to require a Corps permit, Section 7 Endangered
Species Act consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) would presumably occur through a federal nexus if federal funds are used to fund the
MUP. Alternatively, the project sponsor could seek to informally discuss the project with both the USFWS
and NMFS in order to get their advice on appropriate minimization and avoidance measures to be
employed. Under this scenario, the project would proceed without a Biological Opinion or Concurrence
letter from these agencies:
Pagel 25 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Impact Avoidance. The permit applications would need to demonstrate that impacts (both direct
and indirect) to the drainage channel have been avoided to the maximum extent practicable. This
would include demonstrating that the MUP could not practicably be constructed entirely above the
drainage channel top of bank because there is inadequate width to accomplish this in a safe
manner. Assuming that this is the case, some channel bank impact could potentially be approved.
The extent of direct impact to channel banks would vary slightly among the alternatives designs
that utilize only a backfilled retaining wall. The alternative that utilizes a cantilevered and
backfilled retaining wall would have significantly less direct bank impact but would nevertheless
cause some shading impacts to the channel bank. However the shading impacts would be limited
to the loss of ruderal vegetation rather than wetland or riparian species, and may not be
considered significant.
Both the RWQCB and CDFW would likely require that a pre- and post -project hydrographic study be
provided to demonstrate that the drainage channel's existing capacity to hold and transport storm waters
is maintained.
There could be slight increase in shading of San Rafael Creek from the trestle removal/replacement
element of the project; however this increase would probably not be significant given the fact that there is
no wetland or riparian vegetation at this location and the change in shading (if any) would be very small.
Mitigation Measures. The avoidance and minimization measures for green sturgeon and other special
status species mentioned above would be equally applicable to all alternatives; all the measures can be
properly implemented regardless of the alternative selected. Compensatory mitigation would probably be
required for the loss of channel bank from the backfilled retaining wall under all the alternatives. The most
likely form of such mitigation would entail channel enhancements (through riparian plantings or other
streambank improvements) either downstream along the unnamed drainage channel (assuming such
enhancement would not interfere with storm flow conveyance capacity), or along some other stream
channel in the vicinity.
Pagel 26 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Appendix C. Excerpts from General Order No. 26-D
The following are excerpts from California Public Utility Commission General Order No. 26-D that have
significant bearing on the study area.
GENERAL ORDER No. 26-D
Section 3 -Side Clearances
3.1 Minimum side clearances from center line of tangent stand-
ard gauge railroad and street railroad tracks, which are
used or proposed to be used for transporting freight cars,
except as hereinafter prescribed, shall be as shown below.
Minimum
Description Side Clearance
3.2 All structures and obstructions above the top of the
rail except those hereinafter specifically men-
tioned................................................................................... 8' 6„
NOTE: Posts, pipes, warning signs and similar obstructions should,
where practicable, have a side clearance of ten (10) feet.
3.17 The center line of any track constructed in and along a
public street shall be at least ten (10) feet from the prop-
erty line of said street, or if the street has a lawfully estab-
lished curb line, such track shall be at least ten (10) feet
from such line.
Section 5 -Clearance Between Parallel Tracks
5.1 The minimum distance between the center lines of parallel
standard gauge tracks shall be fourteen (14) feet except
as hereinafter provided.
5.2 The center line of any standard gauge track, except a main
track or a passing track, parallel and adjacent to a main
track or a passing track, shall be at least fifteen (15) feet
from the center line of such main track or passing track;
provided, however, that where a passing track is adjacent
to and at least fifteen (15) feet distant from the main
track, any other track may be constructed adjacent to
such passing track with clearance prescribed in subsec-
tion 5.1 of this order.
Pagel 27 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
5.3 The center line of any standard gauge ladder track, con-
structed parallel to any other adjacent track, shall have a
clearance of not less than twenty (20) feet from the cen-
ter line of such other track.
5.4 The minimum distance between the center lines of parallel
team, house and industry tracks shall be thirteen (13)
feet.
5.5 Main, siding and yard tracks constructed prior to the effective
date of this order with distance of not less than thir-
teen (13) feet between track centers may be extended
without increasing such distances.
Pagel 28 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
Appendix D. Concept Layouts
D 1 Larkspur Extension EA Concepts
D 2 City Street Section Concept
D 3 Conceptual Alternatives 1, 1 A, 1 B& 1 C
D 4 Conceptual Alternative 2
D 5 Conceptual Alternative 3
Pagel 29 Pathway Feasibility Study — Rice Dr. to 2nd Street, San Rafael; Marin County
