Section 2 Project Description

Transcription

1 Section 2 Project Description 2.1 INTRODUCTION The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is considering alternatives for improving direct transit service in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor (Corridor) in the City of San Jose (City) in Santa Clara County (County). These alternatives include the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Single Car Light Rail Transit (Single Car LRT) service. This section describes the planning efforts that have taken place in the Corridor and provides an overview of existing land uses and transit services in the Corridor. The objectives of the project are also described. Finally, details regarding the proposed project, as well as related plans and projects, are also provided. 2.2 BACKGROUND Overview of the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor The proposed project is located entirely within San Jose, which is in the southern region of the San Francisco Bay Area (Figure 2-1). Planning for transit improvements along the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor has been ongoing since the 1990s. The Corridor lies within a larger study area known as the Downtown East Valley Study Area. The Downtown East Valley Study Area is a 30-square-mile area extending from ckee Road/East Julian Street on the north to Capitol Expressway and Yerba Buena Road on the south, and from arket Street/onterey Highway on the west to the foothills of the Diablo Range on the east. The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor is one of three transportation corridors for which major transit improvements were proposed as part of the Downtown East Valley ajor Investment Study (IS) begun in early The purpose of the IS was to identify study area transportation needs and develop an investment strategy for those needs. This IS was completed in August 2000 when the VTA Board of Directors approved a Preferred Investment Strategy for the Downtown East Valley Study Area that included three primary components: Light rail transit in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor; Light rail transit along the entire length of the Capitol Expressway; and Bus rapid transit on onterey Highway. Since the initiation of the project, several planning studies have been conducted to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of developing various transit modes in the Corridor. Based on the most recent project update, the VTA Board in October 2007 adopted a near-term investment strategy of immediate development of BRT in the Corridor with the flexibility of a later conversion to Single Car LRT after completion of the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit project in Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-1

2 SAN FRANCISCO OAKLAND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO ALAEDA PLEASANTON San Francisco Bay ALAEDA COUNTY ILBRAE SAN ATEO FREONT NEWARK 82 BELONT SAN ATEO COUNTY 262 SAN CARLOS PALO ALTO ILPITAS OUNTAIN VIEW SUNNY VALE 680 SAN JOSE SANTA CLARA COUNTY SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PROJECT AREA NORTH NOT TO SCALE FIGURE 2-1: PROJECT LOCATION Source: PBS&J, 2008.

3 The Downtown East Valley Study Area and the near-term investment strategy are depicted in Figure 2-2. The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor is 7.4 miles long, extending along Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue from the San Jose Diridon Station on the west to the Alum Rock Station on the Capitol Light Rail Transit line on the east, then south along Capitol Avenue and Capitol Expressway to the Eastridge Transit Center. The Corridor is characterized by a high level of small business and community activity and areas with strong pedestrian and transit orientation. Following completion of the IS and initiation of Conceptual Engineering, it became evident that further study was necessary to address the unique transportation needs and potential integration of high capacity transit investments into the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. Six different rail and enhanced bus transit improvement alternatives for the Corridor were evaluated and presented to the public in a series of community participation meetings. These alternatives are summarized in the Santa Clara- Alum Rock Corridor Study Evaluation Report (ay 2003). Based on this analysis and public input, the Downtown East Valley Policy Advisory Board (PAB) and the VTA Board of Directors made decisions regarding two transit modes and alignments that would be included for further study in the EIR prepared for the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor an Enhanced Bus Alternative and the Single Car LRT Alternative. In 2007, the Enhanced Bus Option was replaced by a phased project incorporating early implementation of BRT and later conversion to LRT and was identified by the VTA Board as the preferred near-term investment strategy for the Corridor. Valley Transportation Plan 2020 (VTP 2020), a countywide transportation plan for Santa Clara County adopted in December 2000, includes funding to support major transit expansions in Downtown East Valley, including the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. Valley Transportation Plan (VTP 2030), adopted in August 2004, also includes funding for major transit improvements along Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue. Corridor Travel Characteristics The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor is a critical link in the regional transit system. Current usage on a regional and local basis, and estimated future demand within the Corridor, are described below. Key Regional Transit Link: Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor is an extremely important east/west travel corridor between the East Valley and Downtown San Jose. It is the primary direct roadway link between the heart of Downtown San Jose and the East Valley, and is the most heavily used transit corridor in VTA's transit system. With projected growth in the Downtown and East Valley areas of San Jose and a significant level of both public and private investment anticipated in Downtown in the coming years, the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor will become even more important than it is today as a gateway to Downtown San Jose. Approximately 19,000 to 35,000 vehicles per day travel the roadway segments in the Corridor. Traffic volumes are within the carrying capacity of the roadway; however, on-street parking and frequent traffic signals and access points (i.e., driveways) and cross traffic tend to reduce the roadway capacity and likely increase the perceived level of traffic congestion in the Corridor. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-3

4 FIGURE 2-2: DOWNTOWN EAST VALLEY AJOR INVESTENT STUDY AREA AND PREFERRED INVESTENT STRATEGY Source: PA, 2004.

5 Highest Transit Ridership Area in Santa Clara County. The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor exhibits an extremely high level of current transit use, with 12,000 daily transit boardings occurring in the four-mile segment between Capitol Avenue and the San Jose Diridon Station area. This is the highest ridership area in Santa Clara County, which is both a historical trend and one that is projected to continue for the foreseeable future. Travel Patterns in the Corridor. The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor is very diverse, characterized by many small retail businesses and populated with several community organizations. It includes some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Santa Clara County. According to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) 2007 projections, the entire 30-square-mile Downtown East Valley Study Area has 300,000 residents but only 58,000 jobs. In other words, approximately 17 percent of the population of Santa Clara County lives in the Downtown East Valley area, but only seven percent of the County's jobs are found there. This means that a high percentage of Downtown East Valley residents commute to jobs located outside the Study Area. Because of the limited number of east/west roadways in the East Valley and increasing development in the east foothills and Evergreen area, there are also large numbers of commuters traveling through the Study Area. Other important characteristics of the Downtown East Valley Study Area include: Average household incomes in the Study Area are 22 percent less than the countywide average. The number of persons per household is 38 percent higher than the countywide average (4.11 as compared to 2.96). People who live in the Study Area have fewer autos per household than those countywide, resulting in a much higher number of persons per auto. This demographic makeup suggests a high need for transit service in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. Future Demand in the Corridor. Transit improvements are needed in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor to meet the current and future transit needs of residents and commuters. The evaluation of the transit services presented in this EIR is geared to providing sufficient capacity to serve the projected transit demand. Existing Land Use Existing land uses along the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor include residential (medium- and highdensity), office, retail/commercial and industrial uses. There are also small areas of open space, public, and vacant land uses. The Downtown segment of the Corridor (west of 7 th Street) consists primarily of low and high-rise office buildings, as well as the new City Hall and San Jose State University. Three recreational trails would eventually cross the Corridor. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-5

6 Existing Transit Services The project area is currently served by the following VTA transit services: bus service, light rail transit, and commuter rail partnerships (Figure 2-3). These services are briefly described below: Bus Lines 22 and 23 provide local bus service along most of the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. Line 22 operates from the Eastridge Transit Center to the Palo Alto Caltrain Station. This line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with headways ranging from 10 to 60 minutes, depending on the time of day. Line 23 operates from 5:00 A to 1:00 A from De Anza College to the Eastridge Alum Rock Transit Center, with 12-minute headways in the A peak and midday and 15- to 30-minute headways after 6:00 P. Line 522 operates as a rapid bus service and runs from the Eastridge Transit Center to the Palo Alto Caltrain Station. It operates from ondays to Saturdays on a limited-stop service with 15-minute headways. On weekdays, Line 522 operates until 9:00 P. On Saturdays, Line 522 operates until 8:30 P. In addition to the above-described bus lines, VTA operates a number of bus lines that cross the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor, providing connections to areas throughout the VTA service area. These bus lines include: 11, 12, 26, 31, 43, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 70, 72, 73, 77, 81, and 82. The Alum Rock-Santa Teresa LRT Line crosses the western portion of the Corridor in Downtown San Jose and the eastern portion of the Corridor at Capitol Avenue. This line provides service to Almaden and Santa Teresa on the south and ilpitas on the north. The ountain View-Winchester LRT Line crosses the western portion of the Corridor in Downtown San Jose and provides service to Campbell in the south and Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and ountain View in the north. VTA partners with several other agencies in operating commuter rail services throughout the region, including Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE). These commuter rail services may be accessed from the San Jose Diridon Station located at the west end of the Santa Clara- Alum Rock Corridor. VTA provides connecting feeder and shuttle service to all of these commuter rail services. 2.3 PROJECT OBJECTIVES Given the identified Corridor characteristics, transit ridership, travel patterns, and future transit demand in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor, the following objectives have been established to improve public transit service in the Downtown East Valley area of San Jose: Improve mobility by providing direct, convenient, time-competitive transit service with connections to existing and programmed elements of VTA s rapid transit network; Increase transit ridership by serving high-density corridors demonstrating strong transit use; Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-6

7 Capitol Expressway y ST E Branham te Snell Park &Ride 42 re y Roeder 72 o n 66 Ohlone/ Chynoweth Station Senter Hellyer Park Branham Station y wa 101 Ye r r ell 37 Sylvandale yw a Race Lincoln eridian 31 e na Bu ba nte Leigh r ve Sil Se Capitol s es Expr H k lin 70 Seven Trees Capitol Station re e gh au cl 73 Capitol Caltrain Station H Oakridge Station C Sk Ai rp Di Salvo Bellerose Thornton Sn N Winchester Ba sc om 39 tog a Sa ra Winchester lin gh m ter W au ws n cl 70 y re Burro ria Ad ng Ki 26 Central County Occupational Center 64 Ca 65 Joseph Narvaez ulti-service Center te on 62 Good Park &Ride H z R Lion Shopping Center Santa Clara County Fairgrounds 70 San Jose Source: VTA, lly Tu Eastridge 39 Shopping Center uimby Q 31 to 77 let o g i 26 Hills H 65 FIGURE 2-3: EXISTING TRANSIT NETWORK ly vae 48 ale illsd 43 l Tu Reid Hillview County Airport Lake Cunningham Park Raging Waters H Foxworthy la er a Oc ST 55 H Chaboya Coach Terminal H C y sswa Almaden Expre er dale Curtner Station er rtn Cu 522 ry Nar Employment Development Department S tn ur H er USCIS rtn Cu 70 nt Se ra to ga g th 24 th H a n col 63 e lon Lin ttle Co y th 11 ort wp e Pin Tamien Ne Sa n Ki th 13 th 17 Bird 85 ln Knowles co University Alum Rock Station Los Gatos unicipal Court Winchester Station Hacienda Po 25 National 25 Hispanic Social Services 87 Downtown Campbell Station Grand Century all 82 n inn H DV dia &Park Ride 87 o es Fruitdale Station r to Happy Hollow Park & Kelley Park Spartan Zoo Stadium History San San Jose Jose unicipal Stadium a Alm Child Care Center Tamien Light Rail Station ta ri e Pollard rd lla Los Gatos Community Hospital Lin y Campbell w llo Wi H 82 Tamien Caltrain Station H 23 o St Emma Prusch Park ST es 68 Key Virginia 25 Station Pruneyard Orchard 26 City Winchester Transit Center wy a sw Campbell to An HWY Bascom Station Civic Center 26 n Sa Hamilton Station nio 522 San Jose State University C 65 Park &Ride n Sa 64 oe 25 Santa 61 Clara Valley 62 edical Center S Race St Station Parkmoor E rk Pa rlos Ca an 81 oorpar San k Jose 65 City College Fruitdale Clove Enborg Campbell City n k H 103 (See lower left corner for details) 63 Saddle Rack 101 Hall 26 H r Pa Park &Ride Rosicrucian useum W San Carlos a 25 rto Paseo Saratoga ed m San Tomas Expres Hamilton 101 a Al ly Rose Garden 25 Williams ee gl Na Athe Santana Row H rk Westfield Valley Fair oorpark 2 e e Kie Pa an Downtown uli es ett ss E J Jam a B t S San Jose E a Clara Inset ap E SantFernando H 81 O Connor Hospital 61 San Jose Diridon 62 Caltrain/ACE/ Forest Amtrak Station Winchester ystery House e Ne Valley Fair Transit Center 23 k e ll wha Williams Gu ad College Park Caltrain Station Th 60 ay ET H nro 60 t rke a omy l Bel Homestead evens Creek lor 60 o Santa Clara Central Park e EH 87 Santa 22 Clara University 81 H East Valley 680 Social ental Services Health Regional 77 Center edical 101 Center of San Jose ck e Ro e Downtown K m c Leonard Alu Goveia e 23 pir ulti-service Center Em exican Heritage Plaza e Pk up al in dd t 1s Benton 10 Caltrain ACE Park &Ride 22 Santa Clara unicipal Court 330 H N ada Gran 60 R N City Hall ry ma e os g sh Gi Gish Station a 61 ay sw Expres Camino Real an Bascom Terminal C Santa Clara Transit Center lem Sk Almaden Scott rs we Bo Co Triton useum of Art or San 77 Jose Flea arket 62 N anta Clara on 32 Airp Terminal A lvd tb H is G rt 122 o yp gy olo hn Tec De La Cruz ks International Airport 304 e Blossom Hill

8 Provide improved transit service in high-commute corridors with an emphasis on work and school trips; Promote livable neighborhoods, redevelopment objectives, community support, and general transportation needs; and eet the needs of transit dependent residents. These goals and objectives are further described below. Improve mobility by providing direct, convenient, time-competitive transit service with connections to existing and programmed elements of VTA s rapid transit network. The project would provide residents of Downtown and east San Jose more efficient access to existing and future transit services. For example, study area residents could travel to south San Jose, Downtown San Jose, and to the cities of Santa Clara, Campbell, Sunnyvale, and ountain View via improved connections to the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa and ountain View-Winchester LRT lines. Improved linkages to commuter rail services at the Diridon Station provide access to San Francisco, Oakland, and the Central Valley. Future transit and commuter rail improvements include the extension of BART service to three future stations in the Corridor: Alum Rock, Downtown San Jose, and Diridon Station. An LRT extension along Capitol Expressway would extend LRT service to the Eastridge Transit Center. In addition, a future BRT network of lines operating on El Camino Real, The Alameda, Stevens Creek Boulevard, and West San Carlos Street would be made possible through the development of BRT facilities in the Corridor. Finally, there are plans for future High Speed Rail service linking San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose through an expanded Diridon Station. The central location of the proposed project would provide additional transit access for study area residents to adjacent areas of Santa Clara County with minimal transfer requirements. Connecting the LRT system and providing BRT services in an improved east/west transit line would also improve the mobility of residents in the vicinity of Capitol Avenue. Increase transit ridership by serving high-density corridors demonstrating strong transit use. The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor is characterized by many small businesses and established residential neighborhoods. Portions of the Corridor, especially on Santa Clara Street, are characterized by a strong pedestrian and transit orientation, and moderate traffic levels and speeds. Alum Rock Avenue functions as a significant traffic thoroughfare linking downtown San Jose to two interstate freeways. Land uses on Alum Rock Avenue are a mix of retail, industrial and residential. Both segments of the Corridor exhibit an extremely high level of current transit use. Existing daily ridership in the Corridor is 12,000 riders per day. 1 By increasing transit availability in the Corridor, implementation of the proposed project would help accommodate the projected increase in transit demand. In addition, the project objective is consistent with a number of Core Principles from the VTA Service Design Guidelines that focus on faster, more reliable, and frequent service. 1 A comparison of ridership with the No Build Alternative, BRT, and LRT is provided later in this section in Table 2-5. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-8

9 Provide improved transit service in high-commute corridors with an emphasis on work and school trips. The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor links residential neighborhoods in East San Jose to job centers and educational institutions in Downtown San Jose and areas west of downtown along Stevens Creek Boulevard and El Camino Real. The project would also link East Valley residents to future job centers in North San Jose along the North First Street corridor. The proposed project would provide improved access to economic generators such as Downtown San Jose, the Valley Fair/Santana Row shopping complex, and smaller downtowns in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, ountain View, and Palo Alto. Educational institutions served directly or through a transfer by the proposed project include San Jose State, Santa Clara and Stanford universities, along with De Anza Community College, San Jose City College, and Evergreen College. In addition, government, entertainment, and cultural destinations such as the new City Hall, HP Pavilion, and the exican Heritage Plaza would be served directly by the proposed project. Promote livable neighborhoods and be compatible with and support adjacent land uses, redevelopment objectives, and general transportation needs. To address population and employment growth as well as traffic growth and congestion, the City of San Jose and VTA are pursuing livable community strategies. These efforts include improving downtowns, making streets more walkable, revitalizing existing neighborhoods, and building transit oriented developments (i.e., compact, mixed use, walkable, and well-served by transit). The Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor is identified as a land use/transportation intensification corridor by the City of San Jose. Evidence of intensification in the past few years includes completion of the exican Heritage Plaza and the new City Hall; residential developments such as Las ariposas and Tierra Encantada. The proposed project would further support these goals by encouraging transit use and providing additional locations for transit oriented development at proposed station locations. eet the needs of transit dependent residents. Compared to the rest of the Downtown East Valley Study Area, the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor contains the largest number of households with lower incomes and zero autos, which indicates a highly transit dependent population and strong potential market for transit services. The IS completed in 2000 determined that there were approximately 16,000 total households within a half-mile of potential boarding points. Of this total number, 1,300 were low-income and 1,100 were zero-auto households. The proposed project would serve a large number of these transit dependent households and benefit existing riders by providing high quality, increased frequency of service and faster travel times within the Corridor. 2.4 PROPOSED PROJECT As described above, VTA is considering alternatives for improving direct transit service in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor in the City of San Jose (City) in Santa Clara County (County). The proposed project includes the implementation of BRT and LRT service. The proposed projects, as well as design options, are described below. Plan sheets for the proposed project, are included in Appendix B. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-9

10 Phase 1 - Bus Rapid Transit Implementation of BRT service has been recommended by staff, the Downtown East Valley Policy Advisory Board, and the VTA Board as the preferred near term (Phase 1) development strategy for the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. Specialized BRT vehicles with unique features and a distinctive brand identity would be a key component of BRT service. BRT service is designed to follow criteria set out in VTA s Service Design Guidelines. With implementation of BRT, two separate BRT lines (the 522 El Camino and the 523 Stevens Creek) would operate in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. West of 34 th Street, BRT vehicles would operate in the curb lane of Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue. East of 34 th Street, the alignment would transition to a median busway within the center of Alum Rock Avenue. Limited stop BRT service between the Downtown San Jose Transit all and the Eastridge Transit Center would be provided. At the Downtown Transit all, the two BRT lines would split with westbound 522 El Camino service continuing on West Santa Clara Street to the San Jose Arena. Westbound 523 Stevens Creek service would turn south on Second Street and west on West San Carlos Street, stopping at the San Jose Convention Center and Bird Avenue. 2 While BRT service would extend for both lines west of Bird Avenue and the San Jose Arena, capital improvements associated with those services would be incorporated into the Stevens Creek and El Camino BRT projects. On the east end of the Corridor both BRT lines would turn south from Alum Rock Avenue to Capitol Avenue and Capitol Expressway, with intermediate stops at Story Road and Ocala Avenue, before terminating at the Eastridge Transit Center. BRT service would utilize articulated vehicles (approximately 60 feet in length) with unique branding. The two BRT lines would operate at 12-minute headways during the peak periods with off set schedules allowing for a combined 6-minute headway between the transit mall and the Eastridge Transit Center. BRT service would include the following features: BRT stations (sidewalk bulb-out or median platform design with expanded shelters, lighting, etc.); Off board fare collection with ticket vending machines; Real-time information at stops; and Transit priority measures such as signal priority, where appropriate. Lines 22 and 23 would continue to provide local bus service all day in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor from downtown San Jose to Palo Alto and De Anza College respectively. 2 East bound buses would travel on 1 st Street between the Convention Center and Santa Clara Street. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-10

11 Proposed Stations Thirteen BRT stations and one optional station are proposed at the following locations (shown in Figure 2-4): 3 Bird (Line 523 Only); King Road; Convention Center (Line 523 Only); Jackson Avenue; San Jose Arena (Cahill Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive Street/ontgomery Street, Line 522 (optional station) Only); Capitol Avenue; Transit all (1 st and 2 nd Streets); Story Road; 6 th Street/City Hall; Ocala Avenue; and 16 th Street; Eastridge Transit Center. 28 th Street; The proposed station locations were selected based on criteria set out in the VTA Service Design Guidelines as follows: Transit demand; Station visibility and access; Connections to bus and rail; Right-of-way impacts; Surrounding land uses; Traffic and parking impacts; and Station spacing; Public support. All BRT stations would be constructed at-grade and would be fully compliant with ADA requirements. ost existing bus stops located between proposed BRT stations would remain and would be served by local buses. No improvements are planned at these existing bus stops. However, some existing bus stops located in the vicinity of the proposed BRT stations would be relocated to the new station platforms. The typical platform for the BRT stations would be 180 feet in length for stations along the shared right-of-way of the Corridor (west of 34 th Street), 75 feet in length at stations in the semiexclusive section of the Corridor (east of 34 th Street), and 235 feet in length at the Transit all Station. As described below, most platforms along the shared right-of-way section of the Corridor would be constructed as an extension (or bulb-out) of the existing sidewalk and would be 8 feet wide (not including the existing sidewalk) with a curb height of 6 inches. At stations in the semi-exclusive section of the Corridor, the platforms would be located adjacent to the median alignment with a foot width. The plan of a typical BRT station is depicted on Figure 2-5. Cross sections for siderunning and center-running typical BRT stations are depicted on Figure 2-6 and Figure 2-7, 3 The current design of either Phase 1, BRT or Phase 2, LRT could readily accommodate platforms for a future station at Sunset Avenue. The future development of a station at this location would depend on the future redevelopment and level of density in the area. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-11

12 ALADEN BL ALADEN.. ST S. 880 N 1ST ST HEDDING ST OAKLAND RD BARRYESSA RD ABURY RD KEY LRT Station BRT Station Both LRT and BRT Station COLEAN 87 TAYLOR ST 101 Capitol Avenue Light Rail Line THE ALAEDA Diridon Station BIRD AV CAHILL ONTGOERY Vasona Light Rail Line ONTGOERY Arena AUTUN AUTUN DELAS AV AV W. W. SANTA CLARA SAN PARK AV SAN CARLOS ST ARKET ST FERNANDO 2ND 1ST ST ST 3RD ST 4TH ST 6TH ST 7TH ST SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY 10TH 11TH ST E. JULIAN E. ST. JAES ST ST 13TH ST E. 16TH ST N. 19TH ST ST SANTA CLARA ST SAN 21ST E. ANTONIO 24TH 26THST ST 28TH KING RD ckee RD ALU ROCK SUNSET AV JACKSON AV 680 AV ALEXANDER AV CAPITOL Alum Rock Light Rail Station CAPITOL AV claughlin 680 WILLOW Guadalupe Light Rail Line 87 ST VINE ST AV ONTEREY KEYES ST 280 STORY NAV RD STORY RD Light Rail Extension to Eastridge on Capitol Expressway LRT Corridor EXPRESSWAY FIGURE 2-4: PROPOSED STATION LOCATIONS Source: DJ Harris, 2007.

13 BRT Station FIGURE 2-5: PHASE 1, BRT TYPICAL STATION PLAN CROSS SECTION Source: PA

14 min. lighting shelter signage min min. 17 existing sidewalk 8 bulb out scale: 1 = 10-0 FIGURE 2-6: PHASE 1, BRT - TYPICAL SIDE RUNNING STATION CROSS SECTION Source: PA, 2004.

15 lighting shelter signage guard fence min min. westbound travel lanes 12-6 curb island bus lanes lighting shelter signage guard fence low seat wall bus lanes 12-6 curb island westbound travel lanes Cross Sections BRT Station - Alum Rock Ave. at Jackson Ave. scale: 1 = 10-0 FIGURE 2-7: PHASE 1, BRT TYPICAL CENTER-RUNNING STATION CROSS SECTION Source: DJ Harris, 2008.

16 respectively. Actual plans for the station platforms are not yet finalized. The figures presented here are for discussion purposes only. The proposed stations and station options are described below. Bird Avenue (Line 523 Only). The Bird Avenue Station would be constructed adjacent to the curb in both directions without bulb-outs. The eastbound platform would be located on the farside of Bird Avenue in front of Delmas Park Apartments. The westbound platform would be constructed along the curb on the nearside of the intersection at the existing local bus stop. The platforms would include BRT capital improvements and enhanced amenities. Bulb-outs would be added to the stations in the future as the area continues to redevelop. Convention Center (Line 523 Only). The Convention Center Station would include the construction of a bulb-out on West San Carlos Street in the westbound direction. The station would be located at the existing local bus stop west of the signalized mid-block crosswalk between arket Street and Almaden Boulevard. The eastbound platform would occupy the existing turn-out in front of the San Jose Convention Center. San Jose Arena (Cahill Street/ontgomery Street, Line 522 Only). The San Jose Arena Station would include two station platforms, without bulb-outs, to be located along West Santa Clara Street between Cahill Street and ontgomery Street. The eastbound platform would occupy most of the length of curb between Cahill Street and ontgomery Street. The westbound platform would be located on the opposite side of West Santa Clara Street. Transit all Station. To accommodate the high level of passenger activity at this location, the Transit all Station would be located along the entire block of East Santa Clara Street between 1 st Street and 2 nd Street. The station would have bulb-out platforms adjacent to the curb lane on both sides of East Santa Clara Street. Construction of the station would require the relocation of the existing truck loading zones from East Santa Clara Street to West Santa Clara Street in the vicinity of the proposed station. The eastbound loading zone would be moved to a location just west of 1 st Street, and the westbound loading zone would be moved to a location just east of 2 nd Street. Existing bus stops located between 3 rd Street and 4 th Street would be removed. Lines 23 and 523 would stop at the existing bus stations on 1 st Street and 2 nd Street between East San Fernando and East Santa Clara Streets. Passengers from both BRT lines would be able to transfer to and from the ountain View-Winchester LRT Line and the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa LRT Line, as well as several VTA bus lines at the station. 6 th Street/City Hall Station. The City Hall Station includes the construction of two bulb-out platforms, both of which would be located adjacent to the curb lane of East Santa Clara Street west of 6 th Street. The bus stops currently located at the intersection of East Santa Clara Street and 7 th Street would be relocated to the City Hall Station platform. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-16

17 Under BRT Station Option 1, the eastbound bulb-out platform would be located west of 7 th Street. This location would require the removal of on-street parking and the driveway that opens on to Santa Clara Street. 16 th Street Station. The 16 th Street Station includes the construction of bulb-out platforms located adjacent to the curb lane on opposite sides of 16 th Street. The bulb-out platform for westbound buses would be located west of 16 th Street and the bulb-out platform for eastbound buses would be located east of 16 th Street. The two bus stops currently located along East Santa Clara Street at 17 th Street would be relocated to the 16 th Street Station platforms. Both the bus stops currently located at the southeast corner of East Santa Clara Street and 15 th Street and the bus stop currently located at the northwest corner of East Santa Clara Street and 14 th Street would be removed. The intersection of East Santa Clara Street and 16 th Street would be signalized to enhance passenger safety while accessing this station. 28 th Street Station. The 28 th Street Station includes bulb-out platforms adjacent to the curb lanes of East Santa Clara Street, on opposite sides of 28 th Street. The westbound bulb-out platform would be located east of 28 th Street in front of Five Wounds Church and the eastbound bulb-out platform would be located west of 28 th Street in front of the former Empire Lumber site. Construction of the eastbound bulb-out platform would require the removal of one of the two curb cuts at 1260 East Santa Clara Street. The bus stop currently located at the northwest corner of East Santa Clara Street and 26 th Street would be removed. The 28 th Street Station would provide a connection point for passengers transferring to and from the proposed Alum Rock BART Station. King Road Station. The King Road Station would be constructed adjacent to the median running alignment on the opposite sides of King Road. The westbound platform would be located west of King Road and the eastbound platform would be located east of King Road. Access to the platforms would be via the pedestrian crosswalks across King Road. Jackson Avenue Station. The Jackson Avenue Station would be constructed adjacent to the median running alignment on opposite sides of Jackson Avenue. The median platform for eastbound buses would be located east of Jackson Avenue and the median platform for westbound buses would be located west of Jackson Avenue. Capitol Avenue Station: Baseline Alum Rock Transit Center. The baseline assumes that the BRT line would stop at the Alum Rock Transit Center providing transfer opportunities at the end-of-line LRT station. If the Capitol Expressway LRT extension project is delayed, VTA would move forward with the Baseline Alternative. Optional Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive Station. BRT Station Option 2 includes a station at Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive. Construction of this station assumes that LRT would be extended along Capitol Expressway to the Eastridge Transit Center and the existing Alum Rock Transit Center would no longer function as a primary transfer facility. Under this station option, the platform for westbound buses would be located adjacent to the median-running alignment west of Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive. Access to the platform would be via the pedestrian crosswalks across Alum Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-17

18 Rock Avenue. The platform for eastbound buses would be located east of Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive as a sidewalk bulb-out platform. Construction of the westbound platform would require the relocation of the bus stop east of Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive to a location west of Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive. Construction of the eastbound platform would also require the removal of one of the driveways into the shopping center located along Alum Rock Avenue. However, access to the shopping center would still be available from other driveways located along Alum Rock Avenue as well as from driveways located along uirfield Drive and Capitol Avenue. If the Capitol Expressway LRT extension project is delayed, the Alexander Drive/uirfield Drive Station would not be constructed. BRT would stop at the Alum Rock Transit Center providing transfer opportunities at the end-of-line Alum Rock-Santa Teresa LRT Line station. Story Road Station. The Story Road Station includes bus duckouts adjacent to the curb lanes on Capitol Expressway. Both northbound and southbound stations would be located on the farside of the intersection of Story Road and Capitol Expressway. Ocala Avenue Station. The Ocala Avenue Station includes bus duckouts adjacent to the curb lanes on Capitol Expressway. Ocala would have a split-station configuration, with the southbound duckout located south of Ocala Avenue and the northbound duckout located north of Cunningham Avenue. Parking and Loading Zones Construction of the bulb-out station platforms for the implementation of BRT service would result in the removal of existing on-street (curb) parking in some locations while relocation/removal of some existing bus stops would result in additional on-street parking. VTA does not intend to replace all parking lost due to project construction. Table 2-A summarizes the changes in on-street parking associated with the implementation of BRT service. A detailed parking assessment is contained in Section 3.2, Transportation. In most instances, parking demand would continue to be less than parking supply even with the removal of parking by the project. In other cases parking would be displaced to the adjacent blocks. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-18

19 Table 2-A Existing and Proposed Parking BRT Proposed On-Street Parking Block Existing Parking BRT BRT Station Options Along Santa Clara Street Cahill Street to ontgomery Street ontgomery Street to Autumn Street Autumn Street to Delmas Avenue Delmas Avenue to SR 87 off-ramp SR 87 off-ramp to Almaden Boulevard Almaden Boulevard to Norte Dame Street Notre Dame Street to Almaden Avenue Almaden Avenue to San Pedro Street San Pedro Street to arket Street arket Street to First Street First Street to Second Street Second Street to Third Street Third Street to Fourth Street Fourth Street to Fifth Street Fifth Street to Sixth Street Sixth Street to 7th Street TOTAL Street to 8th Street th Street to 9th Street th Street to 10th Street th Street to llth Street th Street to 12th Street th Street to 13th Street th Street to 14th Street th Street to 15th Street h Street to 16th Street th Street to 17th Street th Street to 19th Street th Street to 20th Street th Street to 21st Street st Street to 22nd Street nd Street to 23rd Street rd Street to 24th Street th Street to 25th Street th Street to 26th Street th Street to 27th Street th Street to 28th Street th Street to US 101 SB Ramps US 101 SB Ramps to NB Ramps TOTAL Along Alum Rock Avenue US 101 North Bound Ramps to 33rd Street rd Street to 34th Street th Street to King Road King Road to Eastgate Avenue Eastgate Avenue to ccreery Avenue ccreery Avenue to Sunset Avenue Sunset Avenue to Jose Figueres Avenue Jose Figueres Avenue to Scharff Avenue Scharff Avenue to Jackson Avenue Jackson Avenue to Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive Alexander Avenue/uirfield Drive to Capitol Avenue TOTAL Source: DJ Harris, 2007 Note: Shading denotes change associated with BRT Station Options. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-19

20 West of 7 th Street, the total number of on-street parking spaces along Santa Clara Street would be reduced from existing spaces to 98 spaces with implementation of BRT service, resulting in a total loss of 15 7 spaces. On-street parking spaces in this segment of the Corridor would not be replaced with surface parking spaces, but instead would consist of alternative mitigation such as participation in the City of San Jose s overall parking strategy for Downtown. From east of 7 th Street to U.S. 101, the total number of on-street parking spaces along East Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue would be reduced from remain at 269 existing spaces. However, the number of spaces from block to block would vary from existing conditions. to 255 spaces with implementation of BRT service, a net loss of 14 spaces. From U.S. 101 to Capitol Avenue, the total number of on-street parking spaces along Alum Rock Avenue would be reduced from 172 existing spaces to spaces; a net loss of spaces. Some of the existing loading zones in the Corridor would need to be relocated with the implementation of BRT service. Loading zones would be relocated within the existing block, if possible, or at a maximum distance of the adjacent block. Table 2-1 summarizes the changes in passenger-loading and freight-loading zones. All affected loading zones would be relocated either to the adjacent block or within the same block. Location Along East Santa Clara Street between 1 st Street and 2 nd Street. Along East Santa Clara Street between 34 th Street and King Road. Along Alum Rock Avenue between Sunset Avenue and Jose Figueres Avenue. Source: DJ Harris, 2008 Table 2-1 On-Street Loading Zones Affected by BRT Existing Freight Loading Block Face (Feet) Change Freight Loading North Side 44 Relocated to the adjacent block east. South Side 55 Relocated to the adjacent block west. South Side 30 South Side 24 Relocated 200 feet west on the same block. Relocated 200 feet east on the same block. Operating Plan As described above, articulated buses would operate from the area of San Jose Diridon Station to the Eastridge Transit Center. The alignment would be in the curb lane from the West Santa Clara Street/Cahill Street intersection to near King Road, and then operate in a semi-exclusive right-of-way in the median to near Capitol Avenue, and continue south to the Eastridge Transit Center in the curb lane along Capitol Avenue and Capitol Expressway. Queue jump lanes would be available at Alexander Avenue. On Capitol Avenue, the BRT line would serve the Alum Rock Station (except under BRT Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-20

21 Station Option 2). On Capitol Expressway, the BRT line would serve the Story Road Station, the Ocala Avenue Station, and the Eastridge Transit Center. BRT Line 522 would offer daily service with 12-minute headways during peak hours and 30-minute headways in the evenings. A second BRT Line (Line 523) would operate from Cupertino to the Eastridge Transit Center via the Downtown Transit all. This service would also be at 12-minute headways. Therefore, BRT service would have an effective headway of six minutes for most of the Corridor. Table 2-2 shows estimated travel times between stations along the BRT alignment. Estimated travel time between the San Jose Diridon Station and the Eastridge Transit Center is projected to be about 25 minutes. Table 2-2 Estimated Travel Times Between Stations, BRT Proposed Station Time Between Stations (minutes/seconds) Cumulative Travel Time a from the San Jose Diridon Station (minutes/seconds) Diridon Transit Center 0:00 0:00 Transit all 4:46 4:46 Civic Center 2:11 6:57 16 th Street 2:40 9:37 28 th Street 2:34 12:11 King Road 1:49 14:00 Jackson Avenue 2:11 16:11 Alum Rock 2:54 19:05 Story Road b 1:53 20:58 Ocala Avenue b 2:05 23:03 Eastridge Transit Center 2:29 25:32 Source: Connectics Groups, 2007 Notes: a. Includes dwell time. b. Included in the proposed Capitol Expressway Corridor Project. As described above, three bus lines currently operate along all, or most, of the Corridor: Line 22, Line 23, and Line 522. Line 22 joins the Corridor from the Eastridge Transit Center at King Road and continues on Alum Rock Avenue and onto Santa Clara Street past the Diridon Station. Line 23 operates along the entire Corridor from south of Capitol Avenue the Alum Rock Transit Center to the Downtown Transit all where it continues west to De Anza College. Line 522 also operates along the entire Corridor from south of Capitol Avenue to the San Jose Diridon Station and continuing on to Palo Alto. Existing bus service would be modified with the implementation of BRT or Single Car LRT service in the Corridor. With implementation of either service, Line 23 would no longer operate between Capitol Avenue and Downtown San Jose. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-21

22 Line 22 would continue to operate as it does today with implementation of BRT service. Line 22 would join the Corridor at King Road and continue on Alum Rock Avenue and Santa Clara Street for the remainder of the Corridor. Line 22 would stop at all BRT or LRT stations between King Road and Cahill Street. Line 22 would also stop at bus stops located between the BRT or LRT stations. Construction Scenario Construction for the implementation of BRT service would be relatively minor, consisting of BRT bus stops or station areas for passenger boarding, and bus bulb-outs. BRT station platforms for the shared-running portion of the alignment would be constructed as an extension (i.e., bulb-out) of the existing sidewalk. BRT station platforms for the median-running semi-exclusive portion of the alignment would be constructed in the street median. To minimize impacts to existing businesses, the existing sidewalks would remain intact to the greatest extent possible. The construction staging would occur on one side of the roadway at a time. The BRT station bulb-out platforms could rebuild as little as four feet of the sidewalk, or the entire walk back to the face of the building, depending on the specific location. The curb lane would be closed adjacent to the work area for the shared-running portion of the alignment. For the semi-exclusive portion of the alignment the adjacent median through lane would be closed adjacent to the work area. Once one side of the street is complete, work would then begin on the other side. By restricting the construction to one side of the street at a time, the portion of the street that can be maintained for travel lanes and on-street parking is maximized. Utility relocation would only occur in areas where the station platform would encroach onto an existing manhole. Drainage would be between the existing sidewalk and the new bulb-out platform area depending on design. Existing drainage inlets in areas proposed for platforms would be relocated. Station platforms would be completed in approximately three months, depending on the work schedule. Finishing work, including final pavement treatment and the installation of shelters, ticket vending machines, and accessory features would be completed approximately one month later. Phase 2 - Single Car Light Rail Transit Phase 2 includes the construction of a LRT line in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor extending from the Diridon LRT Station on the west to the Alum Rock Station on the east. The LRT line would also utilize stations on the future Capitol Expressway Corridor LRT Line. As a result, completion of the Capitol Expressway LRT extension is a pre-requisite for the implementation of LRT service in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. In addition because Santa Clara Street between arket and 3 rd Street would be excavated for BART construction, Single Car LRT cannot be implemented until BART construction is complete. It is estimated that the BART construction would be completed in The proposed alignment is from the Diridon LRT Station along San Fernando Street on trackway used for the ountain View-Winchester LRT Line, continues with new trackway constructed along West San Fernando Street from Delmas Avenue to Almaden Boulevard: transitions to Santa Clara Street along Almaden Boulevard: and continues along Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue to Capitol Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-22

23 Avenue. From Capitol Avenue, the alignment would connect with the trackway for the future Capitol Expressway LRT extension. An optional alignment (LRT Alignment Option 1) is under consideration on the western end of the Corridor. Rather than utilize the ountain View-Winchester LRT Line track at Diridon Station and its approaches, the optional alignment would remain on Santa Clara Street toward the San Jose Arena. At ontgomery Street, the alignment would turn south into the San Jose Diridon Station parking lot. The terminus station, tail track, and crossover would be located within the parking lot. Single Car LRT service would utilize new VTA low-floor vehicles operating as a single car running at 15-minute headways through the Corridor during peak periods. LRT vehicles would operate at-grade in a semi-exclusive (separate from automobile traffic) center right-of-way along West San Fernando Street and Almaden Boulevard; in shared operation with automobiles in the outside lanes (curb lanes) of Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue west of 34 th Street; and transition back to a semiexclusive center right-of-way in the median of Alum Rock Avenue east of 34th Street. Following completion of the project, single car LRT vehicles would provide service between the Diridon LRT Station and the Eastridge Transit Center. Line 22, Line 23, and Line 522 would provide further supplemental bus service in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor. Additional bus lines in the Corridor (including DASH service) may be modified to better accommodate the new LRT service. The proposed LRT alignment and station locations are also depicted on Figure 2-4. A description of the alignment and alignment options as well as the stations proposed is provided below. Alignment Description As described above, between the Diridon LRT Station and West San Fernando Street, the proposed alignment would share trackway for the ountain View-Winchester LRT line, which extends along West San Fernando Street between Delmas Avenue and Almaden Boulevard; transition to West Santa Clara Street along Almaden Boulevard; and continue along Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue to Capitol Avenue; where it would connect with the trackway for the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa LRT Line along Capitol Avenue. The LRT line would also utilize stations on the future Capitol Expressway Corridor LRT Line. The proposed alignment and alignment options are described below. West San Fernando Street from Delmas Avenue to Almaden Boulevard. Between the Diridon LRT Station and Delmas Avenue, Single Car LRT would operate on the ountain View-Winchester LRT tracks. East of Delmas Avenue, new tracks would be constructed to transition LRT trains into the center median of West San Fernando Street. These tracks would continue in the center median along West San Fernando Street to Almaden Boulevard. The bus stop currently located mid-block along westbound West San Fernando Street would be relocated to the corner of West San Fernando Street and Almaden Boulevard. Within this segment of the alignment, a mid-block pedestrian crossing would be provided for the existing pedestrian/bicycle trail located west of the State Route (SR) 87 overcrossing. This crossing Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-23

24 would be protected with swing gates to prevent pedestrians and cyclists from entering the crossing when LRT vehicles are approaching. A design option for this alignment segment includes the construction of approximately 275 feet of nonrevenue LRT tracks connecting the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor with the ountain view- Winchester LRT line east of Delmas Avenue. This design option would provide greater flexibility in the movement of LRT trains throughout VTA s system. Almaden Boulevard from West San Fernando Street to West Santa Clara Street. Along this short section of Almaden Boulevard between West San Fernando Street and West Santa Clara Street, LRT tracks would be placed in the center median, separate from automobile traffic. At West Santa Clara Street, the alignment would shift to the outside curb lanes for shared LRT/automobile options. Striping for two through lanes and one left-turn lane along each direction of West Santa Clara Street between Notre Dame Street and Almaden Boulevard would be provided. This would require the removal of the two passenger loading zones along westbound West Santa Clara Street located on either side of Notre Dame Street. Under a design option under consideration in this segment, striping for two through lanes and one left-turn lane along westbound West Santa Clara Street, but only one through lane and one shared through/left-turn lane along eastbound Santa Clara Street between Notre Dame Street and Almaden Boulevard would be provided. This design option would allow the existing passenger loading zones along westbound Santa Clara Street on opposite sides of Notre Dame Street to remain. LRT Alignment Option 1: West Santa Clara Street from ontgomery Street to Almaden Boulevard. As described above, LRT Alignment Option 1 would not interline with the ountain View-Winchester LRT line. This alignment option would have the western terminus light rail platform in the southwest quadrant of the Santa Clara Street/ontgomery Street intersection in the parking lot of the San Jose Diridon Station. A track crossover would be provided in front of the platform to allow trains to switch from one track to another. No new tracks would be constructed along West San Fernando Street or Almaden Boulevard under LRT Alignment Option 1. Santa Clara Street/Alum Rock Avenue from Notre Dame Street to 34 th Street. Along Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue from Notre Dame Street to 34 th Street, LRT tracks would be constructed in the outside (curb) lane. LRT trains would operate in shared lanes with automobile traffic throughout this segment. Within this segment, the existing 60-foot wide Coyote Creek Bridge would be widened by 20 feet to accommodate the operation of LRT vehicles. Alum Rock Avenue from 34 th Street to Capitol Avenue. At 34 th Street, the LRT alignment would transition from shared LRT/automobile operation within the outside (curb) lane of Alum Rock Avenue to transit-only operation in the median of Alum Rock Avenue. Within this segment, the Alum Rock Avenue/34 th Street intersection and the Alum Rock Avenue/cCreery Avenue intersection would be signalized. Left turns from eastbound Alum Rock Avenue onto Eastgate Avenue would no longer be permitted. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-24

25 LRT trains would operate in a semi-exclusive lane in the center of Alum Rock Avenue from Eastgate Avenue to Capitol Avenue. At Capitol Avenue, the LRT tracks would transition south to interline with the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa LRT line and the future Capitol Expressway LRT Line. No new tracks would be constructed along Capitol Avenue or Capitol Expressway to accommodate the addition LRT line. However, a design option under consideration at the Alum Rock Avenue/Capitol Avenue intersection includes the construction of tracks for a non-revenue connection that would transition north to join the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa LRT Line. This option would provide greater flexibility in the movement of LRT trains throughout VTA s system. Proposed Stations In addition to serving the Diridon LRT Station and the San Fernando Street Station (both included on the ountain View-Winchester LRT Line); the Alum Rock Station (included on the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa LRT Line); and the Story Road Station, the Ocala Avenue Station, and the Eastridge Transit Center (all included in the proposed Capitol Expressway Corridor Project), service would also be provided to the six stations in the Santa Clara-Alum Rock Corridor constructed as part of BRT Phase 1. These stations include: Transit all (1 st Street and 2 nd Street); 6 th Street/City Hall; 16 th Street; 28th Street; King Road; and Jackson Avenue In addition, a new station would be constructed along Almaden Boulevard as part of the implementation Phase 2. For LRT Alignment Option 1, the ountain View-Winchester LRT Line stations at Diridon and San Fernando Street would not be served by the Santa Clara/Alum Rock LRT Line. In addition, the Almaden Boulevard Station would not be constructed. Instead, the Diridon terminal station would be located in the Caltrain parking lot along ontgomery Street. These two stations are described below. All stations would be constructed at-grade and would be fully compliant with ADA requirements. ost existing bus stops would remain and would be served by local buses. However, some existing bus stops located in the vicinity of the proposed LRT stations would be relocated to the station platforms. Similar to BRT station platforms, typical side-running LRT stations in the shared operations section (along Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue west of 34 th Street) would include a bulbed-out sidewalk area 9 feet wide (not including the existing sidewalk) and approximately 230 feet long to accommodate both buses and LRT vehicles. The platform height would vary from 6 inches at the ends of the platform and the bus boarding area, ramping up to 14 inches at train boarding locations. East of King Road in the semi-exclusive median-running operation, the typical platform length for the stations would be 90 feet, the width would be 12.5 feet, and the platform height would be 14 inches. Ramps leading to the platforms from crosswalks would be approximately 25 feet in length. Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-25

26 The Transit all Station would need to accommodate large volumes of both passengers and pedestrians. Therefore, the LRT platforms at the Transit all Station would be 240 feet in length and 9 feet wide (not including the existing sidewalk). Similar to the BRT stations, the side-running LRT stations would be constructed as an extension (or bulb-out) of the existing sidewalk. The bus loading section of these platforms would have a height of 6 inches, ramping up to a height of 14 inches at the LRT loading section. The plan and cross section of a typical single car LRT station are depicted on Figure 2-8 and Figure 2-9, respectively. Actual plans for the station platforms are not yet finalized. These figures are presented here for discussion purposes only. The proposed stations and station options are further described below. Diridon Station (LRT Alignment Option 1 Only). For LRT Alignment Option 1, the existing Vasona line stations and the proposed Almaden Boulevard Station would not be served by Santa Clara/Alum Rock LRT vehicles. The terminal station would consist of a center platform for both eastbound and westbound trains located in the Caltrain parking lot along ontgomery Street. Tailtrack would be provided past the platform and a crossover in front of the platform. Almaden Boulevard Station. The Almaden Boulevard Station would be located in the median of Almaden Boulevard north of Post Street. The station would consist of a center platform for both eastbound and westbound trains. Passenger access would be provided by a pedestrian crosswalk. To ensure passenger safety while accessing the station, the Almaden Boulevard/Post Street intersection would be signalized. Support Systems In addition to the primary alignment and stations, Single Car LRT service would incorporate light rail support systems, including traction power system and substations, overhead contact, and communications support systems are described in the following sections. Traction Power System and Substations. A traction power system is a distribution system that converts high-voltage commercial electrical power received from substations to medium-voltage direct current (DC) electric power and distributes it to the light rail vehicles via the overhead catenary or contact wire as they travel along the alignment. A traction power system consists of the power distribution mechanism and electrical substations. The alignment would require four traction power substations (TPSS). The final location and placement of the substations along the alignment would be determined during the preliminary engineering phase. Locations for new substations that are under consideration include the following: In Caltrans right-of-way west of SR 87 north of West San Fernando Street; Along eastbound East Santa Clara Street between 11 th Street and 12 th Street in the parking lot of an existing restaurant; Santa Clara-Alum Rock Transit Improvement Project Final EIR Project Description 2-26

27 FIGURE 2-8: PHASE 2, SINGLE CAR LRT - TYPICAL STATION PLAN Source: DJ Harris, 2007.