Partial Underpass Evaluation Criteria

Criteria for Choosing Among Alternatives

The following table evaluates the Partial Underpass proposal using the criteria adopted by the Palo Alto City Council for evaluating the grade crossing alternatives. The color assignments are unofficial but are derived from the official assessments of the other alternatives.

Key:  Improvements               Impacts

Evaluation Criteria Churchill Partial Underpass
A Facilitate movement across the corridor for all modes of transportation Churchill will be separated from Caltrain for traffic, bikes, and pedestrians. Primary traffic flow is mostly preserved.
B Reduce delay and congestion for vehicular traffic at rail crossings Grade separation facilitates smoother traffic flow. Traffic analyses rate this alternative superior to all other alternatives.
C Provide clear, safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the rail corridor, separate from vehicles Bike and pedestrians cross Alma and the Caltrain tracks in a tunnel. They do not interact with traffic on Churchill or Alma.
D Support continued rail operations and Caltrain service improvements Leaves Caltrain at grade - no changes are required. The Partial Underpass can be constructed without a shooflyA shoofly is a temporary detour around a construction zone or other blockage on the mainline tracks. track.
E Finance with feasible funding sources Should require lower levels of local funding, with a substantial portion of capital costs covered by Regional, State and Federal sources.
F Minimize right-of-way acquisition No acquisition of private properties is required..
G Reduce rail noise and vibration Train horn noise and warning bells will be eliminated with the replacement of the at-grade crossings with grade separations. Using electric engines instead of diesel engines will also reduce noise.
H Maintain access to neighborhoods, parks, and schools along the corridor, while reducing regional traffic on neighborhood streets No diversion of regional traffic to neighborhood streets will occur. Through traffic in the Churchill neighborhood east of Alma will be greatly reduced.
I Minimize visual changes along the corridor Intersection will be below grade. Caltrain is unchanged.
J Minimize disruption and duration of construction No need for a shooflyA shoofly is a temporary detour around a construction zone or other blockage on the mainline tracks.. Churchill from El Camino will be closed during construction. Alma will be reduced to one lane during most of construction.
Order of Magnitude Cost TBD
Engineering Challenges
L Creek/Drainage Impacts No creek impacts. Pump stations required for lowered roadways. Increased risk of flooding due to pump stations.
M Long-Term Maintenance Increased maintenance costs due to pump stations for underpass dewatering.
N Utility Relocations Major utility relocations for lowered roadways. Initial study indicates these are all feasible.
O Railroad Operations Impacts during Construction No shooflyA shoofly is a temporary detour around a construction zone or other blockage on the mainline tracks. is required, but there will be short interruptions, probably limited to weekends.
P Local Street Circulation Impacts during Construction Churchill crossing will be closed during construction. Alma traffic restricted to one lane in each direction, and closed for half the project.
Q Caltrain Design Exceptions Needed Encroachment on the Caltrain right of way is somewhat greater than the current encroachment.