Salinas Station: Package 1: Lincoln Avenue, Access/ Circulation/ Parking
Package 1 of the Salinas Station project is an extension of Lincoln Avenue to provide safe, signalized access to the train station and improved circulation, parking, and landscaping at the station. This package is at 100% design, environmentally cleared, and nearing readiness for construction.
The structure demolition team completed some hazardous materials abatement to enable the Salinas Fire Department to do drills and exercises in the cleaned structures. However, demolition work is on hold pending the disconnect of gas and electric to those structures. The contractor is also working with the construction management team to complete the required stormwater paperwork.
On August 16, staff met with City of Salinas staff to discuss the project schedule and utility relocation issues. The City is still trying to get an agreement with PG&E to relocate their gas and electric lines to Lincoln Avenue. TAMC's 100% plans call for minor relocations within the parking lot area.
In the meantime, TAMC sent Notice to Owner letters to all utilities, a requirement for the right-of-way certification and the allocation of $11.2 million in construction funding. Staff submitted the paperwork for the October 17-18 meeting of the California Transportation Commission (CTC) for this funding, pending approval of the Caltrans Encroachment permit for the work within the State Route 183 right-of-way.
Service Planning
On August 21, staff attended the Northern California Megaregional Rail Group meeting, presented a project update, and discussed next steps on travel demand modeling and analysis. These analyses could help with the service negotiations that are needed to make progress on Package 2 (layover facility) and 3 (Gilroy station track improvements).
On August 9, staff met with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and Caltrans staff to discuss next steps on the $500,000 in state cap and trade funding for network integration. A funding allocation request is also on the October CTC agenda. This funding is for planning work to lay the foundation of a future grant application for the next phases of the project in Pajaro/ Watsonville and Castroville.
State Rail Plan
Caltrans is expecting to publish the final Statewide Rail Plan "any day now". It will be available on the Caltrans website: http://www.dot.ca.gov/californiarail/. According to a leaked final draft, the final plan continues to show rail service to Salinas in the near-term (2022) scenario and an ambitious central coast rail network in the full build-out (2040) scenario. The plan establishes the State's long-term interest in continuing to partner with the Central Coast to develop a rail network that is integrated with long distance state services at both ends and underpins everything CalSTA and Caltrans are talking about in state rail funding discussions and in the Megaregional meetings.