Coversheet


Agenda Item 3.5.1


TRANSPORTATION AGENCY FOR MONTEREY COUNTY *Memorandum*

To:	Board of Directors
From:	Christina Watson, Director of Planning
Meeting Date:	April 26, 2017
Subject:	Salinas-San Jose Coast Rail Line Environmental Review

RECOMMENDED ACTION:
AUTHORIZE the Executive Director to execute a contract amendment with HDR to extend the time to complete the federal environmental review of the Salinas-San Jose Coast Rail Line to June 30, 2018, at no additional cost.

SUMMARY:

The Agency contracted with HDR to complete the federal environmental review of the Salinas-San Jose Coast Rail Line on October 28, 2015. The project has been delayed by longer partner agency review times beyond what had been anticipated in the original contract schedule, and the current schedule shows final document approval in Spring 2018. Staff recommends a 12-month extension of the contract to June 30, 2018 to allow for additional time to complete the work.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The contract budget is $452,975, paid for from State Transportation Improvement Program and Regional Surface Transportation Program funds budgeted to this purpose, and is sufficient to complete the work. No additional budget is recommended with this amendment.

DISCUSSION:

The federal environmental review of the 68-mile Salinas-San Jose segment of the coast mainline rail corridor supports the increase in passenger rail on the coast line, including the next phases of work on the extension of passenger rail service from San Jose to Salinas (future stations at Pajaro/Watsonville and Castroville).

The work was contracted on October 28, 2015 and a kick-off meeting was held on November 12, 2015, followed by review of existing documentation and completion of technical reports, including updated hazardous materials studies at the future station locations, traffic study, air quality study, and a noise and vibration study.

The first administrative draft Environmental Assessment (EA) was completed in October 2016 for internal review. After incorporating comments from TAMC staff, a second administrative draft document was distributed to partner agencies on November 10, 2016. At that time, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) indicated that they would not have the time to review the document, but that the project should proceed with getting comments from the other partner agencies - Caltrans, Capitol Corridor and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments.

Based on comments received, related primarily to project definitions and the air quality analysis, revised chapters were distributed to those partners in February 2017. TAMC is now reviewing internally the third administrative draft EA and expects to request the FRA and other agencies to review the document by the end of this month.

Assuming the FRA is able to review the document and release it for public review by August, TAMC expects a 30-day public review in August and September, including public meetings on the document. The goal is to then incorporate any public comment into the document and deliver a final EA and Finding of No Significant Impact to the FRA for consideration by the end of 2018. Allowing for a few months of review of the final draft documents by all agencies, the timeline shows adoption of the final document in Spring 2018.

Based on the extended time it has taken thus far for partner agency reviews, staff feels it is prudent to extend the contract to June 30, 2018 to allow for extra time in the schedule. Attached is the draft contract amendment.

ATTACHMENTS:
	Description
	Draft HDR NEPA contract amendment