| FALL 2001 |
Opportunities Ahead - Light Rail
Project as Neighborhood EnergizerOpportunities to enhance and improve the corridor
through transit expansion
and appropriate land
use policies and urban design practices.
The introduction of light rail offers opportunities to improve
the existing street as well as the business/residential environment. Light rail could contribute to
an enhanced corridor in many ways, including:
The alignment of light rail along Santa Clara Street, Alum Rock Avenue and Capitol Expressway will bring significant change. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) approach is to consider design concepts and operating strategies that would reduce disruption to traffic and the surrounding communities. Such strategies could include shared lanes for light rail trains and automobiles west of King Road, and possibly narrower station platforms to reduce the amount of public right-of-way needed. These types of solutions are necessary to achieve an appropriate balance among traffic and rail operations, design, community character, and economic vitality. Transit Stations as Focal Points and Activity Centers of a Neighborhood. The transit station can be viewed as a gateway to the neighborhood or business district - a place where people can comfortably walk to and from their homes, cultural and religious centers, schools, community centers, businesses, or retail destinations. Strategically positioned, station platforms can maximize convenience and safety and minimize disruption while creating a focal point or activity center for an area. Stations can contribute to the economic well being of local businesses as they become places where businesses naturally cluster and where people want to gather, live and/or work. Examples of Station Designs Being Considered. While still preliminary, the design team is studying a variety of concepts for LRT stations and alignments along Santa Clara Street, Alum Rock Avenue and Capitol Expressway. Three prototypical examples are described below. Strategically positioned, station platforms can maximize convenience and safety and minimize disruption while creating a focal point or activity center for an area. |
| C E N T E R P LATFORM WITH
SHARED RUNNING LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) AND AUTO LANES
A long narrow portions of Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue (e.g., right-of-way width of 100 feet or less), automobiles and light rail trains will share the travel lanes. This is seen in many older cities with trolley systems like Boston, San Francisco, and Toronto. Sacramento’s LRT system also has segments of shared-running operations. This type of operation is particularly suited to neighborhood commercial streets where pedestrian activity and calmer traffic conditions are desirable. A platform in the center of the street, connected to intersection crosswalks, could provide convenient and safe pedestrian, wheelchair and bicycle access to light rail. This configuration could also allow for some on-street parking to be maintained on blocks without stations; thereby minimizing displacement of parking.
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OFFSET PLATFORMS WITH EXCLUSIVE RUNNING LRT Along Alum Rock Avenue east of King Road where the right-of-way is greater than 100 feet, it is possible to accommodate a trackway exclusively for light rail in the center median of the street while maintaining two general traffic lanes and some on-street parking. Station platforms could be offset at some intersections to provide for left turn lanes, and could include landscaping, distinctive shelters and lighting. On-street parking could be limited or removed in the immediate vicinity of the stations.
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Stations can contribute to the economic well being of local businesses as they become places where businesses cluster and where people want to gather, live and/or work.
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OFFSET
PLATFORM WITH EXCLUSIVE RUNNING LRT ON EXPRESSWAY
Along Capitol Expressway, it is anticipated that stations will generally be located in the center median of the expressway, with platforms offset or on opposite sides of some intersections. As shown, this wide roadway (in excess of 150 feet) could be significantly enhanced with canopy trees along both sides of the street and within the center medians. Creating safe and comfortable pedestrian access to the station platforms will be a key element along this corridor. At some stations it may be desirable to introduce pedestrian bridges and/or grade-separated vehicle and transit lanes. 
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Project Schedule Update The Conceptual Engineering phase of the project is on target for completion in Summer 2002. Environmental work is underway and will be completed in mid-2003. After environmental and project approval, VTA can proceed with preliminary engineering, final design, and the purchase of right-of-way. Construction could begin in late 2004 or early 2005. A more detailed implementation plan will be developed during the Conceptual Engineering and the Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) phases. |
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Bus Rapid Transit in the Monterey Highway Corridor is a key element of the Downtown East Valley Transit Improvement Plan.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a relatively new concept that offers some of the benefits of a light rail line such as fast travel times and comfortable waiting areas with the flexibility and lower costs of buses.
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BRT systems emerging around the United States use a variety of physical improvements and
advanced technology to reduce the impacts of traffic congestion and to make the ride more
appealing to passengers. These ideas often include bus priority at traffic lights, bus-only
bypass lanes, low floor buses, and ticket vending machines at the bus stops. On Monterey Highway, the proposed BRT line would extend almost 10 miles from Downtown San Jose to the Santa Teresa Light Rail Station. It is envisioned to offer short bus-only lanes (called queue jumps) to allow buses to bypass congested intersections where auto traffic tends to back up and cause the buses to slow down. To be both efficient and improve service, bus stops could be spaced further apart to reduce the number of times the BRT buses need to stop. As well, bus stops could include more amenities like larger shelters, benches, landscaping, and improved lighting. Key BRT stops could also have computerized monitors that display information on when the next bus is going to arrive. The BRT line may also use larger, articulated buses that accommodate more passengers on the route more comfortably. |
Coordination with Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor Project
A Major Investment Study (MIS) is currently underway to study various transportation alternatives in the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor (SVRTC), a 20-mile travel corridor from Union City to Downtown San Jose/Santa Clara.
One of the SVRTC alternatives is a potential BART project along the Union Pacific railroad tracks through Milpitas and East San Jose into Downtown San Jose, including the options of building BART underground in a tunnel beneath either Santa Clara or San Fernando Street. The VTA Board of Directors is expected to select a "preferred investment strategy" for the SVRTC in November 2001.
The Santa Clara/Alum Rock Light Rail project is also studying two options in Downtown for light rail along either Santa Clara or San Fernando Street west of 10th Street. Therefore, close and careful coordination between the Downtown East Valley Light Rail Project and the SVRTC preferred investment strategy will be critical as both projects move forward. If the BART alternative is selected for the SVRTC, then VTA will look at all possible options for light rail and BART along Santa Clara or San Fernando Streets. This coordinated evaluation of both projects by VTA and the projects’ consultant teams would likely take several months to complete. Extensive public involvement would be included in the process.
A decision on the preferred option for the Downtown East Valley alignment, including the segment through Downtown San Jose, is expected by the VTA Board of Directors in Summer 2002.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING MEETINGS HELD IN SEPTEMBER
Proposed major projects are required to complete an environmental analysis and review process before approval. The environmental
review consists of a report called an Environmental Impact Statement /Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR). A separate
EIS/EIR is being prepared for the Santa Clara/Alum Rock and the Capitol Expressway Light Rail projects. The EIS/EIR process began
in Summer 2001 and should be completed in Summer 2003. Each Draft EIS/EIR will address the direct and indirect environmental
effects of the proposed project on the local and regional environment.
Topics typically covered in an EIS/EIR include:
- Traffic impacts
- Noise and vibration
- Socio-economic conditions
- Geology and soils
- Cultural resources
- Air quality
- Land use plans and policies
- Aesthetics
- Water quality and hydrology
The first step in the EIS/EIR process is the environmental scoping meeting, which is an opportunity for the public to comment on project alternatives and possible mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the environmental impacts of the project. Two environmental scoping meetings took place in late September 2001.
For further information about Downtown East Valley, please
contact Gail Price, project manager, at (408) 321-5744 or
email downtown.eastvalley@vta.org. For information about
other VTA transit projects and bus service please explore the
VTA website at www.vta.org or call VTA at (408) 321-2300.
If you would like information in Spanish, Vietnamese,
or Mandarin Chinese, please call VTA Customer Services
at (408) 321-2300.