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Report regarding a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment to a Memorandum of Understanding with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), and the City of San Bruno, amending the project scope and increasing the local match participation budget for the South Linden Avenue and Scott Street Grade Separation Project (st1004) by $804,408. (Angel Torres, Senior Civil Engineer)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or authorized designee to execute a Second Amendment to a Memorandum of Understanding with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), and the City of San Bruno, amending the project scope and increasing the local match participation budget for the South Linden Avenue and Scott Street Grade Separation Project (st1004) by $804,408.
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BACKGROUND
The South Linden Avenue and Scott Street Grade Separation Project aims to improve safety and reduce future traffic delays caused by increased vehicle volumes, more frequent Caltrain service, and the addition of high-speed rail. Although located in different cities-South San Francisco (South Linden Avenue) and San Bruno (Scott Street)-the two grade separations will be delivered as a single project. Because the crossings are only 1,850 feet apart, changes at one location may affect the other. Both cities are co-sponsors, and the crossings are ranked #5 statewide on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Grade Crossing Elimination Priority List for a combination of vehicle, train traffic and safety concerns.
At South Linden Avenue (South San Francisco), the project will construct an auto, bicycle, and pedestrian undercrossing while keeping the existing tracks at roughly the same elevation. The undercrossing will be approximately 82 feet long and 41 feet wide with 16.5 feet of vertical clearance. It is to be installed using a box jacking method of construction. Roadway, curb, gutter, sidewalk, retaining walls, traffic signal, drainage, and utility improvements are included within the scope of the improvements.
At Scott Street (San Bruno), the existing at-grade crossing will be permanently closed and converted into a cul-de-sac. The bike and pedestrian undercrossing box will be 26 feet long and 60 feet wide with 12 feet of vertical clearance will be jacked beneath the existing tracks. No vehicle crossing will be provided.
The project requires several temporary construction easements, small property acquisitions, and major utility relocations in advance of construction. The environmental review is expected to qualify for a Categorical Exemption. Construction will require closing the intersection for more than 12 months.
The preliminary engineering (PE) design phase initiated in June of 2022, followed with the award of the PE design contract to RSE in May of 2023. The latest Preliminary Engineering (PE) design schedule targets 35% design completion in early 2027 and will advance into the environmental clearance phase in mid-2027. Construction completion is anticipated in 2033.
Early in the PE phase, an extensive alternatives evaluation identified an optimized design alternative in early 2025 that significantly improves project delivery while reducing overall costs. The optimized alternative is expected to reduce the estimated construction duration from approximately seven years to three years and lower total estimated project costs by more than $100 million compared to the previous preferred alternative. Selection of this alternative required realignment of the project scope, schedule, and budget.
The project team continues design variance and design refinement process, preparing design basis memorandum, performing surveys, and commencing 35% design.
The project team gave Southline, the adjacent development team, a project update and shared preliminary design refinements. The project team received generally positive feedback on the design refinements and will continue to coordinate with Southline as we move forward with the 35% design development. In addition, the designers will be adding the members of the Southline technical team to their contract for better integration and coordination between the projects.
The project team has also presented refinements to and received comments from the City’s Fire Department, Police Department, Planning, SSF BPAC, as well as the Traffic Safety Committee. The comments, such as including emergency vehicle pull-out, pedestrian safety railings, graffiti deterrence, will be incorporated into the 35% design.
A new project estimate is being prepared to reflect the new project scope, schedule, and to address risk elements. An updated project estimate should be completed in Spring 2027. A detailed risk analysis is underway to better reflect known and unknown risks (with mitigation strategies). Upon completion of the 35% design, the project will prepare a more robust risk assessment and estimate to provide probability outcomes for risk schedule, and project pricing.
DISCUSSION
On March 3, 2022, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) Board of Directors programmed and allocated up to $4,950,000 in Measure A Grade Separation Program Category funds for the Project's Preliminary Engineering/Environmental (PE/ENV) phase, defined as the Scope of Work.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on August 22, 2022, by the Cities of San Bruno and South San Francisco, the SMCTA, and PCJPB. The lead implementing agency for the project, PCJPB Caltrain, retained the designer, RSE, in 2023 to perform the preliminary engineering design. The product of the preliminary engineering will inform the environmental review. Caltrain and the designer commenced the Preliminary Engineering/Environmental phase by performing value engineering on the selected preferred Project Study Report (PSR)1 Alternative.
The MOU required the Scope of Work to be completed no later than August 22, 2025.
On April 15, 2026, the parties entered into the First Amendment to the MOU, moving the performance deadline to December 31, 2027.
On May 7, 2026, the SMCTA Board programmed and allocated additional funding for the Scope of Work consisting of $2,804,490 in Measure A Grade Separation Program funds and $860,625 in Measure A Caltrain Category funds, for a total of $3,665,115 in additional Measure A funding. The project sponsors will contribute an additional $980,985 in matching funds, of which the City of South San Francisco, as Lead Sponsor, will contribute $804,408 and the City of San Bruno, as Co-Sponsor, will contribute $176,577. The additional funding reflects the expanded preliminary engineering effort necessary to advance the optimized project alternative and is being shared proportionately among the Transportation Authority, Caltrain, the City of South San Francisco, and the City of San Bruno in accordance with the amended Memorandum of Understanding.
To reflect these commitments, the parties now seek a second amendment to the MOU to incorporate the additional $3,665,115 in Measure A funds and the additional $980,985 in local matching funds for the Scope of Work.
FISCAL IMPACT
The South Linden Avenue and Scott Street Grade Separation Project (st1004) Capital Improvement Project currently has sufficient funds to accommodate the City of South San Francisco obligations in the Second Amendment to the MOU of $804,408. The additional funds come from the City Wide Transportation Impact Fees. Other funding sources to date have included Gas Tax, Measure A, and Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) -SB 1. It is also important to note that South San Francisco and San Bruno combined were previously paying 10% of the project costs. With the changes associated in this staff report, the combined city contribution is 21% for these specific additional costs, which changes the overall contribution from the two cities to 15%. In addition, the South San Francisco share of those combined contributions has risen from a prior 70% to 82% due to design changes. The estimated total project cost due to design changes has been reduced to an estimated $320M from an original estimate of $450M. Cost estimates are likely to continue to change as additional design work is completed and as market conditions change over time.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES ACTION PLAN
Providing a grade separation at South Linden Avenue would contribute to the Quality-of-Life Major Focus Area by improving traffic circulation and increasing public safety.
CONCLUSION
City staff recommends that the City Council receive an update on the South Linden Avenue and Scott Street Grade Separation Project and provide direction on the proposed design refinements and authorize the City Manager or authorized designee to execute a Second Amendment to the MOU with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), and the City of San Bruno, amending the project scope and increasing the City's local match participation for the South Linden Avenue and Scott Street Grade Separation Project (st1004) by $804,408, representing the City's share of the additional $980,985 local funding commitment included in the amendment.
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
1. Presentation