D R A F T FRESNO FREIGHT RAIL REALIGNMENT STUDY ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFT SUMMARY REPORT January 2010 Prepared for Council of Fresno County Governments FRESNO FREIGHT RAIL REALIGNMENT STUDY SUMMARY REPORT D R A F T INTERNAL WORKING REVIEW TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................................1 ES.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION................................................................................ 1 ES.2 PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED ...................................................................... 2 ES.2.1 Primary Project Objectives ................................................................. 2 ES.2.2 Secondary Project Objectives ............................................................. 2 ES.3 EVALUATION APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY............................................... 2 ES.3.1 Level 1 Screening.............................................................................. 3 ES.3.2 Level 2 Analysis ................................................................................ 3 ES.4 PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................... 3 ES.5 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................. 4 ES.6 ALTERNATIVES RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT ....................... 4 ES.7 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................. 5 ES.7.1 Conclusions if High-Speed Train is Not Considered............................... 7 ES.7.2 Conclusions if High-Speed Train is Considered..................................... 7 ES.7.3 Conclusions Common to Both Freight Realignment and High-Speed Train................................................................................................ 8 ES.8 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES.............................................................. 8 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ................................................................. 1-1 1.2 STUDY AREA............................................................................................. 1-2 1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THIS REPORT ..................................................................... 1-2 1.4 CURRENT RAIL OPERATIONS IN FRESNO .................................................... 1-2 1.5 PROJECT BACKGROUND............................................................................. 1-4 1.5.1 History of Rail Realignment Efforts in Fresno .................................... 1-4 1.5.2 Context for Current Study............................................................... 1-4 1.6 AGENCY COORDINATION AND OUTREACH .................................................. 1-5 2.0 STUDY APPROACH .......................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECT’S PURPOSE AND NEED..................................... 2-1 2.2 DEVELOPMENT OF INITIAL OF ALTERNATIVES ............................................ 2-1 2.3 LEVEL 1 SCREENING.................................................................................. 2-1 2.4 LEVEL 2 ANALYSIS..................................................................................... 2-1 2.5 IDENTIFICATION OF THE FINAL LIST OF ALTERNATIVES FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS ................................................................................................. 2-1 3.0 PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED........................................................................ 3-1 3.1 NEED FOR THE PROJECT ........................................................................... 3-1 3.2 PURPOSE.................................................................................................. 3-1 3.3 PRIMARY PROJECT OBJECTIVES................................................................. 3-1 3.3.1 Improve Pedestrian and Vehicle Safety ............................................ 3-1 3.3.2 Reduce Traffic Congestion, Delays, and Air Quality Impacts............... 3-1 3.3.3 Reduce or Eliminate Adverse Community Impacts............................. 3-2 3.4 SECONDARY PROJECT OBJECTIVES ............................................................ 3-4 3.4.1 Potential Capacity and/or Operational Improvements for the Freight Railways ....................................................................................... 3-4 3.4.2 Potential Future Economic Development Opportunities...................... 3-5 3.4.3 Potential Reuse of the BNSF Corridor............................................... 3-6 3.4.4 Potential Future Compatibility with High-Speed Train ........................ 3-6 i FRESNO FREIGHT RAIL REALIGNMENT STUDY SUMMARY REPORT D R A F T INTERNAL WORKING REVIEW 4.0 PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS........................................................................... 4-1 4.1 EXISTING RAIL OPERATIONS ..................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 BNSF Rail Operations ..................................................................... 4-1 4.1.2 Union Pacific Rail Operations........................................................... 4-6 4.1.3 SJV Rail Operations...................................................................... 4-10 4.1.4 Amtrak Operations ....................................................................... 4-10 4.2 REGULATORY ISSUES .............................................................................. 4-11 4.2.1 Preservation of Service to Customers............................................. 4-11 4.2.2 Abandonment of Trackage or Service ............................................ 4-11 4.2.3 Moving Railcar Interchange Locations ............................................ 4-11 4.3 DESIGN STANDARDS ............................................................................... 4-12 4.3.1 Federal Railroad Administration Requirements ................................ 4-12 4.3.2 CPUC Requirements ..................................................................... 4-12 4.3.3 Railroad Requirements ................................................................. 4-12 4.3.4 Expandability of Freight Rail Right-of-Way...................................... 4-13 4.4 OWNERSHIP OF RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY .............................................. 4-13 4.4.1 UP Position.................................................................................. 4-13 4.4.2 BNSF Position .............................................................................. 4-14 4.5 COMPATIBILITY WITH HIGH-SPEED TRAIN ............................................... 4-14 4.5.1 Width of Potential Right-of-Way in Downtown Fresno for High- Speed Train................................................................................. 4-14 4.5.2 Single Downtown Station for High-Speed Train and Amtrak ............. 4-14 4.6 YARD LOCATIONS ................................................................................... 4-14 4.7 POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND LAND USE CONSTRAINTS .............. 4-15 4.7.1 Development Plans ...................................................................... 4-15 4.7.2 Land Use Constraints ................................................................... 4-15 4.7.3 Consistency with Downtown Development Plans............................. 4-16 5.0 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................ 5-1 5.1 OVERVIEW................................................................................................ 5-1 5.2 ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN ASSUMPTIONS.......................... 5-1 5.2.1 Conceptual Engineering Assumptions............................................... 5-3 5.2.2 Assumptions Concerning High-Speed Train....................................... 5-3 5.2.3 Conceptual Cross Sections .............................................................. 5-3 5.3 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES............................................................... 5-6 5.3.1 Category 1: No Realignment .......................................................... 5-6 5.3.2 Category 2: Parallel Realignment through Central Fresno .................. 5-7 5.3.3 Category 3: Western Bypass – Freight Geometry ............................. 5-8 5.3.4 Category 4: Western Bypass – High-Speed Train Geometry .............. 5-9 5.3.5 Category 5: Eastern Bypass – Freight Geometry ............................ 5-10 5.3.6 Category 6: Eastern Bypass – High-Speed Train Geometry ............. 5-12 5.3.7 Alternatives Considered and Rejected ............................................ 5-13 6.0 EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES .................................................................... 6-1 6.1 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 6-1 6.1.1 Level 1 Screening........................................................................... 6-1 6.1.2 Level 2 Analysis ............................................................................. 6-5 6.2 LEVEL 1 SCREENING RESULTS.................................................................... 6-5 6.2.1 Alternatives Carried Forward for Level 2 Analysis ............................ 6-11 6.3 LEVEL 2 ANALYSIS RESULTS .................................................................... 6-11 6.3.1 Purpose and Need........................................................................ 6-13 6.3.2 Capital Costs ..............................................................................