NCHRP 08-36, Task 109 Guidebook for Estimating the Cost of Non-Rail Infrastructure Upgrades due to Passenger Rail Implementation Bonnie Nelson, Founding Principal Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates 116 New Montgomery Street, Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94105 and Steve Wilson, Principal SRF Consulting Group, Inc. One Carlson Parkway North, Suite 150 Minneapolis, MN 55447-4443 September, 2012 The information contained in this report was prepared as part of NCHRP Project 08-36, Task 109, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). Special Note: This report IS NOT an official publication of the NCHRP, the Transportation Research Board or the National Academies. Acknowledgements This study was conducted for the AASHTO Standing Committee on Planning, with funding provided through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 08-36, Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee on Planning. The NCHRP is supported by annual voluntary contributions from the state Departments of Transportation. Project 08-36 is intended to fund quick response studies on behalf of the Standing Committee on Planning. The report was prepared by Bonnie Nelson, Founding Principal at Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates and Steve Wilson, Principal at SRF Consulting Group, Inc. The project was managed by Lori L. Sundstrom, NCHRP Senior Program Officer. Disclaimer The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board or its sponsoring agencies. This report has not been reviewed or accepted by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee or the Governing Board of the National Research Council. GUIDEBOOK FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF NON-RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE | 8-36, TASK 109 NCHRP Table of Contents Page 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................1-1 Key Issues Addressed in this Guidebook........................................................................................... 1-1 An Overview of Non-Rail Infrastructure and Agency Roles and Responsibilities ..................... 1-2 How to Use this Guidebook ................................................................................................................. 1-3 2 Planning for Non-Rail Infrastructure Related to Passenger Rail Implementation .............2-1 Passenger Rail Planning and Development Process........................................................................ 2-1 Systems Planning .................................................................................................................................... 2-8 Alternatives Analysis (AA)/Planning and Environmental Processes ............................................. 2-8 Preliminary Engineering (PE) ................................................................................................................ 2-9 Final Design ........................................................................................................................................... 2-10 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 2-10 3 Non-Rail Infrastructure Related to Passenger Rail Rights-of-Way ...................................3-1 Impacts Due to Rail Rights-of-Way .................................................................................................... 3-2 Exclusive Rights-of-Way ....................................................................................................................... 3-2 Case Study: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Jennings Avenue Grade Separation ............................................................................................................................................................. 3-3 Case Study: City of Fremont Grade Separation and BART Warm Springs Extension ...... 3-4 Segregated Rights-of-Way ................................................................................................................ 3-5 Case Study: SMART Integrated Signal System in Downtown San Rafael, Santa Rosa and Petaluma ............................................................................................................................................ 3-7 Case Study: Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) East Rail Line and Peoria Street Grade Separation ........................................................................................................................... 3-8 Shared Rights-of-Way ....................................................................................................................... 3-11 Case Study: Portland Streetcar Loop Project ........................................................................... 3-12 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 3-17 4 Non-Rail Infrastructure Related to Rail Stations ...............................................................4-1 Rail Station Access ................................................................................................................................. 4-1 Determining Station Access Priorities ................................................................................................. 4-2 Case Study: BART Station Access Guidelines and Station Profile Studies ........................... 4-4 Station Access Infrastructure Improvements ...................................................................................... 4-7 Case Study: Denver RTD East Rail Line Peoria-Smith Station ................................................ 4-11 Case Study: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Improvements ................................................................................................. 4-13 Case Study: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) North Santa Rosa Station Area Specific Plan Transit Improvements ............................................................................................. 4-18 Station Area Planning and Development ........................................................................................ 4-19 Case Study: City of San Rafael Downtown Station Area Plan (SMART) ............................ 4-20 Case Study: Peoria-Smith Station Area Plan ............................................................................ 4-24 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 4-28 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | i GUIDEBOOK FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF NON-RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE | 8-36, TASK 109 NCHRP Appendices Appendix A: Non-Rail Infrastructure Cost Estimates and Considerations Appendix B: Station Area Planning Case Studies Appendix C: Additional Resources for Rail Station Access and Station Area Planning Guideline Table of Figures Page Figure 1-1 Agency Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................................... 1-3 Figure 2-1 Summary of Rail Project Planning and Development Process...................................... 2-4 Figure 3-1 Typical Impacts and Non-Rail Infrastructure Needs for Exclusive Rail Rights-of-Way ....................................................................................................................... 3-5 Figure 3-2 Typical Impacts and Non-Rail Infrastructure Needs for Segregated Rail Rights-of- Way ........................................................................................................................................ 3-9 Figure 3-3 Relocation and Improvement of Bicycle Facilities Necessitated by the Portland Streetcar Loop Project ....................................................................................................... 3-13 Figure 3-4 Typical Impacts and Non-Rail Infrastructure Needs for Shared Rail Rights-of-Way ..................................................................................................................... 3-15 Figure 4-1 Average Distance to Rail Station by Access Mode ........................................................ 4-2 Figure 4-2 BART Access Hierarchy ........................................................................................................ 4-4 Figure 4-3 Home Locations of BART Passengers Boarding at El Cerrito Del Norte Station ...... 4-5 Figure 4-4 Non-Home Locations of BART Passengers Boarding at 16th Street Mission Station 4-6 Figure 4-5 Project Types and Typical Agency Roles ......................................................................... 4-8 Figure 4-6 Near-Term Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Improvements in the Peoria-Smith Station Area ......................................................................................................................... 4-12 Figure 4-7 Shady Grove Metrorail Station – Issues and Observations ....................................... 4-14 Figure 4-8 Aerial View of Shady Grove MetroRail Station .......................................................... 4-15 Figure 4-9 Shady Grove Field Assessment Diagram ....................................................................... 4-16 Figure 4-10 Shady Grove Metrorail Station – Infrastructure Recommendations ......................... 4-17 Figure 4-11 Downtown San