,/Ê-iÃVÊ,iÌÀvÌÊ*ÀiVÌ iÀiiÞÊÃÊ/ÕiÊÌÊÌ iÊÌ}iÀÞÊ-ÌÀiiÌÊ-Ì>ÌÊ 6," /Ê-- -- / 1°-°Ê i«>ÀÌiÌÊvÊ/À>ëÀÌ>Ì i`iÀ>Ê} Ü>ÞÊ`ÃÌÀ>Ì >`ÊÌ i -Ì>ÌiÊvÊ >vÀ>Ê i«>ÀÌiÌÊvÊ/À>ëÀÌ>Ì ÊV«iÀ>ÌÊÜÌ ÊÌ i ->ÊÀ>VÃVÊ >ÞÊÀi>Ê,>«`Ê/À>ÃÌÊ ÃÌÀVÌ Õ}ÕÃÌÊÓääx &42!.3 4/ 0/ %. 2 - 4! 4 4 2 )/ ! 0 . % $ 5 . )4 ! % )# $ 2 34 -% !4%3/&! BART Seismic Retrofit Project Berkeley Hills Tunnel to the Montgomery Street Station ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Submitted Pursuant to: 42 U.S.C. 4332 (2) (C) U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and the State of California Department of Transportation In cooperation with San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Date JANIE LAYTON Manager of Environmental Compliance San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Date JOANN CULLOM District 4 Office of Local Assistance California Department of Transportation Date GENE K. FONG Division Administrator Federal Highway Administration August 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY ..............................................................................................................................................S-1 S.1 Purpose of this Document.................................................................................................S-1 S.2 Project Summary ................................................................................................................S-1 S.3 Identification of Agency Roles .........................................................................................S-3 S.4 Purpose of the Project........................................................................................................S-4 S.5 Summary of Environmental Impacts ..............................................................................S-4 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................1-1 1.2 Location of Proposed Action ............................................................................................1-1 1.3 Description of the Existing BART System ......................................................................1-2 1.4 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Action ..............................................................1-6 2.0 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ........................................................................................................2-1 2.1 Alternative Development Process ...................................................................................2-1 2.2 Proposed Action.................................................................................................................2-1 2.2.1 Transbay Tube .......................................................................................................2-1 2.2.2 Transition Structures ..........................................................................................2-16 2.2.2.1 San Francisco Transition Structure ...................................................2-16 2.2.2.2 Oakland Transition Structure ............................................................2-33 2.2.3 Aerial Guideways ...............................................................................................2-34 2.2.4 Stations .................................................................................................................2-41 2.2.4.1 Rockridge Station ................................................................................2-42 2.2.4.2 MacArthur Station...............................................................................2-45 2.2.4.3 West Oakland Station .........................................................................2-45 2.2.5 Other Seismic Retrofit Activities.......................................................................2-46 2.2.6 Dredged Material Reuse/Disposal Options....................................................2-47 2.2.6.1 Dredged Material Reuse within the Project.....................................2-48 2.2.6.2 Dredged Material Reuse/Disposal Options outside the Project .............................................................................................2-50 2.2.7 Schedule................................................................................................................2-54 2.3 No-Action Alternative.....................................................................................................2-54 2.4 Design Variations Considered but Eliminated from Further Evaluation .........................................................................................................................2-56 2.4.1 Transbay Tube .....................................................................................................2-56 2.4.2 Transition Structures ..........................................................................................2-57 2.4.3 Aerial Guideways ...............................................................................................2-57 3.0 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT, IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION..........................................3.0-1 3.1 Water Resources ..............................................................................................................3.1-1 3.1.1 Existing Setting...................................................................................................3.1-1 3.1.1.1 San Francisco Bay Water Resources.................................................3.1-1 3.1.1.2 Upland Water Resources..................................................................3.1-4 3.1.2 Proposed Action.................................................................................................3.1-8 3.1.2.1 Factors for Evaluating Impacts.........................................................3.1-8 3.1.2.2 Impacts and Mitigation......................................................................3.1-8 BART Seismic Retrofit EA August 2005 i Table of Contents 3.1.2.3 Dredged Material Reuse/Disposal Impacts and Mitigation ..........................................................................................3.1-12 3.2 Noise .................................................................................................................................3.2-1 3.2.1 Existing Setting...................................................................................................3.2-1 3.2.1.1 Acoustical Fundamentals ..................................................................3.2-1 3.2.1.2 Existing Noise Environment.............................................................3.2-1 3.2.1.3 Noise Survey and Sensitive Receptor Identification .....................3.2-1 3.2.2 Proposed Action.................................................................................................3.2-7 3.2.2.1 Factors for Evaluating Impacts.........................................................3.2-7 3.2.2.2 Impacts and Mitigation......................................................................3.2-7 3.2.2.3 Dredged Material Reuse/Disposal Impacts and Mitigation ..........................................................................................3.2-14 3.3 Cultural Resources..........................................................................................................3.3-1 3.3.1 Existing Setting...................................................................................................3.3-1 3.3.1.1 Archaeological Resources..................................................................3.3-1 3.3.1.2 Historic Architectural Resources......................................................3.3-2 3.3.2 Proposed Action.................................................................................................3.3-4 3.3.2.1 Factors for Evaluating Impacts.........................................................3.3-4 3.3.2.2 Impacts and Mitigation......................................................................3.3-4 3.3.2.3 Dredged Material Reuse/Disposal Impacts and Mitigation ............................................................................................3.3-6 3.4 Transportation .................................................................................................................3.4-1 3.4.1 Traffic/Ground Transportation .......................................................................3.4-1 3.4.1.1 Existing Setting ...................................................................................3.4-1 3.4.1.2 Proposed Action ...............................................................................3.4-12 3.4.2 Vessel Transportation......................................................................................3.4-19 3.4.2.1 Existing Setting .................................................................................3.4-19 3.4.2.2 Proposed Action ...............................................................................3.4-23 3.5 Geology/Seismicity ........................................................................................................3.5-1 3.5.1 Existing Setting...................................................................................................3.5-1 3.5.1.1 Regional Geologic Setting .................................................................3.5-1 3.5.1.2 Regional Seismicity ............................................................................3.5-1 3.5.1.3 Geologic Conditions in the Project Area .........................................3.5-3