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SMART looks at street realignment, potential transit center relocation

By Stephanie Weldy, Marin Independent Journal
POSTED: 01/20/16

With planning for the SMART commuter train’s extension into Larkspur underway, the San Rafael council heard a report this week about the need to realign West Francisco Boulevard and to relocate all or part of the San Rafael Transit Center.

An update was provided at Tuesday’s council meeting on the work being done for the first phase of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, from Santa Rosa to downtown San Rafael, and the more laborious efforts still required for the Larkspur addition.

“I think that we’re making good progress and frankly we need to, because the train is going to start running at the end of the year,” said Mayor Gary Phillips. “I’m most interested in the longer term plan for the relocation of the transit center and we’re quite a ways from having that resolved. That’s the one that’s more important because the community is willing to put up with some disruption, but not indefinitely.”

The way West Francisco Boulevard is situated, the roadway intersects existing rail crossings at two points. Once SMART is extended to Larkspur, the junctions could become problematic, said Kevin McGowan, the city’s assistant public works director and city engineer. SMART and city officials are collaborating to rid the intersection of the rail line with Irwin Street, directly off of West Francisco Boulevard West, and at another crossing farther north.

“It’s generally safety driven for motorists and cyclists,” said Bill Gamlen, SMART’s chief engineer. “By flipping the roadway alignment, we can eliminate two at-grade crossings, off of Second Street and the Irwin (Street) crossing.”

The roadway will be rebuilt slightly south to clear it from touching the rail line from Second Street through Rice Drive. SMART officials are in the early engineering phase of the realignment project, and cost estimates are not yet known. It was originally said SMART would fund the project, but officials are still sorting through those details, Gamlen said.

With a rail line running through the San Rafael Transit Center, SMART and city officials — along with involved transit groups — are also working to determine what needs to be done to keep the center functional once work for the SMART expansion begins. The rail line will replace four to five bus bays at the center, which is owned by the Golden Gate Bridge district, said Stephanie Lovette, San Rafael’s economic development manager. With 9,000 people a day passing through the center, the goal is to keep it usable at all times, she said.

“The question is where we put that and whether or not we should look at replacing the whole transit center, which is not entirely compromised, but the functionality of it is altered a little bit,” Lovette said.

In a joint effort, all involved groups are in the middle of a study looking at options. The study is expected to wrap up no later than April. Options that have come to light through the study include moving affected bus stops.

“There are some options to move those four to five bus bays onto city streets for some amount of time until long-term options for the transit center are redeveloped,” she said.

Options for complete relocation are being explored and sites are being pinpointed that could best accommodate the center. The estimated cost for interim solutions while construction is underway could run from $3 million to $4.5 million, Lovette said, with the entire project potentially running upwards of $20 million.

A contract to design a portion of the SMART extension, along with building it, is expected to be solicited for bids in early 2017, with construction anticipated to begin during the summer of 2017, according to SMART officials.