Transportation Planner Wrote:
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> SMART participated in the first ever Caltrans
> Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study
> for SR 37 and is now part of the MOUs amongst the
> North Bay transportation authorities, MTC, and
> Caltrans. But a PEL is a FHWA process and SMART
> was a bit of an after thought since the focus was
> on selecting a preferred alignment for the
> long-term highway and a type (on fill vs causeway
> structure).
>
> However, other than making a big deal about the
> need to do something about the existing flooding
> near the Ignacio Wye, they really haven't done
> much studies other than some renderings of a tail
> causeway next to the future SR 37 causeway.
>
> The entire SMART mainline needs to elevated on
> fill between the US 101 Franklin Overhead and the
> Bel Marin Keys Overhead. That would also provide
> flood protection for US 101 and the shopping
> center and hospital in Novato. But that will also
> require replacing all of the 37/101 connector
> ramps at a higher elevation to maintain vertical
> clearance above the tracks and to tie into the SR
> 37 Novato Creek bridge replacement that's in the
> PS&E phase now as the first phase of the long-term
> Resilient SR 37 Program. Still short a lot of
> funds for the bridge replacement since Caltrans
> has competing interests in the SHOPP, not to
> mention getting the causeway all the way to
> Atherton Drive.
>
> All SMART has right now is their East-West
> feasibility study done in 2019 (that didn't look
> at SLR). Caltrans HQ Planning is working on a bare
> bones PSR for SMART right now before they start
> working on the $500k Corridor ID funds awarded by
> FRA. No funds identified for environmental or
> design though, and getting to Healdsburg and
> Cloverdale remains SMART's priority.
>
> The big question is whether SMART will stay on
> their existing alignment past Sears Point up to
> Schellville, or switch to parallel the SR 37
> alignment to Mare Island and possibly tie into the
> existing California Northern tracks at the SR
> 29/37 interchange (as envisioned by Caltrana HQ).
> Another option could be to use the existing Mare
> Island causeway bridge and the existing City of
> Vallejo owned spur line, which could provide some
> possibilities like a new wye with a connection
> down Mare Island Way to the Vallejo ferry terminal
> close to downtown, and a second Vallejo station
> platform at the Sereno Transfer Center bus station
> close to the Vallejo Kaiser Medical Center.
>
> But getting UPRR approval to use the California
> Northern to Suisun/Fairfield (or even all the way
> to Sacramento in DRMT's pipedreams) will be hard
> sell without a lot of capacity improvements.

Thanks for this actual "adult" content on AP on the various studies and proposed projects to deal with this problem.