Stop, Drop and Roll

27 September 2007 | Alameda Community, Tranpsortation | John Knox White

First off, this should have been called “down by the station” but you work with the naming convention what brung ya.

I’ve put together a map for this issue, without it, it’s terribly complicated.

CalTrans will be retrofitting the I-880 overpass at 5th Street. As a part of that project, in order to bring the freeway up to current standards, the freeway will be widened to include shoulders, etc. All good, right?

Unfortunately, the widening will make the existing Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks that run on the South side of I-880 alongside Embarcadero (the yellow line) unusable. Currently these tracks are used at least twice a day to pick up/drop off materials at the Con Agra and Cemex plants which are located at the end of the Park Street Bridge.

So obviously, this freeway widening stops the UPRR’s ability to use this spur (train-speak for side-track or siding). But it’s not a problem, because CalTrans and UPRR worked out a solution! And being the considerate entities that they are, they didn’t want to waste the time of the cities of Oakland and Alameda, so they just brokered a deal without involving anyone (we’re not sure what it was) so that CalTrans’ freeway widening can proceed.

The problem is, the solution is for UPRR to start using the tracks that run along Fruitvale Ave and down Glascock, crossing 29th Ave at the foot of the Park Street Bridge (the blue line). The plan is for UPRR to install crossing arms at the foot of the Park Street bridge so that they can stop traffic a minimum of twice a day to bring the trains in and out of the businesses.

Despite the fact that the rails haven’t been use, these tracks are considered “active,” something that the new homeowners along Glascock seem surprised about. These crossing gates would also back traffic up onto the Park Street Bridge, a concern for the county, and boaters who may need to get through.

It is absolutely amazing that it didn’t occur to CalTrans to include either of the cities that are directly impacted by this decision. Like the issue of the lighting in the tubes, where CalTrans higher-ups come to public meetings to talk about the issue and are clearly unaware of any of the details, one has to wonder whether it occurs to them that their decisions have impacts. CalTrans has a historical perception of being unresponsive and incredibly bureaucratic. Over the past few years, that was starting to change. After watching their bumbling of the Posey Tube lighting issue, and now their absolute disregard to the cities that are impacted by their decision, one has to wonder if this change in perception isn’t more PR than on-the-ground fact.

I’ll leave you with the “call to action” from Councilmember Wan:

Ken Quan noticed construction equipment out there on Glascock today ready to close off Glascock in order to expand the rail tracks. This is all without any notification to the residents. None of us know whether we can even get out of our driveways during construction or whether cars can even move on Glascock after the expanded rail tracks go in. The City of Alameda doesn’t even know when and how often its residents can expect to be stuck behind rail trains while trying to cross the Park Street Bridge (in addition to waiting to the boats to cross under the draw bridge). OUTRAGEOUS!

I talked to De La Fuente’s office, the office of the City Attorney and am attempting to get ahold of Senator Perata’s office.

Please CALL ALL of them!

De La Fuente: 238-7005

City Attorney John Russo: 238.3601 to urge his office to use every legal means to stop Union Pacific

State Senator Don Perata (Bernice Herrera): 286-1333 to demand that Cal Trans (California Department of Transportation) stop this project.

Tell them that the use of residential streets for train movement right outside our front doors is unacceptable. Tell them allowing trains to block the heavy traffic already traveling on 29th Avenue to the Park Street Bridge into and out of Alameda is madness. Tell them doing all this WITHOUT ANY NOTICE to the residents, neighborhood or the City of Alameda is outrageous!!

Here is what I know of the FACTS

Cal Trans is doing a “seismic retrofit” of 880 that involve significant widening of the freeway (why the freeway needs to be widened, I do not know) in such a way that it would render Union Pacific unable to operate its existing spur rail line that supplies shipments to the Con Agra and Cemex factories on the west side of 29th Avenue. SO, CAL-TRANS is condemning UP’s spur rail line and telling UP to use the “alternative” supply rail line. Well, the “alternative” line is the one that runs through Fruitvale, Glascock and acroos 29th Avenue to the factories. I guess in Cal-Trans and UP’s world, there is no such thing as notification to residents and people who are affected.

Danny Wan