Design of Quiet Zone Improvements at Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road crossings

The City of Palo Alto is soliciting proposals from qualified design and engineering professionals to provide Plans, Specifications, and Engineer’s Estimates (PS&E) for the construction of Quiet Zone improvements at three existing at-grade railroad crossings along the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), also known as Caltrain. The proposed Quiet Zone will ultimately include all four at-grade rail crossings within the City.

The scope of services includes preparation of construction documents, technical specifications, and cost estimates, as well as coordination and securing required approvals from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), PCJPB/Caltrain, and Union Pacific Railroad, as applicable, for the establishment or amendment of a Quiet Zone.

Consultant Qualifications

The preferred Consultant team shall demonstrate experience and expertise in the following areas:

• Rail corridor and at-grade crossing design
• Railroad signal timing, preemption, and interconnect systems including Positive Train Control (PTC) and wireless crossing systems
• Design of railroad improvements, including gate arms, signal equipment, signal cabinets, and interconnections
• Civil engineering design related to roadway, pedestrian, and utility improvements
• Community outreach, stakeholder coordination, and public meeting facilitation

Background:

The City of Palo Alto is soliciting proposals from qualified consulting firms to provide professional services for the implementation of a railroad Quiet Zone at existing at-grade crossings along the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), also known as Caltrain. The proposed Quiet Zone will include all four at-grade rail crossings within the City.

The City previously engaged a consultant to conduct an initial study to identify required improvements and to develop conceptual plans necessary to establish a Quiet Zone along the Caltrain corridor. This Quiet Zone study is included as Attachment A. The study identified and council approved staff to proceed with four quadrant gate systems at the following three crossings in order to establish a Quiet Zone along the entire corridor within the City:

• Churchill Avenue (USDOT No. 754998E)
• Meadow Drive (USDOT No. 755010S)
• Charleston Road (USDOT No. 755011Y)

In addition, a separate study was previously conducted in coordination with the City of Menlo Park for the at-grade crossing at Palo Alto Avenue (Alma Street) (USDOT No. 754992N). Since completion of that study, the City has designed and constructed the identified improvements and is currently in the final stages of Quiet Zone implementation at this crossing. Improvements at this location primarily included installation of a non-traversable median island, signage, and pavement striping. The improvement plans for this effort are included as Attachment B.