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REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />October 1, 2018 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Memorandum of Understanding to Complete a Caltrain Grade Separation Study for the <br />Whipple Avenue Crossing <br /> <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />By motion, authorize City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with <br />the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and the Caltrain Joint Powers Board to <br />complete a grade separation study in Redwood City <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />Redwood City has eight crossings of the Caltrain corridor noted on the Vicinity Map in <br />Attachment 1. Two have been grade separated already (Jefferson Avenue goes under <br />the tracks and Woodside Road goes over the tracks) and six crossings remain at-grade. <br />The Citywide Transportation Plan, RWCmoves, identified the evaluation of these six <br />locations as Signature Projects. As part of the community survey on the draft plan, the <br />Whipple Avenue Grade Separation was the second favorite project (behind the US <br />101/Woodside Road Interchange Improvements) with votes by 60% of the roughly 100 <br />survey respondents. <br /> <br />Redwood City - Past Work <br />In 2009, the San Mateo Transportation Authority (TA) completed the Grade Separation <br />Program Footprint Study for Redwood City. This study evaluated existing grade <br />crossings to identify all technically feasible grade separation alternatives. Each at-grade <br />crossing was evaluated independently, but the study also examined viable alternatives if <br />all of the crossings between Whipple and Maple were grade separated together <br />(“combined alternatives”). <br /> <br />The Footprint Study assumed the following constraints: <br />- Elevated alternatives meet Howard Avenue to the north <br />- Underground alternatives return to grade before Cordilleras Creek <br />- Redwood City’s train station remains at its current location <br />8.B. - Page 1