CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION

September 26, 2002

PRESENT: Council Members Campos, Chavez, Cortese, LeZotte, Reed, Yeager; Gonzales.

ABSENT: Dando, Diquisto, Shirakawa, Jr., Williams.

STAFF: City Manager Del D. Borgsdorf, City Clerk Pat O’Hearn, and Legislative Secretary Rachel Thrower.

Documents Filed: Hard copies of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) staff presentation on the BART Extension to Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara.

SILICON VALLEY RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDOR TUNNELING OF THE BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT (BART) TO SAN JOSÉ The meeting was called to order at 11:12 a.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall

Mayor Gonzales called the meeting to order and stated the purpose of the Study Session was for Council to hear a presentation by City Staff and Staff of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) regarding a BART extension to Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara and, specifically, the tunneling process through downtown at some point.

Jim Helmer, Acting Director of Transportation, explained the presentation is primarily to discuss the construction techniques that will be used for the tunneling program involving the City of San Jose on the BART extension project – the Santa Clara and Milpitas sections will not involve tunneling. He stated that because of the tunneling and the portal construction techniques for the three downtown stations, plus one additional station near downtown, there is a lot of community interest in the project. He indicated it is important to note that the VTA team has worked very closely with the BART team, the other local cities involved, the Department of Transportation Staff, San Jose Redevelopment Agency Staff, and the Public Works and Planning teams, and that the VTA has begun a very active community outreach program to develop the route and primary station selections.

Jack Collins, Chief of Construction for the VTA Team, explained the project would run from BART in Warm Springs, with stations in Milpitas, four stations in downtown San Jose, all underground, a four-mile tunnel in downtown San Jose, and come out in portal stations on Santa Clara Street with connection to an Airport people mover over to the Mineta San Jose International Airport. He indicated the schedule is in the environmental analysis phase, and Staff hopes to have a draft environmental document in circulation by March 2003, public hearings on

the document in summer 2003, finalize some alternatives still being studied in terms of the Alum Rock station and the downtown Diridon station, make decisions in late 2003, finalize the document and take it back to the VTA Board to certify the environmental document by Spring 2004. He added that parallel with the conceptual engineering, Staff will compile information on what San Jose wants to include the environmental document. He reported that preliminary engineering would probably start in summer 2003, final design, if the project is approved and receives a record of decision from the VTA, in mid-2004, with construction starting 2005 through 2012. He explained BART will run in a twin tube subway four miles long, and tunnel entrances, or portals, are where BART transitions from surface to underground and are planned in the vicinity of Highway 101 and Mayberry, with the second one near I880 and the Airport. As part of the slide presentation, he provided the tunnel construction overview - tunnel boring machine technology, San Jose soft ground conditions, sample tunnel boring machines, earth pressure balance, and tunnels built with Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machines. He noted the contract price closed at 7% above the low bid price for installing the tunnel, which is a record when compared to averages of 50-70% above most bid prices for other tunnels installed in other cities.

Regarding tunnels that have been built using the same technology, Council Member Chavez asked if different companies were used or just one company. Mr. Collins responded that typically the VTA would buy the tunnel boring machine, prequalify and spec the machine, award to the lowest qualified bid, deliver the machine to the site; install the package, and liner, and finish the tunnel. Council Member Chavez asked if it is common for an entity to buy the machine and put together a team to install the tunnel. Mr. Collins responded that it was very successful this way in Toronto, but that some contracts have the contractor buy the machine. He added that the machine can be refurbished after completion of a project and be sold. Mr. Collins continued with his slide presentation, Tunnel Portals – example of portal; Cut and Cover Portal Construction – excavation and transport; Tunnel Portal Activity – access shaft, excavation process, soil removal, and liner installation.

Mayor Gonzales asked if plans are to bore both holes at the same time or do one at each end and meet in the middle. Mr. Collins responded that this has not yet been worked out. Council Member LeZotte stated that she understood Staff has not yet identified a site for disposal of the “muck” and asked if there is a cause for concern that it may be contaminated. Mr. Collins responded that he believes there would be no problem with the quality of the material in terms of disposal. Mayor Gonzales asked if the disposal of dirt could be marketed for agricultural purposes. Mr. Collins responded that this is a possibility, or it could be used for low areas that need filling.

Council Member Reed asked how much space is needed at each of the portals for construction lay down, staging, etc.; for example, part of the Flea Market property in his district is being used for a parking structure and would the lay down construction be less than the land needed for the parking structure. Mr. Collins responded that it would be less but could be used as a storage site while constructing the tunnel. Regarding the pre-cast tunnel structural elements, Council Member Reed asked if they would be cast at the site or brought in. Mr. Collins responded that he believes the contractor would want to locate in San Jose to set up a plant close to the portal tunnel so as not to have to haul material around the city. Council Member Reed suggested that Staff look at the Flea Market site, as it is fairly close which would minimize hauling. Regarding the worker safety component, Council Member Chavez asked for an explanation of the “key” that locks the pre-cast into place. Mr. Collins explained that the “key” is the last piece to go in to create a concrete ring, then the machine pushes off the ring as it advances into the tunnel alignment. Continuing with the slide presentation, Mr. Collins provided the Station Overview – downtown San Jose subway section, examples of BART subway stations, station box; Station Construction Overview – construction techniques, cut and cover, cut and cover construction sequence - 38 months; Cut and Cover Station Construction – utility relocation - 9 months, walls and decking - 6 months, excavation and bracing – 6 months, station construction - 16 months, fill and restoration - 3 months.

Referring to page 29, Mayor Gonzales pointed out that while the station box is 1,000 feet long, the actual platform is about 700 feet, resulting in quite a distance between stairs; however, it really is going to serve three or four streets on each side and is within walking distance to many more streets. Mr. Collins emphasized that the mezzanine level is a critical connection. He noted that if it is not known where a connection might be for future development, a frame can be made for a future portal and blocked off, so whenever development occurs or a change is made, the portal is there for construction.

Using Santa Clara Street as an example for timelines, Council Member Cortese asked if all stations would be built concurrently or one at a time on the critical path. Mr. Collins responded that they would be done concurrently; however, the project will be broken into several packages so contractors can bid on more than one package and as many people as possible can be on the project. He added that all four stations would be started within the first year in some stage. Council Member Cortese expressed concern with underground techniques, as the ground water level is very high, particularly in downtown, and asked how that problem would be resolved. Mr. Collins responded that there is concern about the water level but Staff is being very careful on what technology would be used to try and avoid those problems; however, during winter storms the water would be pumped into storm sewers or tanks. Council Member Cortese asked if Staff was going out and boring to determine where the challenges are. Mr. Collins responded that Staff has collected geological information to include in the environmental study for projects downtown.

Mr. Collins continued with the slide presentation – Construction Staging Scenarios - cut and cover station construction, option 1: two lanes open on Santa Clara Street, about six months, option 2: Santa Clara Street closed. He noted that by closing Santa Clara Street, it would save about three months of construction; however, this option would impact traffic and businesses. He continued with the slide presentation – Construction Schedule Comparison - two lanes open vs. Santa Clara Street closure.

Mayor Gonzales asked what are the assumptions of the work schedule. Mr. Collins responded that the schedule is typically a 40-hour workweek.

Council Member Yeager asked what portion of Santa Clara Street and Market Street would be closed. Mr. Collins responded that a 1,000-foot section for the station would be needed on Santa Clara Street between Seventh and Fourth Streets, with traffic detoured around the area, and Market Street from First Street to Almaden Boulevard. He added that the areas with the biggest impact would be around the station locations. Council Member Yeager asked about the Diridon station. Mr. Collins responded that because of the parking lot at Montgomery, there would probably be a deck built and the street kept open. Council Member Yeager noted that there is a lot of construction at the same time, with 34-38 months of street closure. Mr. Collins stated that an alternative to that would be to get decking on as soon as possible and open the streets, which could limit the closures to 12-18 months, then the station is constructed underneath the decking. Council Member Yeager asked if it was the same timeline for the entire strategy or is there a way to determine how long any portion of Santa Clara Street will be closed, or all of it closed, or two lanes at the same time. Mr. Collins responded that these options will be included in the environmental document, but if the plan is to complete the project by 2012 the stations will have to be built in parallel.

Council Member Reed indicated that he is trying to figure out the way to put the least number of businesses out of business, and asked what would happen to sidewalks during construction. Mr. Collins responded that there would be fencing to keep pedestrians from the construction site, but sidewalks might have to be closed periodically. Council Member Reed asked for an estimate of how many months there might not be pedestrian traffic. Mr. Collins responded that the plan is to keep the sidewalks open all the time, but Staff does not have all the final designs and they do not know what is under the sidewalk.

Council Member LeZotte asked where is the construction and/or Santa Clara light rail in all of this. Mr. Collins responded that this is still in the planning phase, but he believes Staff is looking at extending Capital to Eastridge as the first phase and then having downtown phase open near the same time BART is opening. Council Member LeZotte asked where is the confluence of construction; while underground and closing off the street, is light rail on Santa Clara Street being constructed at the same time. Mr. Collins responded that he did not know the exact schedule for the Santa Clara construction; probably once the street are restored, if it needs to be the trackway for light rail or whatever is selected as the option along there, it could be done at that time. Regarding impact on businesses, Council Member LeZotte expressed concern that if two construction projects are back to back, then the street closure would be longer than 36 months. Mr. Collins responded that it would be longer if the project is proceeding on that same track.

Mr. Collins proceeded with the slide presentation – Station Construction Techniques - mined station, ground improvement method; cut and cover vs. mined ground improvement. He indicated that he would not recommend mined stations as this method presents a great risk to construction.

Mayor Gonzales asked why this option was used elsewhere, given those issues. Mr. Collins responded that there were different conditions and scope of project.

Council Member Chavez asked if there were only two options. Mr. Collins responded that he does not know of any other mining technique that could be used for underground stations, and that the soil is unsafe to use a freezing technique. Regarding the disruption issue, Council Member Chavez stated that she knows in the end that these projects will be helpful to downtown and its livability; but she expressed concern about the lack of options as it relates to cut and cover construction in the downtown, and particularly if the light rail alternative is selected and not a trolley alternative in the Core.

Council Member Reed noted the maximum size of the tunnel is about 15 meters and asked if the tunnel could be drilled big enough to put a station in it. Mr. Collins explained that this should not happen for a number of reasons, particularly because of the mezzanine level and wanting to connect that to activity centers and businesses in the downtown - that is the big advantage - so the station should not be small. Mr. Collins continued with the slide presentation – Construction Mitigation - range of impacts and mitigation options, construction mitigation process, targeted project schedule, key decision points; Next Steps - environmental review phase, targeted schedule; Targeted Project Schedule. Mayor Gonzales stated that it would be helpful for the Council and the community to think about the BART project and how overall it will benefit the community.

Regarding construction impact mitigation, Council Member Cortese stated that he believes when VTA uses the term “working with the City,” it seems that the City Council at some time needs to approve the construction impact mitigation plan and asked if that was being contemplated by agency Staff. Mr. Collins responded that this was a good idea, and that it was better for VTA to be able to enforce mitigation standards if spelled out in the contract. Council Member Cortese stated that he was trying to imagine what would happen during the nine-month period for utility relocation and to what extent the Redevelopment Agency and City Council Members should delay any building projects along the corridor to avoid the need for mitigation. Mr. Collins responded that Staff will be getting more information during the conceptual design stage as to what is there and then will overlay the station footprint to determine if there is any conflict with the design; and that Staff will look at minimizing disruption of utility lines as much as possible. Dennis Korbiak, RDA, stated that Staff is already looking at the issue of minimizing the long-term impact and agreed to set up a team of Staff to review all utility issues. In regard to private buildings, he explained that there will be public meetings and meetings with all major property owners on Santa Clara Street to discuss their long-range plans, the station entrances, and utility issues; and that they will be ongoing for the next year.

Council Member Cortese recommended that, at some point, the Council should review the internal policy and get information on a case-by-case basis. He added that there needs to be a line item that speaks to the articulation of the future BART project on every RDA project near this corridor; and from Council district standpoint, every land use issue that comes through the process. He indicated that someone needs to make a decision and asked if the Council wants to allow a developer to build and provide utility hookups to existing lines and then possibly come back and tear them out. He added that the Council may want to do that, but needs to make a conscious decision about those kinds of things.

Mayor Gonzales agreed that this category should be added to relevant projects that will impact or adjoin future rail projects with some type of analysis.

Regarding the community outreach plan, Council Member Campos asked if there had been any outreach as yet. Lisa Ives, VTA, responded that there has been extensive outreach – open houses, meetings with property owners – and it will be continued. She added that Staff is updating the outreach plan and will bring it back to Council. Mr. Collins added that VTA has a policy of providing public outreach on construction projects and will assign multiple people as liaisons to businesses; and that this has worked well in the past.

Council Member Yeager asked if Staff had documented what was learned from the Transit Mall process in San Jose, and suggested that it would be good to review any available material. Regarding outreach and construction mitigation processes, Council Member Reed recommended going back and talking to “survivors” of the Transit Mall project, and also talk to “survivors” of the Capital Avenue project. He indicated that the outreach for the Capital Avenue line was extensive, but people were still complaining after the project outcome. He stated that to be able to reach people, Staff has to look at different methods, particularly downtown because of more pedestrian traffic. He added that it is also important how construction people respond. He stated that he believes there is no way to mitigate construction impacts along Santa Clara Street and the City will have to accept the fact that those businesses will be out of business - he hopes this is not true as San Jose needs the BART station. He noted a comment was made that VTA is considering combining Market Street and Civic Plaza into one station. Mr. Collins responded that a decision was made in May that the Market Street station would remain.

Council Member Chavez commented she is not ready to concede that all businesses will be lost along the route, and that is part of the reason to push for all possibilities regarding construction strategy; that of looking for options, while being mindful of worker safety and cost, is that the City has a huge investment both public and private along the route, particularly downtown, and she would like to see the enhancement of public and private investments added to the list of Council’s goals, as benchmarks and parameters. She stated that this is particularly important because one of the challenges the City of San Jose will have with VTA is whose responsibility it is to pay for betterments; and that the earlier the decision is made, the easier it will be for everyone to go to work and bring whatever resources needed to the table to protect and enhance the City’s investments. Regarding incorporating construction mitigation plans into contractual documents, she stated that she believes it is critical for a number of reasons, one being that the VTA has demonstrated an ability to work well with the community for the most part; but BART needs to be very disciplined about incorporating what their expectations are in the documents. She added that she believes City Staff and the RDA need to work more closely Downtown East Valley Board or devise with their own mechanism to hammer out final points; and that she will be looking at opportunities to be more collaborative. Mr. Collins explained that Staff is doing everything they can in designs to avoid putting businesses out of business, and the key is to get the deck panels down and construction can go on, and businesses can go on; which minimizes the length of time traffic is disrupted.

Mayor Gonzales stated that he believes it is important to keep a long-term vision in mind, but the City can learn from experiences in terms of existing businesses through hard economic times. He added that it might be valuable to visit some locations that have gone through this process already, such as Toronto or Los Angeles, and talk to policy makers and businesses.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Ross Signorino spoke on the issue.

The Council of the City of San José recessed the Study Session at 12:50 p.m.

PATRICIA L. O’HEARN, CITY CLERK