Alviso Wetland Railroad Adaptation Alternatives Study

SB1 Adaptation Planning Grant: Final Case Study

Summary

The Alviso Wetland Railroad Adaptation Alternatives Study evaluated possible adaptation alternatives for the railroad infrastructure in the Alviso wetland area, according to broad objectives of increased climate change resiliency, increased train capacity, minimized environmental disturbance, natural habitat restoration, and protected/endangered species preservation. In addition to improving the resiliency of the rail transportation network in the Bay Area, another potential benefit of a future railroad adaptation project in the Alviso wetland area is better flood protection for the communities in and adjacent the project area, as the project touches upon the shoreline levee system proposed by the South Bay Shoreline Study (led by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). The project area of the Alternatives Study is located within and adjacent to disadvantaged communities, as defined by SB 535, and to Low-Income Communities, as defined by AB 1550, and these communities will benefit from a future railroad adaptation project through access to improved intercity and commuter rail services and better access to a nearby wetland and wildlife refuge that functions more naturally. The Study was initiated in May 2018 and was completed in February 2020. Various types of stakeholders were engaged throughout the Study process, including the local community, public agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. The final Study report presents multiple preliminary railroad adaptation concepts and alignments along with comparisons across criteria, including travel time, complexity, cost, and footprint, and identifies future work needed to further engage with stakeholders and refine adaptation concepts.

Lead Agency and Partnerships

The lead agency of the Alternatives Study was the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, the managing agency of the Capitol Corridor intercity passenger rail service. Major stakeholders of the project included the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (who manages the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge), the Citizens’ Committee to Complete the Refuge (an umbrella organization for concerned citizens as well as NGOs who have an interest in enhancing the Refuge), and the Alviso Neighborhood Group/Water Task Force (a group representing citizens in the Alviso community). Stakeholders were engaged throughout the Study via regular meetings, where project progress was shared and feedback solicited.

Drivers

The vulnerability of the railroad infrastructure in the Alviso wetland area to sea level rise was already known based on preliminary modeling done by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) as part of the Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) Program. As an early active participant of the ART Program, CCJPA has been aware of the need for adaptation of the railroad infrastructure in the Alviso wetland area, and the SB1 Caltrans Adaptation Planning Grant offered the perfect opportunity to take the first step in a long-term project to increase resiliency of the Capitol Corridor train service.

Engagement Process

The Study engaged key stakeholders throughout the entire duration of the project by holding regular meetings with them to share progress and receive feedback. The meetings offered opportunity for mutual sharing of technical assistance and education between the project team and the stakeholders on matters of railroad engineering, train operations, local community characteristics, wetland and habitat restoration, and species conservation, among others. A key lesson learned from the engagement process is that all stakeholders appreciated the early outreach and collaborative approach taken by the Study.

Climate Impact Area

The Study responds to the climate impacts of flooding related to permanent sea level rise and to temporary storm surge. Preliminary GIS analysis of the area indicate that sections of the railroad infrastructure will be inundated at just 0-3 feet of flooding, so adaptation alternatives would involve elevating the railroad tracks to increase resilience against future flooding. To minimize disturbance on the natural wetland habitat and to build its resilience against future sea level rise, shallow-grade embankments (or ecotones) can be designed in conjunction with elevated railroad tracks to provide additional habitat or areas where species can retreat.

Funding Source

Research and Data

Throughout the Study, inundation data produced by the BCDC ART Program were used to understand risk and extent of local inundation.

Challenges

The major challenge of the Study was to develop adaptation concepts that were both feasible from a railroad engineering perspective and acceptable from a habitat and species protection perspective. The Alviso wetlands are a sensitive ecological habitat, and identifying transportation infrastructure, as well as construction methods for infrastructure, that can be situated in the environment without exerting negative impacts on the ecological functions of the habitat is one of the core questions explored in the Alternatives Study. The preliminary concepts were developed to strike a balance, albeit without any cost constraints.

Another challenge encountered was how to deal with conflicting stakeholder goals, where the effects of the potential adaptation project (construction of infrastructure and operations of more frequent trains) impacted stakeholders differently. Acknowledging these challenges upfront and meeting them sensitively in future railroad adaptation projects in the Alviso area will be critical for future success.

Outcomes

The final project deliverable is a final report that summarizes different preliminary adaptation concepts and alignments, and includes recommendations of next steps. A valuable outcome of the Study is the development of working relationships between CCJPA and the stakeholders, which will be very important to maintain as the Alviso railroad adaptation project concept develops further. The next step for CCJPA is to evaluate the feasibility of an adaptation project as envisioned in the Study in the context of the long-term vision of Capitol Corridor service and to identify funding opportunities that can support additional engineering studies of some of the preliminary concepts in the Study.

Replicability

The adaptation concepts explored and the discussions with natural resource management agencies and other project stakeholders should be highly relevant for other communities that have vulnerable railroad infrastructure in a sensitive ecological environment. Preserving both transportation assets and ecological assets simultaneously is likely an issue that many other communities in coastal areas will need to address. Improving flood protection for nearby communities as a co-benefit for improving transportation assets is also a very relevant strategy for other urban adaptation projects.

Additional Resources 

San Francisco Bay Conservation Development Commission (BCDC) – Adapting to Rising Tides Program

Further Information