HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10051993 - X.1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Tom Powers, Supervisor, District I
DATE: October 5, 1993
SUBJECT: Interstate 80 High Occupancy Vehicle Lane project, West County area.
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) &BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
I. Recommended Action:
9
REAFFIRM Contra Costa County's support of the Interstate 80 High Occupancy Vehicle lane
(1-80 HOV) project,and REQUEST the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
grant a permit to Caltrans for the construction of the High Occupancy Vehicle flyover structure
at the Bay Bridge distribution structure.
DIRECT Supervisor Jeff Smith, the County's representative on the Bay Conservation and
Development Commission, to vote in support of the project.
DIRECT Supervisors Tom Torlakson and Sunne McPeak to bring this issue to the Contra Costa
Transportation Authority (OCTA) at its regular meeting on October 6, 1993 and request the
CCTA Board of Directors to adopt a resolution in support of the project.
DIRECT Supervisor Tom Powers, using his office as the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission Commissioner, to bring Caltrans and BCDC together to resolve this issue.
11. Financial Impact:
None
Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE:
_ RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
_ RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON tjadt, u, ,$ 9 9.3 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED ly OTHER_
.l
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT )
AYES:t,zr. Liz 4:C NOES: LZ
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
MMS:drg
c:BO\hov180 I hereby certify that this Is a true and correct c::;:y �)i
an action taken and entered on the minutes of the
Orig. Div: Public Works (Administration) Board of Supervlso n t e to shown.
Contact: Maurice Shiu-313-2250 ATTESTED: ' / 9 9&
cc: Senator Dan Boatwright
Senator Nicholas Petrie PHIL BATCHELOR,Clerk of the Board
Assemblyman Bob Campbell of Supervisors and County Administrator
Assemblyman Tom Bates
Contra Costa Transit Authority �!► Oen+.itv
West Contra Costs TransportaionAdivsory Committee
Bay Conservation and Development Commission
CALTRANS
oject, West County area.
;In►w4tate 80 High Occupancy Vehicle Lane pr
October 5, 1993
Page Two
III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background:
The 1-80 HOV project has been in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) since
1983. The original concept of the project included a reversible HOV lane in Contra Costa
County and separate HOV lanes on structures to and from the Bay Bridge distribution structures
and the Ashby Avenue interchange in Berkeley. The project was substantially modified in 1991
to provide for continuous HOV lanes from State Route 4 to the Bay Bridge. This revised project
still maintains the element of a flyover from the median HOV lane on 1-80 by the Powell Street
interchange to move the HOV traffic and buses to the right hand side of the Bay Bridge
approach.
Several phases of the project are under construction now. Caltrans has applied to the BCDC
for a permit to construct the flyover because the touch down area of the flyover is within 100 feet
of the high water mark and therefore within the jurisdictional limits of the BCDC. The area the
project will encroach on is less than one acre and it is the gravel shoulder area of the Bay
Bridge approach.
The wetland in this area, called the Emeryville Crescent, is an environmentally sensitive area.
BCDC has a policy of no intrusion into this area in their plan. BCDC also considers all the land
outside of the paved area subject to the Bay Plan and will be protected from further
encroachment. Because of this, BCDC has requested Caltrans modify the design so that the
project will not encroach on the sensitive area.
After studying the alternatives, Caltrans has determined that safety will be compromised too
much if the project is redesigned to stay out of the sensitive area and has requested BCDC
grant the permit to construct the flyover as originally designed.
The flyover is an integral part of the 1-80 HOV project. Without the flyover, Caltrans will have to
terminate the HOV lane in Albany to allow for the HOV traffic to weave over to the right lane as
the traffic approach the Bay Bridge. This modification will greatly reduce the attractiveness of
the HOV lane. In other words, the success of the $300 million investment is hinged on the
flyover structure.
The loss of any wetland is a significant impact to the environment and should be mitigated.
Balancing this impact to the potential benefit of better air quality, better mobility for the people
and goods, I think the project should proceed.