Palo Alto presents refined grade-separation alternatives for Meadow Drive and Charleston Road; hybrids reduce property takings, underpasses may require land

City staff and Caltrain project personnel outlined two refined design approaches for the Meadow Drive and Charleston Road grade-separation projects at a public workshop in Palo Alto, presenting hybrid (elevated rail / depressed road combinations) and underpass alternatives and asking for community feedback on impacts and constructability.

"First off, as given the direction from from Council was to be able to improve the safety of the process. Second is to be able to improve mobility and minimize congestion," said Edgar Torres, a project staff speaker, listing project goals that also include defining an environmental footprint and minimizing private-property impacts.

Torres and other project presenters described hybrid alternatives that raise the rail roughly 17 to 18 feet while lowering roadway approaches about 4 to 6 feet, and underpass alternatives that would depress roadways to pass beneath the tracks. Project presenters said…