Council receives final feasibility study for Ramona Boulevard–Metrolink grade separation, directs staff to pursue partners and funding

Baldwin Park — The Baldwin Park City Council on May 7 received and filed a technical feasibility report from LA Metro on a proposed grade separation where Ramona Boulevard crosses the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, and directed city staff to pursue partnership, design and funding steps needed to advance the project.

The Project Study Report‑equivalent, prepared by LA Metro with consulting support, evaluated four broad alternatives — rail over roadway, rail under roadway, roadway over rail, and roadway under rail — and recommended the preferred solution as lowering Ramona Boulevard under the active rail corridor (the “roadway under track” option). Charles Zhang, senior director for LA Metro Regional Rail Divisions, said the alternative chosen minimized right‑of‑way acquisition and community impacts and did not require interruption of Metrolink operations for an extended period.

Why it matters: Ramona Boulevard is a major east‑west arterial in Baldwin Park; the San Bernardino Metrolink line is one of the system’s busiest corridors. Study authors said the separation would improve safety, eliminate vehicle delays caused by train crossings and reduce collision risk for vehicles and pedestrians.

LA Metro project team members told the council the conceptual project footprint would be about 2,000 linear feet and would require careful staging — including a temporary “shoofly” track during construction — to keep rail service running. The team estimated a conceptual cost in the range of about $113 million in 2025 dollars at the PSRE stage (the consultant included a 30% contingency in the conceptual estimate). The study also modeled an escalation scenario that could push the cost toward roughly $167 million if construction were delayed several years because of inflation and rising construction costs.

City Manager and project presenters noted the study is step one of a multi‑stage process. Charles Zhang described this document as the foundation for future grant submittals: “This is the step 1 — the project study report equivalent — so the city has conceptual design, engineering assumptions and cost estimates to pursue preliminary engineering, environmental clearance and grant funding,” he said.

Council discussion and outcome: Councilmembers asked about impacts to nearby residences and businesses, utility relocations, right‑of‑way needs, and options for acquiring property (the city attorney confirmed the city could use negotiated acquisitions and, if necessary, eminent domain within state law). Councilmember Emmanuel J. Estrada moved to accept the report and to direct staff to pursue project development partnerships with LA Metro, Metrolink, Caltrans, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and others, plus pursue county, state and federal funding and support from elected officials. Councilmember Manuel Lozano seconded the motion.

The motion passed unanimously on roll call (Ayala: yes; Estrada: yes; Lozano: yes; Mayor Pro Tem Damien: yes; Mayor Alejandra Avila: yes). The council’s formal action was to receive and file the PSRE and authorize staff to seek the next steps: environmental clearance, preliminary engineering and grant applications.

What happens next: Presenters recommended beginning the environmental clearance process and preliminary engineering to refine design, reduce contingencies and support grant applications. LA Metro provided a high‑level schedule showing roughly 12 months for design/environmental and an overall start‑to‑finish timeframe of about eight years to construction completion if funding and design move steadily.

Costs and risks: Study authors cautioned the conceptual estimate includes a conservative contingency and that final costs will change as design advances. The council heard that every year of delay will raise the nominal project cost due to inflation and construction‑market pressures. Staff characterized the implementation risk as medium: technically feasible but dependent on multijurisdictional coordination and large capital grants.

Ending: Council members said they supported advancing a feasibility study into the formal project development pipeline and stressed the need to minimize displacement, protect access to nearby businesses and maintain Metrolink service during construction. Staff was directed to report back on funding opportunities and partnership agreements.