Palo Alto advances project-management plan for Churchill, Meadow and Charleston grade separations

PALO ALTO, Calif. — City staff and Caltrain presented a draft project-management plan on March 18 for advancing preliminary engineering and environmental documentation for planned grade separations at Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive and Charleston Road, saying they expect to reach 35% design and environmental clearance by the end of 2027.

The plan, which Caltrain is leading under a cooperative agreement with the City of Palo Alto, lays out procurement of a general engineering consultant, independent cost estimating, an outreach schedule and quarterly risk workshops. Jill Gibson, the project program manager with Kimley‑Horn, described the plan as “a living document” required by the federal funding agreement and said it will guide deliveries, reviews and the project’s quality program.

City and agency officials said the project carries significant implementation risks because it depends on federal and state approvals and additional funding. Shripan Bhatia, senior engineer with the City of Palo Alto Office of Transportation, told the committee the cooperative agreement was signed in mid‑January and that Caltrain will hold the contracts for the near‑term technical work while the city remains the project sponsor.

Caltrain and city staff described the near‑term schedule and procurement steps: a live solicitation for a general engineering consultant (GEC) released in…