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Palo Alto committee narrows grade-separation options, drops Seal Avenue ramp
Summary
The Rail Committee reviewed refined grade-separation alternatives for Churchill, Meadow and Charleston, discussed hybrid vs. underpass trade-offs, and voted 3–0 to remove the Seal Avenue ramp option from further consideration; staff warned rising market costs and emphasized the need for contractor-validated estimates.
The Palo Alto Rail Committee spent much of its Nov. 18 meeting reviewing refined grade-separation alternatives for Churchill, Meadow and Charleston and directed staff to narrow some concepts before full council consideration.
Staff reviewed community engagement (more than 300 comments), design choices and trade-offs between hybrid options (where track elevation and limited road depression reduce property impacts) and underpass options (which yield greater traffic capacity but require more utility relocations and may require full parcel acquisitions). Staff cautioned that recent market pricing for comparable projects has risen significantly and that contractor-validated cost estimates are needed.
Ed…
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