Rail Safety Enhancement Program

The Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Alameda County Rail Safety Enhancement Program’s (RSEP) proposed safety improvements to two existing at-grade rail crossings on Virginia Street and Hearst Avenue in the City of Berkeley in Alameda County were prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and are available for public review. The Initial Study/MND describes and evaluates the potential environmental impacts of this project.

The IS/MND is available beginning Wednesday, March 15, 2023 through April 13, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (PDT) for a 30-day public review and comment period. It can be downloaded and reviewed from the link found above.

Any person who wishes to comment on the Alameda CTC’s intent to adopt the MND must submit written comments no later than 5:00 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Written comments may be sent to:

Jhay Delos Reyes, Principal Transportation Engineer
Alameda County Transportation Commission
Email | jdelosreyes@alamedactc.org
Mail | 1111 Broadway, Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94607

The Alameda County Rail Safety Enhancement Program (RSEP) was developed as an outgrowth of the recommendations included in the Alameda County Goods Movement Plan approved by the Commission in 2016. Since 2016, 22 fatalities and 17 injuries have occurred along the rail corridors. The goals of the RSEP are to:
  • Provide safe at-grade crossings for all users, particularly near schools, Priority Development Areas and Equity Priority Communities
  • Reduce the unnecessary fatalities or severe injuries at the at-grade crossings
  • Increase fright service reliability along rail corridors
  • Reduce greenhouse gasses by encouraging goods movement by freight and encouraging mode shift for active transportation by removing barriers to active transportation facilities at the at-grade crossings
Development of the RSEP is split into two phases—RSEP-A and RSEP-B—to achieve the project goals and construct improvements in a three to five-year timeframe. A prioritization framework for the at-grade crossings was approved by the Alameda County Transportation Commission in 2018 as part of the Rail Strategy Study that narrowed the 133 at-grade crossing locations in Alameda County to 56 locations. For more information regarding each phase of the Project, continue to the respective tabs for each project phase. At-grade crossings for the RSEP are located in the cities of Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland, San Leandro, Union City, and in the Alameda County communities of Ashland, Cherryland and San Lorenzo. Project partners include the California Department of Transportation, the California Public Utilities Commission and Union Pacific Railroad.

RSEP: Phase A and Phase B Crossings

Map of RSEP Phases A and B
Improvements for the RSEP are being funded locally by Measure BB and federally with the $25 million Federal Railroad Administration Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant –the largest CRISI grant awarded in California and the second largest in the nation. See the full press release.

Public Hearing – Virtual

A virtual public meeting will be held for the Alameda County Rail Safety Enhancement Program's (RSEP) proposed safety improvements to two existing at-grade rail crossings on Virginia Street and Hearst Avenue in the City of Berkeley in Alameda County on:

Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m. (PDT)
Register today: https://www.alamedactc.org/RSEP_PH-01

Once registered, you will receive an email with the meeting link and dial-in information .

Public Hearing Notice

Project Documents

The Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Alameda County Rail Safety Enhancement Program's (RSEP) proposed safety improvements to two existing at-grade rail crossings on Virginia Street and Hearst Avenue in the City of Berkeley in Alameda County were prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and are available for public review. The Initial Study/MND describes and evaluates the potential environmental impacts of this project.

The IS/MND is available beginning Wednesday, March 15, 2023 through April 13, 2023, 5:00 p.m. (PDT) for public review and comments. It can be downloaded and reviewed from the links found below.

Any person who wishes to comment on the Alameda CTC’s intent to adopt the MND must submit written comments no later than 5:00 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Written comments may be sent to:

Jhay Delos Reyes, Principal Transportation Engineer
Alameda County Transportation Commission
Email | jdelosreyes@alamedactc.org
Mail | 1111 Broadway, Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94607

Coming soon.

Coming soon.
Coming soon.