In July 2013, the Board authorized staff to form a workgroup with the cities of Davis, West Sacramento, Woodland, and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) to develop a recommended action plan for pursuing grant funding to study the economic benefits and feasibility of rail relocation in Yolo County. The concept of rail relocation has long been a topic of discussion in Yolo County, as it has the potential to create several benefits, and has garnered renewed attention in recent years because of its connection to flood control improvements and economic development objectives. In September 2014, the member agencies of the workgroup were awarded a $171,180 grant from the US Economic Development Administration for technical assistance in preparing a rail line relocation study that would include an economic impact study and strategic implementation plan.
The workgroup then engaged a multidisciplinary consultant team, consisting of Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS); Nossaman, LLP (Nossaman); CH2M HILL; and The Tioga Group, Inc., to complete this study focusing on three main areas:
1. Redevelopment Opportunities (led by EPS, Attachment A)
2. Economic Benefit (led by EPS, Attachment B)
3. Funding Sources (led by Nossaman, Attachment C)
As shown on the attached map (Attachment D) the study evaluates the benefits of replacing the three existing short line rail lines in Yolo County: the rail line running between Woodland and Davis which Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) leases to California Northern Railroad (CNFR), the Sierra Northern Railway line that runs eastward from Woodland across the Yolo Bypass and through the Elkhorn Basin into the City of West Sacramento, and the jointly owned Port of West Sacramento and UPRR line that connects the Westgate Yard to the Port of West Sacramento and the surrounding industrial districts with two new alignments.
One new line would extend along the northern perimeter of Woodland around the southwesterly edge of the Cache Creek Settling Basin (CCSB), through Conaway Ranch and the area west of the Yolo Bypass, and connect to the UPRR main line at Swingle east of Davis. This line would be available for joint use by UPRR and SERA and would allow abandonment of the UPRR/CNFR line through Woodland and Davis and the SERA line through the Elkhorn Basin and West Sacramento.
The second new line would extend from the westerly edge of the City of West Sacramento northward under Interstate 80 to connect with the UPRR main line at a new interchange yard. This line would allow abandonment of the Westgate Yard and the line connecting the yard to the city’s industrial districts and the Port of West Sacramento from the east.
The study found that the proposed relocation of the three rail lines identified above could provide the following redevelopment opportunities:
• Davis estimates net new development could total up to 2,230 residential units and
2.43 million square feet of commercial space
• West Sacramento anticipates net new development will include up to 7,250 residential units and 10.09 million square feet of commercial space
• Woodland estimates net new development will comprise up to 2,390 residential units and 1.15 million square feet of nonresidential space
In turn, this development, at build out, has the potential to generate:
• Between 20,900 and 29,100 job years (full and part-time)
• Between $3.7b and $5.2b of output (market value of goods and services, including labor income)
• Between $1.6b and $2.2b of labor income
Furthermore, the removal/realignment of the rail line also presents significant opportunity to advance regional flood control projects through the removal of the Fremont Trestle and a portion of the rail embankment directly north of the Sacramento Weir. Removing these features would facilitate improvements in the flow of floodwater in the Yolo Bypass and, in the case of the Sacramento Weir, would present an alternative to plans for a new Sacramento Trestle to support a planned weir extension accompanying a widened bypass. Additionally, the new proposed north-south rail alignment allows for potential rail access to the landfill and CCSB, which could allow for the transportation of sediment that has collected in the settling basin to be transported to the landfill and used as cover material, allowing the state to address a Total Maximum Discharge Load requirement imposed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board in October 2011.
The total cost of the rail relocation project is estimated at $157m-337m. However, the potential integration of the rail relocation project with proposed flood control projects could allow for significant cost avoidance. Integration of the rail project with expansion of the Sacramento Bypass could generate $25-30m which could then be reprogrammed for rail relocation efforts. Additional cost avoidance of $30-40m exists with the potential to transport sediment from the CCSB to the landfill by rail.
Given the significant flood control improvement aspects of the rail relocation project and the potential for a substantial portion of the project costs to be defrayed by the integration of existing flood projects, the study recommends a phased approach to the project to first capture the associated cost avoidance benefits. As such, Phase 1 of the project would be to remove and reroute SERA traffic from Woodland out of West Sacramento to permit removal of the rail embankment directly north of the Sacramento Weir. SERA traffic from Woodland then instead would use the proposed new alignment through Conaway Ranch and areas south to connect to the UPRR line at the Swingle Crossing.
Phase 2 would facilitate and complement redevelopment of the West Sacramento by removing the Westgate Yard and rerouting West Sacramento freight traffic out of the eastern portions of West Sacramento. This traffic would access the Port of West Sacramento via the UPRR mainline east of Davis, using a new rail connection between the UPRR mainline and the Port of West Sacramento spur rail terminus, which would include the construction of a new rail underpass at Interstate 80. The relocation of the rail lines through West Sacramento would allow for the removal of six at grade crossings and provide for redevelopment opportunities representing at least $2.4 billion in new assessed value or roughly 77 percent of the total new value that may be created by the project. Subsequent stages of Phase 2 would remove the existing rail infrastructure in the Cities of Davis and Woodland allowing for the closure of 16 at-grade crossings and allowing for the redevelopment of the rail corridor. The new line would reroute SERA and CNFR traffic to the Phase 1 alignment through Conaway Ranch and connect to a reconfigured track that would run along the outskirts of Woodland’s industrial zone to the north near the CCSB.
Staff is seeking approval to proceed in identifying potential funding sources to continue planning efforts. Future planning efforts have been complicated by UPRR’s recent proposal to close the at-grade crossing at CR32A/105 outside the City of Davis due to safety concerns. UPRR’s proposed closure could negatively impact existing traffic circulation and freeway access in the City of Davis, as well as for the proposed Mace Ranch Innovation Center. As such, it is of critical importance that any planning efforts regarding the proposed closure of CR32A/105 be integrated with the rail relocation project to ensure that a future replacement of the at-grade crossing with a separated grade crossing or relocated at-grade crossing is compatible with the broader rail relocation project. Staff has met with UPRR representatives on several occasions and has impressed upon UPRR representatives the need for collaboration and a comprehensive planning process that address both CR32A closure and the replacement of the current crossing with a separated grade crossing and the broader rail relocation project. Staff will keep the Board updated as this issue progresses. |