Embarcadero West, a one mile City street adjacent to the Port of Oakland, is a long-standing bottleneck for freight and passenger rail on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and Amtrak Capital Corridor route. Freight and passenger trains run down the middle of the street and through the waterfront in a configuration that dates to the 1870s. These railroad tracks lack consistent physical separation between motor vehicle travel lanes, pedestrians, bicyclists, and others using devices for mobility such as wheelchairs, scooters, and skateboards. This shared street condition in which pedestrians, drivers or bicyclists can intentionally or accidentally turn across or occupy the track space is unprecedented in an urban area and not only a major safety concern, but impacts operations within the Port of Oakland.
The Railroad Grade Separation Feasibility Study will evaluate multiple potential bridge locations that span the Embarcadero West roadway and railroad corridor between Adeline Street and Clay Street. The potential bridge location(s) will evaluate whether and how alignments comply with motor vehicle, railroad, bicycle and ADA design standards and requirements, potential risks, and potential benefits.
The overcrossing(s) would be designed to be capable of accommodating the movement of motor vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other mobility users, while addressing the needs of a heavy weight truck vehicle route to support goods movement and emergency vehicle access to the waterfront. The overcrossing(s) would also improve the efficient movement of freight trains and passenger rail trains that travel along the Embarcadero West corridor by minimizing interactions between motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists with trains at grade crossings.
Last updated October 27, 2023. More updates coming soon!