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2016 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM <br />Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center <br />First/Last Mile Connections (Public Works <br />Agency) <br />The need exists to provide regional rail and bus <br />passengers via SARK the ability to seamlessly <br />travel to and from the Civic Center, Downtown, <br />the Museum District and other employment, <br />cultural, commercial and educational centers. <br />Seek funding to plan and construct first and last <br />mile travel connections including bike lanes and <br />infrastructure, safe and accessible pedestrian <br />routes, and convenient transit facilities. <br />Infrastructure may include protected bike lanes, <br />bike lockers and racks, new sidewalk and access <br />ramps, upgraded bus shelters. Programs and <br />planning efforts could include educational <br />campaigns, travel safety advertisements, and <br />community based complete streets planning. <br />Support Federal, State and regional funding <br />programs and policies which would facilitate <br />first and last mile connections, such as Active <br />Transportation Program, Highway Safety <br />Improvement Program, and the Compass <br />Blueprint Program. <br />Grade Separations (Public Works Agency) <br />Grade separation projects allow incompatible <br />mobility modes to intersect without impeding <br />with one another. These types of projects work <br />with existing transportation systems to greatly <br />improve multimodal mobility and goods <br />movement, and also result in reduced <br />congestion, improved air quality, and reduced <br />dependence on fossil fuels. <br />Three separate grade separation projects are in <br />or have completed the conceptual engineering <br />and environmental analysis phase. The three <br />projects are located on Santa Ana Boulevard, <br />Grand Avenue, and 17th Street. The three <br />currently intersect with railroad tracks carrying <br />Amtrak and Metrolink commuter traffic, and <br />Union Pacific Railroad freight cars. <br />• Daily rail traffic is now 75 trains per day and <br />is expected to increase to 110 per day by the <br />year 2035. The grade separation projects <br />are essential to allow for future and current <br />commuter and goods movement, and <br />maintain and improve train, pedestrian and <br />bicycle mobility, and safety. <br />The City of Santa Ana is the lead for the Santa <br />Ana Boulevard project. This is a unique Grade <br />Separation Plaza because it allows and <br />encourages mass pedestrian and bicyclist traffic <br />to safely cross rail tracks adjacent to the Santa <br />Ana Regional Transit Center (Amtrak and <br />Metrolink station). It would also allow for the <br />extension of the OC Streetcar across the rail <br />tracks without any additional infrastructure but <br />the streetcar line. <br />• The Santa Ana Boulevard Grade Separation <br />Plaza is estimated to cost $73.3 million and <br />the environmental clearance was completed <br />September 2014. The environmental <br />clearance places this project in 18th place on <br />the state's priority list. The roadway carries <br />over 20,000 vehicles per day within a very <br />congested segment of roadway adjacent to <br />an interchange with 1-5 freeway. In addition, <br />54 school buses and 309 passenger buses <br />cross the rail tracks. Staff seeks Federal <br />funding support either through the Orange <br />County Transportation Authority or <br />independently for 100% of the project <br />construction cost through Regional Surface <br />Transportation Program, CMAQ, <br />Demonstration, and Federal Section 130 <br />funds. <br />CITY OF SANTA ANA <br />12 <br />65A-15 <br />