This $11.5M Quiet Zone project addressed three at-grade railroad crossings within the City of Emeryville, located at 65th, 66th, and 67th Streets, which serve as main arterial tracks for Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), Amtrak, and Capitol Corridor trains. The corridor experiences over 40 trains per day. Federal and state regulations require trains to sound their horns at these crossings, prompting the need for mitigation to reduce impacts on the surrounding community.
To address these concerns, the project implemented safety measures required to establish the Quiet Zone, where routine sounding of train horns is prohibited at designated crossings. BKF provided civil engineering, preliminary design, construction management, and land surveying services for the project.
Improvements included installation of four-quadrant gates, raised medians at each crossing, pedestrian access gates, ADA-compliant sidewalks, new and modified traffic signals at the 65th and 67th Street crossings, and rehabilitation of hot mix asphalt pavement within the crossing areas along Shellmound Street. The crossing at 66th Street was closed as part of the project.
The Quiet Zone project required extensive coordination with UPRR, Amtrak, adjacent businesses, and residents before, during, and after construction.
BKF, in conjunction with Zephyr, assisted the City with negotiation of railroad agreements and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) application process, as well as coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), including the diagnostic field review. During construction, BKF coordinated with UPRR, FRA, and CPUC on required changes, and supported post-construction efforts including filing of the notice of completion in accordance with CPUC (GO-88B) and FRA requirements.
The project remains the first and only Quiet Zone implemented in the San Francisco Bay Area.
