Niles Quiet Zone at Nursery Avenue

Nursery Avenue quiet zone is a high priority project for Public Works.  The City recognizes the importance of the project to the quality of life in the Niles community, and we are committed to facilitating its timely delivery. 

Plans are being prepared for the construction of the enhanced safety project with a goal to establish a quiet zone when the project is complete. 

The “critical path” for getting the Nursery Avenue quiet zone approved requires a major safety upgrade to the Union Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) train detection system, the crossing gates, and the interconnected communications with the adjoining traffic signals at Niles/Nursery and Mission/Nursery (a Caltrans signal).  This is to ensure that traffic on Nursery is not backed up at the signals and across the tracks when a train is approaching, particularly if the train is operating in a quiet zone.  The need for this safety improvement was identified in a 2012 report based on guidance from the Federal Railroad Administration. 

Past City efforts to try and pursue a quiet zone now, with a commitment to building the advanced train detection system later, were rejected by UPRR.  In Fall 2015, the City Council added funding to the project to address the comprehensive set of requirements from UPRR, California Public Utilities Commission, and Caltrans. The project scope includes pavement rehabilitation, median islands, sidewalks on both sides of Nursery Avenue, upgrades to traffic signal communications at the railroad crossing (UPRR operated), the signal at Niles/Nursery (City operated), and the signal at Mission/Nursery (Caltrans operated). These improvements are necessary so that the City can pursue a project that was supported by UPRR.

Given the scope of work and more significantly, all the approvals and agreements needed from UPRR, CPUC, and Caltrans for funding, design, construction, operations and maintenance, we do not currently have a project completion date.

Key Milestone dates for the project are as follows: 

Action Item	Date/Duration	Initiated By
Application to CPUC for Railroad Crossing Modification	Completed February 2018	City of Fremont
Submit revised Notice of Intent	Completed June 2017	City of Fremont
Approval of Preemption Timing	Completed June 2017	Caltrans
Completion of Construction Plans for Safety Project including Approval of Plans by UPRR and Caltrans	Completed November 2017	City of Fremont
Caltrans Encroachment Permit	Completed October 2017	Caltrans
CPUC Permit Approval	Completed March 2018	CPUC
Nursery and Mission Signal Design by UPRR	TBD	UPRR
Construction & Maintenance Agreement between City and UPRR	TBD*	UPRR
- City received Draft Agreement	January 18, 2019
- City send comments on Agreement back to UPRR	February 19, 2019
- City received agreement for execution	September 19, 2019
Council Authorization to execute the agreement	October 15, 2019
UPRR Construction and Maintenance Agreement with Caltrans	TBD**	Caltrans
Bid and Award of City Construction Contract	TBD	City of Fremont
City Project Construction Period	TBD	City of Fremont
UPRR Project Construction Period	TBD	UPRR
Quiet Zone Community Education Process	TBD	City of Fremont
Submit Notice of Establishment	TBD	City of Fremont
Establish Quiet Zone	TBD	City of Fremont

Staying "on track" will require the ongoing support from UPRR, Caltrans and CPUC. 

**This agreement was approved at the October 15, 2019 City Council Meeting and sent back to UPRR on, October 31, 2019. The City is still waiting for an executed agreement. 

***The City cannot bid and award the construction contract until the UPRR Construction and Maintenance Agreement with Caltrans has been executed. Caltrans encroachment permit has been extended to June 2020. UPRR has notified the City that as of December 3, 2019, the agreement has not been sent to Caltrans yet.
If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact:
Jeanne Suyeishi
jsuyeishi@fremont.gov

Project Detail Map