Public Meeting Notice : Niles Canyon Open House

Date:               February 7, 2014

District:          4 – Oakland

Niles Canyon Open House

Beginning in February 2014, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will be circulating a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project's Enviromental Impact Report (EIR).   

The NOP is circulated to all public agencies, including federal agencies, that have responsibility for funding and/or approving the project, state agencies that have jurisdiction by law over natural resources affected by the project, and to the State Clearinghouse, the branch of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research that coordinates the state-level review of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents.

The NOP begins a consultative process to determine the proper scope of the proposed EIR. "Scoping" can be helpful to identify the range of actions, alternatives, mitigation measures, and potential significant effects that should be analyzed in the EIR.

Caltrans is offering individuals and organizations that are not part of the mandated NOP circulation the opportunity to be involved in this identification process.  Caltrans will be offering two ways in which to participate. If you wish to be part of the formal circulation and 30-day review of the NOP, please file a signed, written request by mailing it to: Melanie Brent, Deputy District Director, Caltrans District 4, P.O. Box 23660, Oakland, CA 94623.  If you would like to attend an open-house meeting at which Caltrans will present the proposed project-design alternatives and provide the opportunity to provide input on the scope of the EIR, please come to one of the following:

Sunol – February 25th. 7:00-9:00 PM, Sunol Glen School, 11601 Main Street, Sunol.

Niles – March 4th, 7:00-9:00 PM, Niles Elementary School, 37141 Second Street, Fremont.

                                                                                                                                   

Once the EIR is made public, the comment period on the document itself will begin.  The date for this will be announced later this year. 

The project addresses the operational deficiencies of the existing Alameda Creek Bridge (also called the Richmond Bridge) over Alameda Creek in Niles Canyon in the City of Fremont.  Deficiencies include:  barrier rail that does not meet current standards for crash-worthiness or for snag resistance; absence of shoulders which can affect roadside safety by providing a refuge for vehicles and non-motorized traffic; and curves that limit sight distance.  Given the existing bridge’s structural limitations, all build alternatives proposed by Caltrans assume that the existing bridge will be demolished and a new one constructed.

Caltrans thanks you for your interest in its Niles Canyon projects.  For more information, visit the website: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/nilescanyon/