Attachment 3 - Updated FAQ’s
Attachment 3
ATTACHMENT 3
Highway 17 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing Project
(BPOC)
TLG 19-818-0803
FAQ’s from COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
1. Are all proposed bridge concepts the same height (above Highway 17) as the current bridge, or are they
raised to a higher elevation than the current bridge?
Caltrans standards require the minimum vertical clearance for a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over a
freeway to be 18’6” to the underside, or soffit, and for a roadway bridge over a freeway to be 16’6” to
the soffit. The existing Blossom Hill Overcrossing has a sub-standard vertical clearance of 15’-5”. The
proposed bicycle/pedestrian bridge options will be designed to meet current standards and will therefore
be higher than the current bridge in order to the minimum required vertical clearance.
2. Are the yearly/long term maintenance costs of the 3 bridge options the same or statistically different?
It is anticipated that yearly/long term maintenance costs between the options presented will be similar,
however, concrete bridges generally require somewhat less long-term maintenance. Long-term
maintenance considerations for steel bridges include painting every few years and periodic inspections of
key structural connections of the steel members. Depending on various factors such as the type of
structure, type of steel members, type of structural connections and the selected paint system, specific
long-term maintenance costs will vary. Ultimately, it is anticipated these costs may contribute to a
somewhat higher long-term maintenance cost for a steel bridge option when compared to a concrete
option.
3. Are there color options for the steel?
Yes. Potential color options will be presented in a future public workshop for input if a steel bridge type
is chosen.
4. Between the concrete bridge and the steel flat truss bridge, a trade off is that the concrete one is less
expensive and the steel flat truss one involves less shut down of the highway. These aspects both seem
as critical of an issue as whether the bridge enhances the character of Los Gatos. How much of a cost
difference and how many days of shut down are involved with each?
With respect to shut down hours of Highway 17, the concrete bridge will be constructed similar to other
concrete bridges over highways, with falsework erected over the travel lanes to maintain traffic flow
during construction. The steel truss bridge can be erected over Highway 17 during low peak hours.
SCAN ME!
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As the design proceeds, specific traffic impact details, such as the need for lane closures of Highway 17 or
traffic detours, will be coordinated with Caltrans. The project team will strive to minimize impacts to
highway travel as well as to the surrounding communities. Project construction costs associated with the
identified traffic impacts of the various bridge types can then be further quantified and used along with
other considerations, such as the enhancement of the character of Los Gatos, to evaluate the various
bridge proposals.
5. Most of the renderings don’t show much impact to the landscapes on either side of 17. Is this accurate
or will cut slopes and retaining wall structures require tree removal, especially on the east side? Can you
address if there will be a difference in this impact between the options please?
Potential impacts to landscapes, tree removals, and hillsides will likely be more significant on the east
side of Highway 17 given the existing terrain and narrow roadway cross-section. The Project intends to
build the pathway improvements as close to the existing roadways as possible in order to minimize these
potential impacts, however there will be tree removals and slope work required for all bridge options. As
the design progresses, the project team will be able to better quantify the impacts to the slopes,
landscaping, and retaining walls along the east and west sides associated with the various bridge options
and will present this to the community as the design progresses.
The 2020 Feasibility Study also provides information about the conceptual improvements and their
potential impact east and west of the proposed bridge crossing.
6. Many of us are concerned about the elevation and distance the pathway will cut into the back hill
behind our homes that backup against Blossom Hill Road. Are there dimensions available for the
pathways connecting to the new bridge structure?
A Project goal is to build the pathway within the existing roadway envelope where the existing sidewalk
is currently located and within the existing public right of way. The Project is still in the very early
planning stages so specific dimensions are not currently available, but will be provided in Phase 2 when
preliminary engineering details are developed, and will be shared with the community at that time.
7. What is the measurement between the pedestrian bridge walking surface and the top of the bridge
walls/fences: currently and in the proposed bridges? One day I saw a middle schooler lifting up a big
rock to lob over the current chain link fence to toss down into highway traffic so want to see that
fencing pretty high to reduce this kind of temptation for pranksters that might frequent this travel route
but not yet be mature enough to realize the consequences.
Caltrans Standards require a minimum fence height of 8 feet over freeways to reduce the risk of objects
being dropped or thrown upon vehicles. The proposed bridge will provide fencing that meets the 8-foot
minimum height requirement and the project team will continue to look for other options that might be
useful to help deter this type of activity.
8. We are fortunate to not have a lot of graffiti in Los Gatos, but a bridge right next to the middle school
and within walking distance of the high school might be too big of a target for some students to resist.
Are any of these bridges harder for someone to deface than the others?
The issue is relative with respect to damage done to the structure. In terms of available exposed area, or
continuous surface area, to deface with graffiti the concrete bridge offers the most. The steel structure,
while having more structural members throughout the length of the bridge, offers smaller areas for
graffiti. With either bridge types, there are graffiti counter measures that can be taken and specified
during the preparation of the construction documents such as anti-graffiti coating for concrete bridges or
specialized paint for steel structures that makes the bridges as graffiti resistant as possible and make the
clean-up easier to handle. The project team will include these considerations during the design process.
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9. Does the type of bridge impact the grade of path coming from Fisher? What is the impact to retaining
wall where the new path is that was widen recently?
The concrete bridge option will likely sit slightly higher than the steel options because it requires a thicker
bridge deck, which will result in a slightly increased grade to cross Highway 17. The Project does not
intend to impact the existing retaining walls located adjacent to the Serra Ct community and EB Blossom
Hill Road right-turn lanes, however these details will be developed in more detail during the Phase 2
design process and shared with the community at that time.
10. I am wondering what we can do to slow down west-bound kids on bikes before they rush into the West
Roberts Road intersection. For drivers turning right from West Roberts Road onto Blossom Hill Road,
that’s kind of blind corner and I’ve seen drivers startled by bikers crossing Roberts Road there.
The Project will evaluate the existing conditions closely at this intersection and determine what measures
can be taken to enhance safety during the preliminary and final design phases of the Project as the
engineering details are developed. Potential measures may include installing a protected corner with
raised elements to create separation and refuge and separation for bicyclists and pedestrians from right-
turning vehicles, or restricting right-turning movements during particular signal phases.
11. Once you are off the Bridge, will the pathway narrow from 16’-20’ width as you walk away?
A Project goal is to provide a continuous width along the entire segment between Roberts Road West
and East. The exact width will be determined in Phase 2 of the Project when engineering details are
developed.
12. Why will there be bike and pedestrian on the current bridge in addition to the second structure?
Existing facilities along the south side of the current Blossom Hill Road overcrossing would be replaced
with the new structure. The Project only intends to provide a pedestrian sidewalk and a dedicated
bicycle lane along the north side of the existing overcrossing. This will provide the option of
accommodating existing travel patterns along the northern side of Blossom Hill Road.
13. How are bicyclists traveling west on the north side of the road supposed to get to the south side?
Access from the north to the south side (and vice versa) will be provided at each adjacent intersection
crosswalk located at Roberts Road West and East. Preliminary proposals are considering the striping of a
green bike lane parallel to and in front of the pedestrian crosswalks to provide an area for the bicyclists
who wish to cross Blossom Hill Road to use the BPOC.
14. Will the columns required for the concrete box girder bridge interfere with future light rail lines in the
median of Highway 17?
Currently there are no plans for light rail transit in the median area of Highway 17. The existing right of
way would not be sufficient to accommodate the installation of a light rail system, and any such project
would require years of advanced planning and potential property acquisitions. It should also be noted
that the existing Blossom Hill Road vehicular structure over Highway 17 includes an existing concrete
column in the median area of Highway 17.
15. Please identify the process the Town used for selecting the design consultant for this project.
The Town released a Request for Proposals to provide Professional Engineering Services for the Highway
17 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing Project in December of 2020. Two proposals were received and
thoroughly evaluated, resulting in the firm of BKF being determined the highest qualified firm to provide
the required services. The process used by the Town followed the requirements for the consultant
selection process for federally funded projects as contained in the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures
Manual. Further information regarding the required consultant selection process can be found at
https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/local-assistance/documents/lapm/ch10.pdf
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16. How will constructed for this project be funded?
As design progresses, staff will continue to look for funding opportunities for the project construction.
The intent is to fund the majority of the project through grant programs. Securing funding could take
more than a year, and in some cases, projects of this magnitude may take many years to fund. Many of
the current grant fund programs require the local agency to provide a local match of anywhere from 10-
30% of the total construction costs. Local match funds may need to be allocated by the Town, however
in many cases, this match can be made through the use of other grant funds. The Town staff strives to
maximize the use of grant funds for projects of this magnitude especially where the benefits of the
project extend beyond the Town boundaries. As this is a significant project in cost and scope, it is likely
that many different funding sources would be required. Having a project fully designed/shovel ready
often times allows the project to be more competitive in the grant application process.