4.5
Utilities
4.5.1 Introduction to Analysis/Methodology
Utilities in the East Bay BRT corridor include:
Underground electrical, gas, water, sanitary sewer, recycled water, TV/cable, fiber optics
and telephone,
Above ground street lights and electrical, telephone, and TV/cable lines suspended from
utility poles.
The main utility providers in the corridor include Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
for gas and electric service, AT&T (formerly SBC) for local telephone service, Comcast for
cable TV service, and the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) for water and
sanitary sewer services. AT&T and Comcast lines also support internet access.
Utility facilities can be defined to within two risk categories. Facilities conducting the
following materials, whether encased or not, are considered to be High Risk facilities
(www.dot.ca.gov/hq/oppd/pdpm/apdx_word/apdx-ll.doc - part of the Project California DOT
Development Procedures Manual):
Petroleum products,
Oxygen,
Chlorine,
Toxic or flammable gases,
Natural gas in pipelines greater than 150 mm (6 inches) nominal pipe diameter, or
pipelines with normal operating pressures greater than 415 kPa gauge (60 p.s.i.g.)
Underground electric supply lines, conductors or cables that have a potential to ground
of more than 300 volts, either directly buried or in duct or conduit, which do not have
concentric grounded or other effectively grounded metal shields or sheaths.
Facilities conducting the following materials are considered to be Low Risk facilities:
Natural gas in pipelines 150 mm (6 inches) or smaller (nominal pipe diameter) with
normal operating pressures of 415 kPa gauge (60 p.s.i.g.) or less.
Underground electric supply lines, conductors or cables with a potential to ground of
more than 300 volts, either directly buried or in duct or conduit, which do have
concentric grounded or other effectively grounded metal shields or sheaths, and for
AC Transit East Bay BRT Project
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
January 2012
4.5-1
which the utility owner furnished location information in conformance with the
requirements of Article 17.7, "Location Information" of General Order No. 128 of the
California Public Utility Commission, or electrical underground conductors with a
potential to ground of 300 volts or less.
4.5.2 Affected Environment
There are 87 anticipated utility conflicts within the project corridor. Of these, 63 require
relocation, two require removal, and 22 require adjustment of surface facilities. A total of six
high-risk and three low-risk utility conflicts exist. Additional utility conflicts exist which will
be resolved through minor adjustments to non-critical project design features.
It is anticipated that the only project construction activities requiring excavation below the
existing road bed will be the installation of new communications and electrical conduits.
These conduits are typically routed around existing utilities during installation. Relocation of
existing utilities should therefore be necessary only when above-ground utility features, such
as manholes or inlets, conflict with proposed curb bulbs, sidewalk widenings, new medians,
or other streetscape design elements, and only when adjustment or modification of these
features is impractical.
4.5.3 Environmental Consequences
The following and Table 4.5-1 provide a summary of utility conflicts located within the
vicinity of proposed BRT stations for the LPA.
Underground Electric. Four high-risk (>300 V) and two low-risk PG&E electrical
manholes/vaults/pull boxes were identified as requiring relocation away from
proposed BRT platforms.
Gas. One low-risk and two high-risk gas lines require relocation to move existing gas
valves away from proposed BRT platforms.
Sanitary Sewer. A total of 13 City of Oakland sanitary sewer conflicts were
identified. Six sewer manholes require relocation away from proposed BRT
platforms, while two require relocation to avoid conflicting with proposed curb bulbs.
Five manholes require adjustment to match proposed medians. One EBMUD sanitary
sewer manhole requires adjustment to match a proposed median.
Storm Drain. 32 City of Oakland storm drain inlets conflict with proposed curb bulb
or sidewalk widening work and require relocation. Two City of Oakland storm drain
manholes require adjustment to match a proposed median/sidewalk extension, while
two abandoned manholes will be removed during construction of proposed bus
platforms.
AC Transit East Bay BRT Project
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
January 2012
4.5-2
Street Light.. A total of nine street lights were identified as conflicting with proposed
streetscape features. Two City of Oakland street lights conflict with proposed curb
bulbs and require relocation. Another seven require relocation away from proposed
bus platforms, five owned by the City of Oakland, and two by the City of San
Leandro.
Underground Telephone. Two AT&T telephone manholes require relocation: one
conflict with a proposed bus platform and one with a median curb. These will require
relocation of the manhole access points only – no relocation of the underlying vaults
is anticipated to be necessary.
Water. Three EBMUD water valves were identified as requiring relocation away
from proposed bus platforms. Six water valve covers require adjustment to match a
proposed curb bulb.
Unknown Utilities. Four manholes and three handholes, utility unknown, will require
adjustment to match proposed median or sidewalk widening grades. An additional
manhole requires relocation to avoid conflicting with a proposed curbline.
The BRT study corridor contains primarily underground utilities, within existing streets, that
would not need to be relocated to construct the BRT transitway under either the LPA or
DOSL Alternative. Fire hydrants in the path of the proposed BRT transitway will be
relocated to the sides of the existing street. There will be limited displacements of manholes,
vault openings or other surface access facilities such as valve boxes. Should access to these
facilities remaining in the transitway be necessary after BRT construction, scheduled BRT
service would be temporarily rerouted.
Underground utilities at station locations will be relocated where surface penetrations fall
within the limits of platforms, the BRT transitway adjacent to the platform and access paths
to the platforms from crosswalks. Examples of these kinds of facilities include manholes,
pull boxes, vaults, valves and similar items where maintenance activity could interfere with
passenger access and bus operation.
The BRT improvements proposed to be constructed in existing streets will not create any
new demand for water supply, storm water or wastewater transport or treatment or solid
waste disposal capacity or facilities.
AC Transit East Bay BRT Project
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
January 2012
4.5-3
4.5.4 Avoidance, Minimization and/or Mitigation Measures
Planning and coordination with local utility providers during the preliminary engineering and
final design will be necessary to minimize or eliminate utility conflicts. This includes
submitting a set of plans for the BRT project to the utility providers for their use in preparing
their utility relocation plans. This close coordination will be necessary during the
preliminary engineering, final design and construction phases of the project to identify any
potential conflicts and formulate strategies to overcome them. No additional mitigation is
anticipated.
AC Transit East Bay BRT Project
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
January 2012
4.5-4
Table 4.5-1: Summary of Affected Utilities within LPA and DOSL
Owner
PG&E
PG&E
Description
Low-Risk
Electrical Pull
Box
High-Risk
Electrical
Manhole
Nearest Intersections
Considerations
International Blvd and 34th Ave;
Davis St and Hays St
Relocate
Electrical pull boxes conflict with proposed bus platforms.
20th St at Telegraph Ave (2), Broadway;
11th St and Broadway
PG&E
Low-Risk Gas
Valve
Davis St and Hays St
PG&E
High-Risk Gas
Valve
11th St at Broadway, Madison St
City of
Oakland
Sanitary Sewer
Manhole
Broadway and 14th St; E 12th St and 5th Ave;
International Blvd at Miller, 28th, 39th, 48th
Avenues
City of
Oakland
Sanitary Sewer
Manhole
International Blvd at 33rd, 37th, 45th, 47th, 53rd
Avenues
City of
Oakland
Sanitary Sewer
Manhole
International Blvd at 45th, 71st Avenues
EBMUD
Sanitary Sewer
Manhole
International Blvd and 83rd Ave
City of
Oakland
Storm Drain
Inlet
Telegraph Ave at 57th, 28th Streets;
International Blvd at 17th (2), 18th (2), 19th (2),
23rd, 24th, 25th, Fruitvale, 36th, 37th (2), 40th,
47th, 50th (2), 51st, 52nd, 56th, 70th, 80th, 83rd,
84th (2), 88th, 102nd (2) Avenues
City of
Oakland
Storm Drain
Inlet
International at 54th, 100th Avenues
City of
Oakland
Abandoned
Storm Drain
Manhole
Telegraph Ave at 29th, 24th Streets
AC Transit East Bay BRT Project
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
Relocate
Electrical manholes and vaults conflict with proposed bus
platforms.
Adjust
Gas valve cover is beneath proposed grade of new curb
bulb.
Relocate
Gas valves conflict with proposed bus platforms.
Relocate
Sewer manholes conflict with proposed bus platforms.
Adjust
Sewer manhole covers are beneath proposed grade of new
median.
Relocate
Sewer manholes conflict with proposed curb bulbs.
Adjust
Sewer manhole cover is beneath proposed grade of new
median.
Relocate
Existing inlets conflict with proposed curb bulbs; relocation
required.
Relocate
Existing inlets conflict with proposed sidewalk widening;
relocation required.
Remove
Abandoned storm drain manholes conflict with proposed
bus platforms.
January 2012
Number
of Items
2
4
1
2
6
5
2
1
30
2
2
4.5-5
Number
of Items
Owner
Description
Nearest Intersections
Considerations
City of
Oakland
Storm Drain
Manhole
International Blvd and 54th Ave
City of
Oakland
Storm Drain
Manhole
International Blvd and 88th Ave
City of
Oakland
Street Light
Telegraph and 51st St; International Blvd at
50th, 65th (2), 70th (2), 80th (2), 88th (2), 102nd
City of
Oakland
Street Light
12th St at Broadway, Harrison St; 11th St and
Broadway; International Blvd and 5th Ave; E
12th St and 2nd Ave
Relocate
Street lights conflict with proposed bus platforms.
5
City of
San
Leandro
Street Light
E 14th St at Begier, Haas Ave
Relocate
Street lights conflict with proposed bus platforms.
2
AT&T
Telephone
Manhole
12th St and Broadway
AT&T
Telephone
Manhole
International Blvd and 31st Ave
Unknown
Manhole
Telegraph Ave and 21st St; International Blvd
and 83rd Ave (3)
Unknown
Handhole
Telegraph Ave and 21st St; International Blvd
and 45th, 47th, 50th Avenues
Unknown
Manhole
International and 52nd Ave
EBMUD
Water Valve
Broadway and 14th St; 12th St and Harrison,
Madison Streets
EBMUD
Water Valve
International Blvd at 3rd, 4th (4), 11th Avenues
Adjust
Storm drain manhole cover is beneath proposed grade of
sidewalk widening.
Adjust
Storm drain manhole cover is beneath proposed grade of
new median.
Relocate
Street lights are at end of proposed curb ramps; relocation
required.
Relocate
Manhole conflicts with proposed bus platform. Vault to be
left in place, only access point (manhole) will be relocated.
Relocate
Manhole conflicts with proposed median curb. Vault to be
left in place, only access point (manhole) will be relocated.
Adjust
Manhole covers are beneath proposed grade of new median
/ sidewalk widening.
Adjust
Handhole covers are beneath proposed grade of new curb
bulbs.
Relocate
Manhole conflicts with proposed curb.
Relocate
Water valve conflicts with proposed bus platform.
Adjust
Water valve covers are beneath proposed grade of new curb
bulb.
TOTAL
AC Transit East Bay BRT Project
Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
January 2012
1
1
2
1
1
4
3
1
3
6
87
4.5-6