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BACKGROUND The I-680/Sunol Boulevard Interchange is located at the southwest city limits and shares a border with the County of Alameda. 1-680 is a north-south interstate highway that currently is a six-lane highway carrying approximately 150,000 vehicles per day. The high volume of commute traffic accessing the interchange causes recurring congestion along Sunol Boulevard during the morning peak hour. The Sunol and 1-680 southbound ramp was metered in 2011. The single lane design requires that the meter operate at "two cars per green." However, even using the "two cars per green" operation, an insufficient number of vehicles are able to access the freeway with the one lane ramp configuration. This creates a southbound vehicle queue that extends back to Arlington Drive on a regular basis. This congestion results in vehicle cut-through traffic along Arlington Drive, Happy Valley Road, Pleasanton/Sunol Road and Riddell Street. DISCUSSION The Cooperative Agreement between the City and Caltrans is the initial step in a locally prepared PID Process. The PID process, as required by California Streets and Highways code sections 114 and 130 and Government Code 65086.5, is a technical document required by Caltrans for modifications on the State Highway System. In general, the PID sets the foundation for the appropriate engineering design and solution by obtaining early project scope and concept approval from Caltrans, as they are a key stakeholder and provide project oversight. For this project, the City will conduct a streamlined version of the PID known as a Project Study Report-Project Development Support (PSR-PDS). The PSR-PDS allows the City and Caltrans to identify the project's purpose and needs, and will develop a range of conceptual design alternatives that are intended to fulfill the project's purpose. These are done at conceptual levels and do not require extensive project details and design, which allows for a faster paced process. The PID is also a key step in positioning projects for subsequent funding and to prioritize Caltrans workload. The Cooperative Agreement outlines the City's and Caltrans' purpose and responsibilities during the PID phase. It is estimated the cost to the City to reimburse Caltrans will be approximately $204,000. This cost is based on the total amount of hours the combined Caltrans staff is estimated to work during the PID phase. Caltrans, however, will only seek reimbursement for actual charges, thus, the total reimbursed cost to Caltrans may be less. This cost is typical of a project this size, type, and complexity. City staff is in the process of selecting a design consultant with Caltrans project development experience to aid the City during the PID phase. Staff will return to the City Council at a later date with a design consultant recommendation and will seek approval to enter in a contract to begin work. Page 2 of 3