Appendix 2.1

Attachments to City of King Comment Letter
Conceptual Design Multi-Modal Transportation Center

Report level: Concept Design

Prepared By:

RailPros, Inc.

Revised February 24, 2014

1 Ada Parkway |Suite 200|Irvine|California|92618

www.railpros.com

Office 714.734.8765 

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Background

The City of King, California has identified a need to optimize transit connections for the transit 

dependent population by consolidating the existing transit and multi-modal passenger transportation 

activities, and to facilitate the re-establishment of the King City train station ("Station") at First Street in 

the Historic Downtown.

On its behalf, a Multi-modal Transportation Center Development Strategy (the Strategy) has been 

prepared, which sets forth the actions the City should take to facilitate the funding and development of 

the Multi-modal Transportation Center (MMTC). 

The MMTC concept includes re-establishing the historic 1886 passenger rail station “King’s Station” as 

part of the new Amtrak Coast Daylight train service and potential establishment of Coast Starlight 

service. A key recommendation contained in the Strategy specifically recommends that a detailed 

conceptual design of the Multi-Modal Transportation Center and its rail station component be prepared. 

The following discussion summarizes the proposed MMTC Conceptual Design and the railroad track and 

Amtrak station facility improvements anticipated for enhanced operations of commuter and freight train 

operations. 

King City Multi-Modal Transportation Center 

The proposed King City Multi-Modal Transportation Center is located west of the existing tracks 

between the proposed Broadway crossing and San Lorenzo Creek. The proposed MMTC consists of the 

following components:

1. A passenger platform, a passenger drop-off and loading zone, a small station building with 

restrooms and storage rooms, and four passenger shelter canopies.

2. A parking lot for station patrons. 

3. A staging area for Fort Hunter Liggett.

4. A bus stop accommodating Amtrak Thruway, Greyhound, and Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) 

bus service, Pinnacles National Park shuttle service, taxi service, and bicycle facilities. 

5. Improvements to First Street between Division Street and Broadway Street, including the 

introduction of street trees, center medians, bike lanes, parallel parking, as well as curb 

extensions, crosswalks and traffic signals at the intersections with Broadway Street, Bassett 

Street, and Pearl Street.

6. The De Anza Trail extension south of Division Street to San Lorenzo Creek. 

Train Station and Platform 

The proposed Station is serviced by a 1,200 feet long and 16 feet wide side platform, pursuant to Amtrak 

standards. The platform ends approximately 100 feet from the proposed Broadway crossing, on the 

north end, to allow for proper activation of the crossing warning equipment. On the south end, the 

platform ends clear of the proposed railroad signal and turnout. See Exhibit A for platform and track 

concept plan. The platform is proposed to be within UPRR right of way.

The train platform is separated from the parking lots by a low fence with periodic breaks to allow access 

between the platform and the adjacent “kiss ‘n ride” drop-off zone and parking lot, which are described 

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below (see Exhibit B, Figure 1 and Figure 2). Four passenger shelter canopies are provided along the 

platform, two to the north of the station building and two to the south. 

The train station building, located near the midpoint of the platform, includes an enclosed bike room on 

the north end of the building, and at the south end a uni-sex restroom and two storage rooms, one for 

the Amtrak Station and the other for Fort Hunter Liggett. Between these enclosed rooms is a covered, 

somewhat wind sheltered but unenclosed waiting area with benches and Quik-Trak ticketing machines. 

As the station design is developed further, glass walls to further shelter passengers from wind without 

compromising visibility and security might be explored.

The station building design is essentially a hybrid of Amtrak’s Category 3 Caretaker Station (which 

includes a fully enclosed interior passenger waiting area) and a Category 4 Shelter Station (which 

provides no enclosed rooms). A small plaza on the First Street side of the station building provides a 

welcoming place for passengers and visitors passing through the station. 

The train station building and train canopy designs are influenced by the design of the historic King City 

Train Depot and other train stations and platforms of approximately the same period (see below 

illustrative images). Further design guidance may be provided by the Architectural Guidelines of the City 

of King Historic Corridor Revitalization Plan. 

 

Station Patron Parking Lot

Off-street parking for Amtrak, Greyhound, and MST passengers is provided between Bassett Street and 

Pearl Street (see Exhibit B, Figure 1). The parking lot provides 59 parking spaces and is screened from 

First Street by street trees, a three-foot high wall, and landscaping. Access to the parking lot is provided 

from both Bassett Street and Pearl Street. A 12-foot wide “kiss ‘n ride” drop-off lane is provided along 

the entire length of the east side of the parking lot, adjacent to the platform. The “kiss ‘n ride” lane may 

also accommodate Amtrak Thruway buses which would enter from Pearl Street, pick-up and drop-off 

passengers, and then exit via Bassett Street where they may proceed to the north or to the south along 

First Street. 

The paving of the parking lot slopes upward from First Street toward the railroad at a grade of less than 

4%, so that the platforms can be accessed without steps or ramps (see Exhibit B, Figure 5).

Fort Hunter Liggett Staging Area

A staging area for troop mobilizations to and from Fort Hunter Liggett is located to the south of the 

station building and south of Pearl Street. The staging area design – to be finalized by Fort Hunter 

Liggett – accommodates parking and queuing for multiple buses and/or vehicles to pick-up and deliver 

troops to and from Fort Hunter Liggett. The staging area is accessed from the south via a one-way 14-

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foot wide queue lane that begins at Division Street and runs parallel to First Street along its east side 

and partially within the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way; it may be necessary to acquire right-of-way 

from UPRR for this purpose. Buses and/or other vehicles would pick-up or drop-off troops along the 

platform or within the staging area and then exit via Pearl Street where they may proceed to the north 

or to the south along First Street. The queue lane is separated from First Street by street trees, 

landscaping, and a low split rail fence. Gates can be provided at the southern end of the queue lane and 

at the northern side of the staging area. 

Like the Station Patron Parking Lot, the Fort Hunter Liggett lot is screened from First Street by street 

trees, a three-foot high wall (or a higher, transparent fence if required by Fort Hunter Liggett), and 

landscaping. In addition, an existing Union Pacific structure located near the southeast corner of First 

Street and Pearl Street is retained. 

The paving of the staging area slopes upward from First Street toward the railroad at a grade of less 

than 4%, so that the platforms can be accessed without steps or ramps (see Exhibit B, Figure 6). 

Multi-modal Service

Bus service for Amtrak Thruway Bus, Greyhound Bus, two MST fixed routes, and shuttle service to 

Pinnacles National Park, are accommodated in a bus turnout lane along the east side of First Street 

between Pearl Street and Bassett Street and, if needed, along the east side of First Street in front of the 

Fort Hinter Liggett staging area. Along the bus turnout lane are a wide sidewalk, shade trees, and two 

bus shelters. Amtrak Thruway buses may also pull into the station patron parking lot from Pearl Street, 

pick-up and drop-off passengers along the “kiss n’ ride” drop-off lane, and exist via Bassett Street to First 

Street. Taxis may queue along the east side of First Street in front of the Fort Hunter Liggett stating 

area. As mentioned above, an enclosed and secure bike room is included in the Train Station Building. 

First Street Improvements

Street trees, curb extensions, crosswalks, center medians, and on-street parking are introduced along 

First Street to signal to motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists that they are entering Downtown and the 

station area. The existing curbs are retained – except for where curb extensions are introduced at 

Broadway Street, Bassett Street, and Pearl Street – along the entire west side of First Street between 

Division Street and Broadway and along the east side of First Street between Division Street and the 

south side of the Fort Hunter Liggett staging area. 

First Street between Broadway Street and Bassett Street (see Exhibit B, Figure 3). This section includes 

parallel parking on both sides of the street, one bike lane and one traffic lane in each direction, and a 

left turn lane/planted median. Sidewalks are urban in character with street trees planted in tree wells. 

In order to accommodate the parallel parking and a sidewalk of sufficient width along the east side of 

First Street, that curb will need to be reconstructed approximately 8 feet to the east of the existing curb 

and the right-of way width will need to be increased by a similar amount. 

First Street between Bassett Street and Pearl Street (see Exhibit B, Figure 4). This section consists of 

parallel parking on the west side of the street, a bus turnout lane on the east side of the street, one bike 

lane and one traffic lane in each direction, and a left turn lane/planted median. Sidewalks are urban in 

character with street trees planted in tree wells. Two bus shelters are provided next to the bus turnout 

lane. 

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First Street south of Pearl Street to the curve (see Exhibit B, Figure 3). This section is the same as 

between Broadway Street and Bassett Street, with the parallel parking on the east side of the street 

accommodating taxi queuing. 

First Street between curve and Division Street (See Exhibit B, Figure 6). This section includes one bike 

lane and one traffic lane in each direction, a left turn lane/planted median, and a sidewalk with 

continuous street tree planter strips along the west side of the street. There is no on-street parking on 

this stretch of First Street. As indicated above, a dedicated queue lane for Fort Hunter Liggett vehicles – 

separated from First Street by landscaping, street trees, and a low split-rail fence – is provided along the 

east side of First Street. This queue lane can also serve as a segment of the De Anza Trail, connecting 

hikers directly to the new train station. 

First Street south of Division Street: (see Exhibit B, Figure 7) This segment would remain substantially as 

it is – with one travel lane in each direction – with the recommended addition of landscape and street 

trees to improve the image of this important gateway to Downtown King City. 

De Anza Trail

The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail – a 1,210-mile National Park Service trail that extends 

from Nogales on the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, through the California desert, and along the 

California coast to San Francisco – is accommodated along the west side of the railroad tracks and 

platform to the station. South of Division Street it consists of a 12-foot wide paved trail that is 

separated from First Street by landscaping, street trees, and a low split-rail fence; north of Division 

Street – and with the approval of Fort Hunter Liggett – it can share the Forth Hunt Liggett queue lane. 

During times when Fort Hunter Liggett is using the queue lane – or if the queue lane must be dedicated 

entirely to Fort Hunter Liggett – pedestrians and cyclists would cross First Street at Division Street and 

proceed along the sidewalk along the west side of First Street. A five-foot high chain link fence 

separates the De Anza Trail and the railroad right-of-way. UPRR does not allow trails on their right of 

way for safety reasons; acquisition of this portion of the right-of-way may be necessary. 

Track Realignment and Siding Extension

In order to maintain concurrent operations of freight (UPRR) and passenger (Amtrak) trains, the 

proposed corridor improvements noted in Exhibit C are recommended. The proposed track corridor 

improvements include:

• Installation of No 24 Power-Operated Turnout (North of Lorenzo Creek)

• Track re-alignment of UPRR mainline and siding tracks near the proposed station

• Siding extension (North of King City downtown area), with the new track on 20’ centers to the 

existing track.

• Track re-alignment of main track and existing siding to establish 20’ track centers

• New Universal Crossover (Power-Operated No. 24)

• Installation of Power-Operated No 24 Turnout ( South of Spreckles Road)

The proposed track improvements above allow for stopping Amtrak trains on the siding without 

impacting UPRR’s capacity. The design is intended to allow Amtrak and UPRR trains to meet and pass 

each other near the station or along the siding to the north without limiting or disrupting the service 

operations of either UPRR or Amtrak. The proposed turnouts and crossovers improve operations for 

both Amtrak and UPRR by provide access back and forth across proposed siding and mainline tracks at 

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multiple locations. The proposed siding outside of the downtown area recreates the siding capacity 

UPRR might otherwise lose if the existing siding were transformed into a siding serving Amtrak trains. 

Phasing

The Multi-Modal Transportation Center cannot proceed without the removal of the southern portion of 

the Meyer’s building that currently is built on the future Broadway right-of-way, the subsequent 

construction of the Broadway Street at-grade crossing, and the closure of the Pearl Street at-grade 

crossing. 

Phase 1 would include construction of the train platform, station building, and canopies, as well as the 

entryway and curb extensions at Pearl Street. The existing L.A. Hearne warehouse building on the 

northeast corner of First Street and Pearl Street – occupying most of the area intended for the station 

patron parking lot – could remain, with interim passenger parking accommodated in the area intended 

for future Fort Hunter Liggett staging operations or preferably in a temporary gravel parking lot between 

the new Broadway at-grade crossing and the existing L.A. Hearne building. If the First Street 

improvements could also be constructed in the phase, additional parking would be available along the 

east side of First Street.

During Phase 2, the existing building L.A. Hearne building is removed and the station patron parking lot 

is built. At that time – if not before – the bus turnout lane and the Bassett Street entry and curb 

extensions would be constructed, along with the First Street improvements between Pearl Street and 

Broadway Street. Once the station patron parking lots between Pearl Street and Bassett Street is 

constructed, a commercial or mixed-use building can be built on the southeast corner of Broadway 

Street and First Street. 

During Phase 3, First Street south of Pearl Street is improved, the Fort Hunter Liggett queue lane is 

constructed, and the De Anza trail south of Division Street is built. In addition a crosswalk is introduced 

across First Street at Division Street so that De Anza Trail users can travel along the west side of First 

Street in the event that the Fort Hunter Liggett queue lane is in use or if Fort Hunter Liggett determines 

that the queues lane should be dedicated solely to Fort Hunter Liggett. 

Conclusion

The Multi-Modal Transportation Center improvements described above and detailed in the Conceptual 

Drawings, attached as Exhibits, serve to consolidate the City’s transportation and transit activities at a 

central location in the downtown area. The concept was developed to serve various forms of transit and 

transportation, centered at the proposed Amtrak station, based on the Multimodal Transportation 

Center Development Strategy and information provided by the City. Coordination with UPRR and 

Amtrak will be necessary as plans for the Multi-Modal Transportation Center develop further. 

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DEC. 2013 1 Ada Parkway | Suite 200 | Irvine | California | 92618

www.railpros.com EXISTING TRACK PROPOSED TRACK REMOVE TRACK LEGEND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED PLATFORM SCALE: IN FEET 0' 25' 50' 100' 150' 

PROPOSED RAILROAD STATION 1200' PLATFORM PROPOSED PEARL ST CLOSURE

Multi-Modal Transportation Center Parking Lot

New Urban Realty Advisors, Inc.

King City, CA

30 May 2014

0’ 5’ 10’ 15’ 20’ 40’ 50’

Scale: 1” = 10’ north

SARGENT

TOW N P L A N N I N G 

LOS ANGELES | BERKELEY | ALBUQUERQUE
Multi-Modal Transportation Center Parking Lot

New Urban Realty Advisors, Inc.

King City, CA

30 May 2014

0’ 5’ 10’ 15’ 20’ 40’ 50’

Scale: 1” = 10’ north

SARGENT

TOW N P L A N N I N G 

LOS ANGELES | BERKELEY | ALBUQUERQUE
DEC. 2013 1 Ada Parkway | Suite 200 | Irvine | California | 92618

www.railpros.com EXISTING TRACK PROPOSED TRACK REMOVE TRACK LEGEND

MATCH LINE - SEE MIDDLE LEFT

SCALE: IN FEET 0' 25' 50' 100' 150'

MATCH LINE - SEE BOTOM LEFTMATCH LINE - SEE SHEET B2
DEC. 2013 1 Ada Parkway | Suite 200 | Irvine | California | 92618

www.railpros.com EXISTING TRACK PROPOSED TRACK REMOVE TRACK LEGEND

MATCH LINE - SEE MIDDLE LEFT SCALE: IN FEET 0' 25' 50' 100' 150'

MATCH LINE - SEE BOTOM LEFTMATCH LINE - SEE SHEET B3
DEC. 2013 1 Ada Parkway | Suite 200 | Irvine | California | 92618

www.railpros.com EXISTING TRACK PROPOSED TRACK REMOVE TRACK LEGEND

MATCH LINE - SEE MIDDLE LEFT SCALE: IN FEET 0' 25' 50' 100' 150'

MATCH LINE - SEE BOTOM LEFTMATCH LINE - SEE SHEET B4
DEC. 2013 1 Ada Parkway | Suite 200 | Irvine | California | 92618

www.railpros.com EXISTING TRACK PROPOSED TRACK REMOVE TRACK LEGEND

MATCH LINE - SEE MIDDLE LEFT SCALE: IN FEET 0' 25' 50' 100' 150'

MATCH LINE - SEE BOTOM LEFTMATCH LINE - SEE SHEET B5
MATCH LINE - SEE MIDDLE LEFT SCALE: IN FEET 0' 25' 50' 100' 150'

MATCH LINE - SEE BOTOM LEFT

MATCH LINE - SEE SHEET B6

DEC. 2013 1 Ada Parkway | Suite 200 | Irvine | California | 92618

www.railpros.com EXISTING TRACK PROPOSED TRACK REMOVE TRACK LEGEND 
SCALE: IN FEET 0' 25' 50' 100' 150'

DEC. 2013 1 Ada Parkway | Suite 200 | Irvine | California | 92618

www.railpros.com EXISTING TRACK PROPOSED TRACK REMOVE TRACK LEGEND