A project by Laura Melahn, Candidate for Menlo Park District 4 City Council
Transportation/Traffic
Funded FY27–31

Middle Avenue Caltrain Crossing

Project CPT005 · Public Works

Also identified in the budget as “Middle Ave Caltrain Cross Stud” (project code CPT005).

Cost & funding
Five-year planned cost
$830,000
Where the money comes from
  • Special Revenue Funds$830,000
Specifically
  • Transportation Impact Fees$830,000

    Fees paid by new development to offset its traffic impact. Can only fund transportation projects in the City's nexus study.

Source: FY 2026–27 CIP, Fund 351 appropriation.

Funding pathway
External grant pursuitIn pursuit

Middle Plaza/Stanford developer contribution ($5M) committed. Remaining gap depends on federal grade-separation funding (FRA CRISI), state TIRCP, regional MTC/SamTrans participation, and the County Transportation Authority. Several years of grant cycles. Voter-approved local funding may also be required.

→ See grants & funding
Category
Capital Improvement Plan
Department
Public Works
Planned revenue, FY 2027–31
$2,130,000
Spent FY 2023–25
$4,648,797
Estimated lifetime cost
$62,000,000
›Budget labels for this project

Sources: City of Menlo Park OpenGov CIP detail, project code CPT005; resident-facing name shown here is “Middle Avenue Caltrain Crossing”. The OpenGov summary label is “Middle Ave Caltrain Cross Stud”. Budget worksheet labeled “Middle Avenue Caltrain Study”. Budget proposal labeled “Middle Avenue Caltrain Crossing Study Design and Construction”.

$40.2M
Funding gap
Estimated lifetime cost $62,000,000
Estimated lifetime cost
$62,000,000
Secured (awarded, received, allocated)
$12,788,334
Committed, not yet executed
$9,000,000
Pending application
$0
Anticipated (not yet applied for)
$0
Funding gap (not yet covered)
$40,211,666
›Show source

The lifetime cost estimate is $62,000,000, from Caltrain March 2024 cost update (cited in Staff Report 24-074-CC) (March 1, 2024). Source: https://www.menlopark.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/public-works/documents/capital-improvement-program/20240507-middle-caltrain-staff-report.pdf. The funding gap is the estimated lifetime cost minus all funding that has not been lost, added up from the funding sources listed below. Year-by-year figures come from the City's adopted five-year capital plan.

Who is paying

Funding sources

Each source carries its own status and citation. Expand a row to see the conditions, dates, and source document. “Ongoing” sources are recurring formula funds; sources still being pursued show no dollar amount.

›Transportation Impact FeesAllocated
$5,658,334
City of Menlo Park (city) · design and construction

From city Transportation Impact Fee fund (Fund 351). City discretionary.

Source document
›Middle Plaza development agreement contributionCommitted
$5,000,000
Stanford University (private) · construction

Conditions: Tied to Middle Plaza development entitlement

Private contribution per the development agreement; releases on project milestones.

Source document
›One Bay Area Grant – Third Cycle (OBAG-3)Awarded
$5,000,000
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (regional) · construction

Conditions: OBAG-3 cycle programming

Awarded by MTC in January 2023.

Awarded January 1, 2023
Source document
›Federal omnibus budget bill member-designated projectCommitted
$4,000,000
USDOT (via Rep. Eshoo earmark) (federal) · construction

Conditions: Requires NEPA clearance; subject to federal grant administration

Nominated by Rep. Eshoo, included in December 2022 federal omnibus.

Awarded December 1, 2022
Source document
›Measure A/W Pedestrian/Bicycle ProgramAwarded
$1,130,000
SMC Transportation Authority (county) · design

Programmed by SMCTA on Jul 20, 2016 from the Measure A Grade Pedestrian/Bicycle Program.

Awarded July 20, 2016
Source document
›Stanford recreational mitigation grantAwarded
$1,000,000
Santa Clara County (county) · construction

Santa Clara County recreational mitigation funds tied to Stanford GUP.

Source document
Spending

Spending by year

Past years are recorded actuals from the City's general ledger. FY 2026 is the adopted current-year budget. FY 2027 through FY 2031 is what the five-year Capital Improvement Plan proposes to spend.

FY 23$120,089
FY 24$3,941,099
FY 25$587,610
FY 27$830,000
Spent Current year (adopted) Planned
›Where the money went, line by line
YearFundCategoryAmount
FY 23Special Revenue FundsServices$118,831
FY 23Special Revenue FundsSalaries and Wages$901
FY 23Special Revenue FundsFringe Benefits$358
FY 24Special Revenue FundsFixed Assets & Capital Outlay$3,805,150
FY 24Special Revenue FundsServices$131,564
FY 24Special Revenue FundsSalaries and Wages$2,963
FY 24Special Revenue FundsFringe Benefits$1,294
FY 24Special Revenue FundsOperating Expenses$128
FY 25Special Revenue FundsServices$587,610
›Show source

Past years are summed from gl_transactions for this project. FY 2026 is the adopted current-year budget for the project. FY 2027 through FY 2031 is what the City's adopted five-year CIP proposes to spend, taken from cip_projects.

How decisions were made

Council actions

  1. authorize

    Council authorized $2M MOU with Caltrain (JPB) for Middle Ave advanced preliminary design and environmental clearance

    ›Details

    Authorized the City Manager to execute the MOU with Caltrain (PCJPB) for $2,000,000 to develop engineering design and environmental clearance documents. Scope: advanced preliminary design, NEPA clearance (CEQA already done in 2020), CMGC RFP issuance, independent cost estimating. MOU term through December 31, 2026.

    Staff recommendation: Authorize the city manager to execute the MOU with Caltrain for $2,000,000

    Vote: consent
    Staff report 24-074-CC
  2. approve

    Council approved updated Middle Ave Caltrain Crossing design based on Caltrain comments

    ›Details

    Approved a redesign shifting the tunnel south, lowering it about 3 feet to facilitate construction without interrupting railroad operations, and extending the tunnel length to place the ramps out of Caltrain's right-of-way. Council also requested Caltrain consider an "uncovered" segment of the tunnel in the part of Caltrain's right-of-way not currently needed for active train service.

  3. approve

    Council approved modification to PD permit for 700-800 El Camino Real to facilitate Middle Ave ramp acquisition

    ›Details

    Approved a modification to the planned development permit for 700-800 El Camino Real to facilitate the purchase of a portion of that property for the ramps for the crossing, as recommended by the Planning Commission on May 1, 2023.

  4. authorize

    Council authorized service agreement with Caltrain (JPB) for Middle Ave project development activities

    ›Details

    Authorized City Manager to sign a service agreement with Caltrain to conduct project development activities, including reviewing the proposed design, developing one or more RFPs for design, developing an MOU to conduct final design, and selecting a preferred contracting method.

  5. adopt

    Resolution 6690 authorizing PSA with Menlo Station Development for portion of 700-800 El Camino Real

    ›Details

    Council adopted Resolution No. 6690 authorizing the City Manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement with Menlo Station Development, LLC, for a portion of 700-800 El Camino Real (APN 071-333-200) to support implementation of the Middle Avenue pedestrian and bicycle rail crossing. $100K deposit paid May 5, 2022; purchase scheduled to close May 6, 2024.

    Staff report Resolution No. 6690
  6. approve

    Council certified Middle Ave project environmental document and approved 30% project plans

    ›Details

    Council certified the addendum to the El Camino Real and Downtown specific plan EIR and approved the 30% project plans. This was the CEQA clearance step; NEPA clearance was still pending as of the May 2024 MOU.

  7. approve

    City Council selected preferred alternative for Middle Ave Caltrain Crossing

    ›Details

    Council unanimously passed a motion to select an undercrossing approximately 10-12 feet below the street/plaza elevation that generally aligns with a proposed raised crosswalk on Alma Street and is slightly offset from the plaza at 500 El Camino Real (Stanford's Middle Plaza development).

    Vote: unanimous
  8. authorize

    SMCTA programmed $490K from Measure A Grade Pedestrian/Bicycle Program for Middle Ave preliminary engineering

    ›Details

    SMCTA (San Mateo County Transportation Authority) action — not Menlo Park Council. Initial $490K seed funding for preliminary engineering and environmental clearance phases of the Middle Ave Caltrain Crossing project.

Not yet in the budget

Pending Council actions

2 items for this project have been flagged but are not in the current budget. These are commitments the City knows it will need to address — tracked here so they're visible alongside what's being voted on now.

high

Middle Ave Caltrain Crossing — MOU amendment for design completion

Amount:
$5.4M
Deadline:
November 9, 2027 (about 17 months away)
Expected action:
Unknown — staff said at January 27, 2026 study session they would "return to City Council with an amendment"
Status:
pending
›Consequence of inaction

Without the MOU amendment, design cannot proceed past the current 35% level. The Middle Plaza Development Agreement (DA-2017-102644) requires Substantial Crossing Progress (Section 1.24: final design completed and Council-approved, CEQA compliance achieved, 15% of construction funding secured) by November 9, 2027 to preserve Stanford's approximately $6M Crossing Payment contribution (Section 5, escalated annually by ENR-CCI from $5M nominal). If Substantial Crossing Progress is not achieved by the DA expiration date, Stanford is relieved of the contribution obligation per Section 5. The cumulative consequence of inaction is loss of approximately $6M from Stanford plus the related Education Foundation second payment of up to $1M under Section 6.

Source: Staff Report #26-010-CC (January 27, 2026); Middle Plaza Development Agreement, recorded San Mateo County Document #2017-102644

high

Middle Ave Caltrain Crossing — construction phase funding gap

Amount:
$34M – $43M
Expected action:
Multi-year grant pursuit; no single Council action scheduled
Status:
in negotiation
›Consequence of inaction

Federal omnibus and OBAG-3 grants have expiration windows; if not extended or fully drawn, those funds may be lost as the project timeline extends. Stanford recreational mitigation funds and Stanford Crossing Payment are tied to DA timelines (see related commitment for design MOU amendment).

Source: Staff Report #26-010-CC (January 27, 2026), Table 3 and Project funding shortfall section