Council Advances $24M Trail Bridge Design With Federal Funds

The San Ramon City Council moved two infrastructure projects forward at its Sept. 21 special meeting — greenlighting a $2 million federally funded design for a butterfly-arch bicycle-pedestrian bridge over Crow Canyon Road and approving $228,792 in long-deferred ADA improvements. The council also launched the city's first veteran street banner program in partnership with the American Legion, while council comments surfaced a troubling transit stat: seven of County Connection's eight electric buses are sidelined.

• $2M design contract approved for $24M Iron Horse Trail overcrossing, funded by a federal earmark, with the city likely on the hook for only ~20% of total costs
• $228,792 ADA project at Crow Canyon/Cobblestone finally moves forward after years-long deferral at a homeowners association's request
• San Ramon launches veteran street banner pilot honoring fallen service members on San Ramon Valley Boulevard ahead of Veterans Day
• Seven of eight County Connection electric buses inactive due to battery and charger failures, raising questions about the region's zero-emission transit timeline
• School bus pass sales double, signaling growing demand for the city's student transportation program

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Federally Funded Bridge Design Clears Council

The basics: Resolution 2026-119 authorizes a $2,059,133 design agreement with Mark Thomas for a butterfly-arch bicycle-pedestrian overcrossing that would grade-separate the Iron Horse Trail from Crow Canyon Road — eliminating a dangerous crossing where trail users and vehicle traffic currently conflict. The total project is estimated at $24 million.

Why it matters: The design phase is fully funded by a federal congressional earmark, and staff say the city's general fund exposure for the overall $24 million project could be limited to roughly 20%, or about $5 million, mirroring the funding model used for the nearby Bollinger Bridge, where more than 80% of costs came from federal, state, and county sources across 10 different funding streams.

Where things stand: Five firms submitted proposals. After a competitive selection and interview process, Mark Thomas was chosen. Staff then negotiated the price down by approximately $250,000. "We saved — we're talking about a quarter million dollars. Well, we just saved a quarter million dollars. Brought the price down with Mark Thomas," said Brian Bornstein, Public Works staff. Environmental review is largely complete: CEQA was finished alongside the Bollinger Bridge CEQA, and NEPA clearance has been secured through Caltrans. Design will take an estimated 1.5 to 2 years; construction timing depends on securing additional grant funding.

Staff noted that a 20% local match is typical for projects of this scale. "Typically 20% is most of the time what an agency has to contribute," Bornstein said, adding that would be "similar to Bollinger."

The other side: Vice Mayor Marisol Rubio pressed on whether grant funding would be harder to secure given tightening budgets at state and federal agencies. "Will we be struggling to get the grants we're typically accustomed to being able to secure?" she asked. The City Manager said most funding comes from federal, state, or county sources and anticipated normal competitiveness.

Councilmember Sridhar Verose sought to dispel community speculation about budget strain. "People were spreading those rumors and, oh, that's the reason we were at budget crisis and all that, which is not true, right?" he said.

Mayor Mark Armstrong emphasized the federal funding source and broader support. "This is federal money. This is a federal earmark that our local congressman was able to get for us at our request, as well as some funding from CCTA," he said, noting his discussions with the Department of Transportation in Washington.

Councilmember Robert Jweinat recalled that the butterfly arch design was chosen by public vote. "This was put up for vote to the public, and I remember voting for the butterfly bridge. It was a beautiful design," he said.

A public commenter objected to the expenditure, arguing the bridge primarily benefits Pleasanton rather than San Ramon residents and citing competing priorities including road maintenance, police funding, and nonfunctional water fountains.

Decisions: Passed unanimously, 5-0 (For: Armstrong, Rubio, Adler, Jweinat, Verose; Against: none; Absent: none).

What's next: Design work begins with Mark Thomas over the next 1.5 to 2 years. The city will then pursue competitive grants to fund construction, aiming to replicate the multi-source model that kept general fund costs low on the Bollinger Bridge.

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Deferred ADA Work at Crow Canyon Finally Gets Green Light

Why it matters: A $228,792 contract to build ADA-compliant slope transitions at the Crow Canyon Road/Cobblestone intersection has been in limbo since the work was removed from the $14 million Crow Canyon Widening project at the request of the Cobblestone homeowners association, which cited construction access concerns. The HOA has since changed management companies, and the new manager supports completing the work.

Where things stand: Two bids came in: G.N. Henley Inc. at $198,950 and Dover at $486,434. The contract not-to-exceed amount of $228,792 includes contingencies. Staff expressed confidence in Henley's ability to deliver based on the firm's track record.

Councilmember Verose flagged the wide bid gap. "The second bid was $486,434. That's significantly different. So just wanted to make sure when this much difference, are we making sure that whatever we want to accomplish — is this low bid covering all of those?" Staff affirmed the lower bid covers the full scope.

Vice Mayor Rubio pressed on why the HOA had the power to halt a city infrastructure project in the first place. "If we're proceeding forward with something that they previously said, someone else previously said that there was concerns about doing, what specifically did this new property management company say to override that?" she asked. Staff explained the deferral was a practical accommodation, not a veto, and the new management simply confirmed the HOA was ready.

Councilmember Richard Adler asked whether the ADA improvements would help all pedestrians, not just wheelchair users, sharing a personal anecdote. "I had a friend who — he's an older person, and he fell because of the higher embankment," he said. Staff confirmed the slope transitions improve safety for all users.

The project is funded entirely through SCCGEPA developer impact fees — no general fund dollars.

Decisions: Passed unanimously, 5-0.

What's next: G.N. Henley will begin construction to complete the final piece of the Crow Canyon Widening project.

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San Ramon Launches Veteran Banner Pilot

Why it matters: San Ramon joins Danville, Dublin, and Livermore in recognizing local military veterans through commemorative street banners, starting with fallen service members. The pilot places up to 10 banners on San Ramon Valley Boulevard between Crow Canyon Road and Bollinger Canyon Road, with potential additional banners near Memorial Park, in time for Veterans Day 2026.

Where things stand: Under Resolution 2026-120, American Legion Mount Diablo Post 246 handles all applications, verifies military service through DD-214 records, and reimburses the city for banner production and installation. The city waives permit and pole-use fees and provides staff coordination and limited promotional support. The initial focus is on fallen veterans, with plans to cycle through current and living service members.

Mayor Armstrong said the program was overdue. "I see this in small towns and large cities all across the country. And so this is — it's, to me, this is a step in the right direction to bring this to the City of San Ramon to recognize our veterans as well," he said.

Councilmember Adler spoke emotionally about the initiative. "You can't recognize those, especially those that have given their lives, enough," he said, connecting it to his wife's hometown of Porterville and the recent 9/11 remembrance ceremony.

Council members asked about selection criteria transparency and fairness across military branches. Staff confirmed the American Legion manages dispute resolution and the selection process. Councilmember Verose suggested expanding the program to Dougherty Station. "I would definitely like to see this choosing Dougherty Station as our next site, that will be great," he said.

Councilmember Jweinat, in his capacity as a council member familiar with the city's legal framework, flagged that the city's 20-year-old banner policy needs updating. "The policy is 20 years old, notwithstanding the veterans, the message that we're trying to relay here. Putting that aside, constitutionally there's been some changes in the last 2 decades. The policy is old," he said, noting a policy committee review is forthcoming to address government speech law changes.

A public commenter supported the program but objected to the city charging pole fees to the American Legion, arguing veterans and their families deserve full fee waivers and drawing a comparison to fees waived for other community banner programs.

Decisions: Passed unanimously, 5-0.

What's next: The American Legion will begin accepting applications and verifying service records for the initial banner cohort ahead of Veterans Day 2026. A policy committee review of the broader banner policy is anticipated.

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Minor Items

• Consent items 5.1–5.3 approved unanimously as a block with no discussion.
• August register of demands (Item 5.4) accepted unanimously after Councilmember Verose pulled it to confirm all charges aligned with budget expectations. Staff confirmed no charges differed significantly. A public commenter criticized the register for listing only vendor names without specifying the purpose or location of each expense, arguing it fell short of accounting standards. Staff said listing each invoice separately is standard practice for transparency. Passed 5-0.
• School bus pass sales have doubled, Councilmember Jweinat reported from the Traffic Committee, calling it good news for the community and noting a potential future request for a school resource officer on a bus.
• Bay Area Grand Ganesh Festival at Bishop Ranch drew an estimated 25,000 attendees, with multiple council members attending to celebrate alongside the Association of Indo-Americans.
• County Connection electric bus fleet: Vice Mayor Rubio reported that "we have 8 electric buses, and unfortunately, 7 are currently inactive due to battery and wave charger issues," while paratransit satisfaction exceeds 80%.
• Mayor Armstrong highlighted a Convergence Tech Summit at Bishop Ranch featuring a new company called Innovate Bay, focused on attracting tech founders, startups, and investors to San Ramon.
• Vice Mayor Rubio attended the 25th Annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony and the Narika Gala supporting domestic violence services.
• Councilmember Adler reported the Teen Council has expanded its senior technology help sessions.
• Councilmember Verose reported the Arts Advisory Committee accepted four art pieces from Aditi Ranjan and provided updates from the MCE board meeting, including CEO search progress and the fiscal year 2026 financial audit.
• Mayor Armstrong reported on the CCTA Board meeting, which included presentations from AC Transit, County Connection, and BART on an upcoming regional transit ballot measure.
• Next regular council meeting: Oct. 13, 2026. The Sept. 22 meeting was canceled.