After applying for a state grant nine months ago, the Oakland Tribune reported on Sunday that the city has received the grant and will begin the Alternatives Analysis soon (likely early next year).  Alternatives Analyses are required for every major transportation project to evaluate various options based on cost-effectiveness, environmental impact, economic impact, engineering constraints, and other criteria.  Depending on the speed and prioritization of the AA within Oakland city government, the study will likely be completed sometime during 2013.  For a comparison, Los Angeles is currently wrapping up the AA for their downtown streetcar, a process which took about a year to complete.  It will be exciting when the study kicks off early next year; stay tuned for more information.