Transforming California's future with High-Speed Rail

The largest public-works project in the history of California could bring our state great environmental, economic, and social benefits - if the legislature and governor keep it alive in this year's state budget. For over two decades, California has been planning how to construct a high-speed rail (HSR) line to transport passengers between downtown Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Central Valley. The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHRSA, the responsible agency) is close to finishing environmental studies needed before beginning construction.

Why we need High-Speed Rail

Imagine traveling between downtown San Francisco and downtown Los Angeles in just 2.5 hours with the completion of the first phase of HSR between Anaheim and the Bay Area. As in Europe and Japan, HSR travel would be safer, more comfortable and convenient, and cheaper than flying or driving for many trips.

By conservative projections, HSR would reduce 8.79 million tons/year of greenhouse gas emissions in California by the year 2030 - the equivalent of 1.7 million cars off the road every year (Transportation and Land Use Coalition, 2007). This is nearly half the target for reduction of greenhouse gases set by the governor's Climate Action Team for the transportation sector by 2020 in response to AB 32, California's landmark law for reducing greenhouse gases. Millions of Californians could avoid traffic gridlock, reduce pollution, and save lots of energy - with trains powered by electricity from clean and renewable sources.

While the total $40 billion price tag is daunting, the projected cost to expand freeways and airports to handle future travel demand if HSR is not built is twice that amount. Expanding auto and air travel would cause irreparable harm to our climate and air quality. Multi-billion dollar proposals to expand San Francisco and Los Angeles airports and fill in over 1,000 acres of San Francisco Bay, have failed in the past due to outcry from environmentalists and the local community, but the pressures to expand would remain great without travel alternatives like HSR in place.

HSR will shape development in California to be more compact and environmentally friendly than otherwise, bolstering the economic vitality of downtowns, especially in the Central Valley. New stations will be primarily located in downtowns and at existing transit hubs. The Authority will require development plans to be in place before finalizing station locations. Requirements include:

• more compact development than the existing pattern of development in the surrounding area, with minimum requirements for density;
• a mix of land uses and housing types to meet the needs of the local community;
• compact pedestrian-oriented design that promotes walking, bicycling, and transit access;
• context-sensitive building design with new buildings designed in relation to streets, plazas, other open-space areas, and parking structures;
• limits on the amount of parking for new development, and market-priced parking.

The Authority is now working to further define land use policies.

The route

The CHSRA certified the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the statewide project last year, with the exception of the Bay Area to Central Valley portion. The current phase of environmental studies will help identify the preferred route into the Bay Area. One route, favored by boosters in San Jose, would be via Gilroy, through the Pacheco Pass, roughly following Highway 152. The other route would be via Tracy and Livermore, over the Altamont Pass, roughly following existing rail lines, I-580 and a new rail tunnel from Fremont to Pleasanton - avoiding Alameda Creek and Niles Canyon. The San Jose route would traverse open space and Central Valley wetlands.

The Pacheco route would oblige travelers between the Bay Area and Sacramento to travel south through Gilroy and Merced, traversing twice the length of the proposed Altamont route and adding 45 minutes to a 66-minute trip between the Bay Area and Sacramento. The Altamont route would connect every city in the Bay Area, except San Jose, to the rest of the state with a faster trip than the Pacheco option. For San Jose, the Altamont route would lengthen the trip to Los Angeles by 10 minutes. There is a 60-day public comment process ending Sep. 28.

The budget crisis

The CHSRA requested $103 million in this year's budget to complete the environmental review, some engineering studies, and begin purchasing critical right-of-ways. The Schwarzenegger administration proposed giving HSR just $1.2 million, which was later augmented with $3.5 million in state funds granted by the Orange County Transportation Authority and $500,000 carried over from last year's HSR budget. The state legislature has approved a budget that gives HSR $15.5 million in additional funds, barely enough to keep the statewide project alive - There is a real danger that Gov. Schwarzenegger will cut the amount to zero, killing the current HSR project.

HSR uses proven technology and has a strong track record. Japan celebrated 40 years of HSR in 2004. Its first HSR trains are now in museums. Profits generated by Japan's HSR system have been used to subsidize local commuter lines. Taiwan, Turkey, Argentina, and Mexico have recently built or are in the process of constructing HSR lines. For the sake of our environmental future, it's time for California to catch up.

WhatYouCanDo

The most helpful action for you to take at this time is to contact Gov. Schwarzenegger at (916) 445-2841 or:

State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814.

Ask him to fund HSR at a level that will allow for completion of the environmental and engineering studies, and for continued progress on getting HSR built.

Six public hearings on the Draft Bay Area to Central Valley High-Speed Train (HST) Program EIR/EIS have been scheduled from 4 - 6:30 pm from Aug. 23 - 30 in various locations. Details are at www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/public_notice/default.asp

To work with the Chapter Transportation Committee to help achieve HSR, please contact Chapter conservation manager or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 307

Margaret Okuzumi