All Points Bulletins

CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED TRAIN (Mar 17, 04)

WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD I CARE? (Feb 13, 04)

-
The California High-Speed Rail Authority proposes a high-speed train route from San Diego to Sacramento. The route is uncertain in several places, but generally it runs from San Diego to Los Angeles either along the coast where the rails now are or else along an inland route through Escondido, Temecula, Ontario, and the San Gabriel Valley; to Los Angeles.
-
From Los Angeles to Bakersfield the high-speed train would either parallel the present Interstate-5 roadbed or go to Palmdale, then Northward to Bakersfield. In either case, from Bakersfield to Sacramento the route would parallel Highway-99 through the Central Valley.
-
You can dial up the agency's website www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov to see the draft EIR/EIS and offer comments on the EIR/EIS. The website will also tell you how to get a CD-ROM of the EIR/EIS. The EIR/EIS can be read at some libraries. If you prefer, you may make mail or written comments about the EIR/EIS. The address is shown on the website.
-
This is NOT necessarily the same as the Magnetically Levitated high-speed rail you might have heard about. MagLev is a private initiative. It's possible to use the MagLev train on the proposed route, but that's a future decision.
-
There are objections to this (or any) rail; high speed or low. Many consider surface high-speed an idea whose time has come and gone. They believe we should concentrate on air transport for high-speed movement of people and goods, and they claim a rail system will only get more and more obselete with time.
-

THE STATUS (Mar 17, 04)

-
The High Speed Rail Draft EIR is available online at:
-
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/eir/regional_studies/default.asp
-
The statewide proposal is slated to go out for voter approval in 2006. Two high speed rail lines will come south into San Diego.
-
A. The first line is along the Coast. Three alternatives are being studied for this line from the rail station in LA.
-
i. Uses the current rail tracks that AMTRAK uses and the same stations (albeit, improvements will need to be made including double tracking). It would tunnel under UTC and have a stop at La Jolla Village Drive/Genessee.
-
ii. Similar to i. but would tunnel underneath Delmar and the I-5 near UCSD, and continue to downtown with no stops in UTC or UCSD.
-
iii. Create a separate track from the AMTRAK lines, to run down the I-5 corridor.
-
B. The second is from LA, out to San Bernardino, down to Riverside and onward to San Diego. There would be a stop in Escondido near I-15 and SR-78 with the next stop being at Mira Mesa. From Mira Mesa, there are several alternatives.
-
i. Continue down I-15 and terminate at the trolley station at Qualcomm Stadium.
-
ii. The other five proposals link the line back over to the coast route. The choices are to 1) follow Carroll Canyon, 2) follow Miramar Road, 3) follow SR-52, 4) cross SR-163 to I-5, or 5) follow SR-163 to I-8.
-
We have until May 14 to voice our opinions on these alternatives or other issues related to the statewide high speed rail system. A presentation will be held Tuesday, April 20, 2004 at SANDAG (401 B Street 8th floor) from 3:00PM - 8:00PM.
-
This is NOT the Magnetic Levitation (MAGLEV) rail proposal you might have heard about. That is a different creature, proposed as a privately owned rail service.
-