SAN JOSE, Calif. — The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released the final environmental report for the San Jose-San Francisco section of the project, moving closer to receiving environmental clearance for the entire San Francisco-Los Angeles route.
The authority board of directors will consider the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement at its meeting in August, along with approval of the preferred route between San Francisco and Santa Clara, Calif.
The San Jose-San Francisco segment will use the existing Caltrain rail line, with straightening of tracks to improve travel times. Under either of the two alternatives to be considered by the board, the existing Caltrain station at 4th and King Streets in San Francisco would be used on an interim basis, with modification to accommodate high speed equipment, until a connection is built to the Salesforce Transit Center currently used for bus service. The Caltrain station at Millbrae would be modified to provide a Bay Area Rapid Transit connection to San Francisco International Airport; a light maintenance facility would also be built, and additional safety improvements would be made. One of the alternatives also includes construction of an additional passing track.
“We’re making true progress on nearing full environmental clearance for the entire Phase 1 high-speed rail project,” Authority CEO Brian Kelly said in a press release. “With 380 miles from the Bay Area to northern Los Angeles County already complete, today’s release brings us into San Francisco and nearly 423 miles to be environmentally cleared. We look forward to the Board’s consideration of this document in August.”
The environmental documents for the San Francisco-San Jose segment are available here.
And they still want the rest of us to pay for it. Oh goody, I just can’t wait to write a check from my already empty bank account. LaLa Land really needs this as long as the rest of the country pays for it.
The San Jose to Merced Final EIR/EIS was unanimously approved by the governing board on April 28. The Bakersfield to Palmdale Final EIR/EIS was approved by an 8-1 vote on August 19, 2021. The Burbank to LA Union Station Final EIR/EIS was unanimously approved on January 20.
The remaining gap (Palmdale to Burbank) is still subject to local political wrangling in Los Angeles County
Thanks, didn’t know these were approved.
You’re not wrong, it started with the easiest segments in the Central Valley first. The intention back then was to demonstrate the concept and provide a testing ground for rolling stock and various technologies.
From this article, it seems that the board approved the Central Valley to San Jose segment on April 28, 2022:
https://www.enr.com/articles/54030-california-high-speed-rail-connection-to-silicon-valley-approved
Also, from the same article: “Last fall, it approved the Bakersfield to Palmdale project section, and in January, it completed its CEQA approval for the Burbank to Los Angeles section. ”
CAHSR has come a long way now, probably much more than its detractors like to whine about.
Before or after the Feds took the money away? Just curious.
Has there been environmental documents for the two most difficult segments – San Jose to the Cetral Valley, and Central Valley to LA?
Seems to me CalHSR is still doing the easy stuff and nowhere near the hard stuff.