California receives more than $2.3 billion in federal stimulus dollars to help fund the development of a high-speed rail system. Click here to read more.
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High-speed rail coming to Orange County
More than a decade in the making, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is planning a high-speed train system for travel between major metropolitan areas of California. Like many existing high-speed train systems around the world, California’s high-speed train system will be electric-powered and use proven steel wheel-on-steel rail technology to move passengers at speeds in excess of 200 mph across the state.
The 800-mile system is forecast to carry more than 55 million annual passengers by 2030.
California residents also will benefit from high-speed trains through:
- Reduced carbon emissions – High-speed trains will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 12 billion pounds a year by 2030.
- Job creation – 160,000 jobs will be needed to construct the system, and once in place, 450,000 permanent jobs are expected to be created because of the high-speed trains. Locally, 23,000 permanent jobs are expected in Orange County.
- Traffic relief – The statewide system will help remove more than 70 million car trips from the road each year. Airports also will see relief.
- Improved local transit services - $950 million of the Proposition 1A funds, which California voters approved in 2008 to support and fund a high-speed rail system, will go to improving local transit connections to high-speed rail stations. In addition, many existing at-grade railroad street crossings will be lowered or elevated to separate them from vehicle traffic, improving traffic flow and relieving congestion.
Anaheim to Los Angeles segment The Anaheim to Los Angeles section is well positioned to be one of the first sections of the statewide system to be constructed.
OCTA contributed more than $7 million to the environmental review process. In this segment, the high-speed train will travel at speeds up to 110 mph, taking passengers from the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) to Los Angeles Union Station in approximately 20 minutes.
The high-speed trains will travel along the existing Los Angeles-San Diego Rail Corridor (LOSSAN), currently used by BNSF, Metrolink and Amtrak trains.
Funding for high-speed rail
In November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1A to help fund the development of a high-speed train system. Proposition 1A provides $9 billion for building the high-speed rail system and $950 million for improvements to other rail services that connect to high-speed train service.
Approximately $8 billion was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, of which California received $2.34 billion to advance high-speed rail in the state – the most of any system nationwide.
The funding will benefit every section of the planned system and the California High-Speed Rail Authority will designate the money to specific segments in the near future.
Public involvement
The project-level environmental review process for the Anaheim to Los Angeles section was initiated in January 2007 and public scoping meetings occurred in spring 2007.
A public open house was held in the city of Anaheim on Jan. 20 to provide the community an update on the project including information about the proposed alternative alignments, design options and station locations being considered, as well as details pertaining to the environmental process.
Additional public meetings will take place in the coming months in cities along the rail line.
The Draft EIR is anticipated to be released by June 2010, at which time the public will have an opportunity to officially comment on the project. Construction is anticipated to start in 2012.
For more information on the project, visit www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov, call (877) 724-5422 or e-mail chsra@communityspeakup.com.