FAQ
What is the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)?What is meant by alignment?
What are the impacts of the various vertical alignments?
How frequently will trains run on the peninsula?
How will property values be affected?
How can I have any effect on the form of high speed rail through my community?
What are grade separations?
Who will operate trains on the Caltrain Corridor?
What is an EIR?
What is the Peninsula Cities Consortium?
What is the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)? The CHSRA is the agency created by the state legislature that determines all aspects of the design, construction and operation of high speed rail in California. As passed in Proposition 1A, the HSR system will run from Anaheim to San Francisco and will later be extended to Sacramento and San Diego. Members of the CHSRA board are chosen by the Governor and confirmed by the California Senate. Although Quentin Kopp of San Francisco and Rod Diridon of San Jose are on the Authority and Anaheim has two representatives, there are currently no representatives from the mid-peninsula.
What is meant by alignment? Alignment refers to the vertical or horizontal placement of the tracks. Vertical alignment refers to track placement relative to grade (or ground): at grade, above grade (on a viaduct or berm), or below grade (in a trench or tunnel). Horizontal alignment refers to geographic placement: for example, through the Pacheco pass and up the peninsula from San Jose or over the Altamont pass, the Dumbarton Bridge and up the peninsula from Redwood City.
What are the impacts of the various vertical alignments? Because of the frequency of trains (one approximately every 2 minutes during peak hours, see below), any at or above grade alignment will have an enormous impact. There will be noise, vibration and air turbulence as trains pass through. Visually, the least intrusive element will be the 4’ sound wall. If berms are chosen, they are likely to rise about 15’ above grade with below grade street undercrossings. If viaducts are chosen, they are likely to rise15’ to 22’ above grade. 25’ catenary poles, carrying the wires that supply power to the train, will run along any roadbed at intervals of 100-200 feet, whether at or above grade. The impact of these structures would be to divide all communities through which high speed rail runs into two sections, separating neighborhood from neighborhood, and residents from downtown, diminishing any sense of “community”. CHSRA’s Alternatives Analysis is the study of these various vertical alignments through peninsula cities from which the CHSRA will choose the ultimate alignment. It may be found at http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/library.asp?p=8243 (scroll down and click on “exhibits”).
How frequently will trains run on the peninsula? The 2008 CHSRA Business Plan estimates an average of 18-20 HSR trains per hour by 2030 running at 125 mph during the 6 morning and afternoon peak hours. Caltrain is projected to add another 12 trains per hour during peak hours, for a projected rate of one train approximately every 2 minutes during peak hours. Union Pacific trains will run during non-peak hours.
How will property values be affected? Although no official property impact studies have been conducted, it is likely that the value of any residential property within sight or sound of HSR will be adversely affected. Depending on the width of the right-of-way in certain areas, some eminent domain takings will occur, for which there will be compensation, initiated by CHSRA. Other loss of property value will be considered in the EIR, but compensation for that loss may have to be pursued through the filing of an inverse condemnation lawsuit against CHSRA by and at the expense of the property owner.
How can I have any effect on the form of high speed rail through my community? You can affect the outcome through the alternatives analysis process by sending comments immediately regarding alignment in your communities during the public comment period to Alternatives Analysis Comment, CHSRA Public Outreach Team c/o HNTB, 1330 Broadway, Ste. 1630, Oakland CA 94612. The Draft Alternatives Analysis will be released in December with a new 30 day deadline for comments. The Final Alternatives Analysis report will be released in February, 2010.
What are grade separations? Current California law requires that all rail crossings be separated along the high speed rail corridor or be closed. This means that surface roads and rail beds will be at different elevations by using berms, viaducts, tunnels or trenches. There will be no at-same-grade rail crossings.
Who will operate trains on the Caltrain Corridor? Caltrain will continue to operate commuter trains, CHSRA will operate the high speed trains and Union Pacific will continue to operate freight trains. All three systems will run on the same tracks.
What is an EIR? EIR is a report which identifies, measures and predicts the natural, economic and social impacts a construction project may.
What is the Peninsula Cities Consortium? It is a group of peninsula cities that have joined to consider ways in which the cities can affect the planning and implementation of HSR along the Caltrain corridor. The member consists of Burlingame, Belmont, Atherton, Menlo Park and Palo Alto. The Consortium holds meetings every other Friday and are hosted by member cities on a rotating quarterly schedule. http://www.peninsularail.com