Press Releases

For Immediate Release

High-Speed Rail Authority
To Unveil Bay Area Alignment Options

Public Comment Sought on Pacheco Pass, Altamont Pass Alternatives

CONTACT:
Dan Leavitt, HSRA 916.324.1541
Mehdi Morshed, HSRA 916.324.1541
John Goodwin, MTC 510.817.5862

OAKLAND, Calif., March 20, 2006 . . . The California High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) will begin soliciting public comment this week on proposals for station locations and route alignments that would link the Bay Area with the Central Valley and Southern California. The proposed alignments and station sites will be presented at the HSRA’s regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday in Oakland. Proposals will include southern approaches to the Bay Area through the Pacheco Pass east of Gilroy and eastern approaches through the Altamont Pass east of Livermore. A detailed map of the proposed routes and potential station locations is available on the HSRA Web site at www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/meetings.

WHEN:

1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006

WHERE:

Elihu Harris State Office Building Auditorium
1515 Clay Street
Oakland, California

A $9.95 billion bond measure to finance development of a California high-speed rail system is scheduled to appear on the statewide ballot in November 2006. If approved by voters, the 220-mph trains could begin traveling between the Bay Area and Southern California within 8 to 11 years. Travel time from San Francisco to Los Angeles would be about 2 hours and 35 minutes.

In addition to providing a fast link to the Central Valley and Southern California, the high-speed rail system proposed for California would become an important part of the Bay Area’s rail transit network. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) currently is working in partnership with the High-Speed Rail Authority, BART and Caltrain to develop a detailed Regional Rail Plan for the Bay Area.

MTC is the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area’s transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency.

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