HomeMy WebLinkAbout88-05Resolution
A Resolution of the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills
Supporting High Speed Rail to the Bay Area
and Membership in the Silicon Valley High Speed Rail Coalition
Whereas, a high-speed rail line connecting northern and southern California would
relieve highway and air traffic congestion between the San Francisco Bay Area and Los
Angeles, which is one of the busiest air traffic corridors in the nation.
Whereas, the California High -Speed Rail Authority, the organization responsible for
planning, designing, constructing, and operating the state's proposed high-speed rail
system, currently intends to run the first leg between Los Angeles and San Francisco
through San Jose/Silicon Valley. Ultimately, the line would be extended to Oakland,
Sacramento and San Diego.
Whereas, the California High -Speed Rail Authority originally recommended two
alignment options—(a) through the Pacheco Pass; or (b) a series of tunnels through the
Diablo Range—to bring high-speed rail into the San Francisco Bay Area through San
Jose/Silicon Valley. The line would then split, with one set of tracks paralleling the
Caltrain Commuter Rail Corridor up the Peninsula to San Francisco and the other set
running up the East Bay to Oakland.
Whereas, the California High -Speed Rail Authority concluded that entering the Bay Area
from the south would offer: (a) faster travel times; (b) more frequent service to San
Jose/Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Oakland; (c) higher ridership; and (d) more
revenue.
Whereas, the California High -Speed Rail Authority considered and rejected one other
Bay Area alignment, the so-called Altamont Pass alignment. Following this route, the
high-speed rail trains would enter the Bay Area over the Altamont Pass to Union City.
From Union City, the trains would then split into three lines—one south to San
Jose/Silicon Valley, another north to Oakland and a third to San Francisco over a new
bridge across the bay.
Whereas, the California High -Speed Rail Authority originally concluded that the
Altamont Pass alignment would be problematic from an operational and environmental
standpoint. According to the authority, splitting the service into three lines would reduce
train frequencies and ridership, while substantially increasing operating costs. In
addition, the authority concluded that the Altamont Pass alignment was impractical
because of the costs associated with building a new rail bridge across San Francisco Bay
and the environmental hurdles that would need to be overcome to do so.
Whereas, the California High -Speed Rail Authority released its program -level Draft
Environmental Impact Report/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR/DEIS) in
late January 2004 and held a series of public hearings on the document throughout the
state.
Whereas, the California High -Speed Rail Authority, based upon the comments it received
during the public process on the DEIR/DEIS, decided in September 2004 to re-examine
all of the potential alignment options for connecting the high-speed rail system between
the Central Valley and the Bay Area. For this exercise, the authority identified a broad
study corridor ranging from the Pacheco Pass in the south to the Altamont Pass in the
north, excluding routes through or under Henry Coe State Park.
Whereas, this review, which is expected to take 18 months to complete, provides another
opportunity for interested parties to comment on how the proposed high-speed rail system
should enter the Bay Area.
Whereas, a Pacheco Pass alignment into the Bay Area for the proposed high-speed rail
system will maximize ridership, minimize operating costs and ensure that Silicon Valley
is well -served by the new high-speed rail line.
Whereas, a Pacheco Pass alignment into the Bay Area, by utilizing the entire Caltrain
Commuter Rail Service Corridor, will help Caltrain achieve several of its long-term
goals, such as electrifying and grade -separating the Caltrain Corridor, and increasing
Caltrain's speed and frequency. These benefits could not be achieved for the entire
Caltrain Corridor by using the Altamont Pass alignment for the state's proposed high-
speed rail system.
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Town of Los Altos Hills supports a Pacheco Pass
alignment into the San Francisco Bay Area for the state's proposed high-speed rail
system. Such an alignment would:
• Maximize the number of trains serving the region's three largest cities—San Jose,
San Francisco and Oakland.
• Maximize the speed, frequency and ridership of the proposed high-speed rail
system, thereby ensuring the system's long-term economic sustainability.
• Minimize the operating costs of the proposed high-speed rail system.
• Minimize adverse environmental impacts.
• Follow an existing transportation corridor, rather than creating a new
transportation corridor.
• Not pass through or under Henry Coe State Park, or through land likely to be
annexed into the park in the near future.
Be it further resolved, that the Town of Los Altos Hills will communicate this position to
the California High -Speed Rail Authority.
•
Be it further resolved, that the Town of Los Altos Hills agrees to join the Silicon Valley
High -Speed Rail Coalition, which was formed to advocate not only for the construction
of the proposed high-speed rail system, but also for a Pacheco Pass alignment into the
San Francisco Bay Area from the Central Valley.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 1't day of Septei
ATTEST:
City Clerk,