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Chamber Joins Silicon Valley High-Speed Rail Coalition

REDWOOD CITY, CA - September 14, 2005 ­ At the June Board meeting the Chamber Board voted to join the Silicon Valley High-Speed Rail Coalition. Prior to this action two Transportation and Housing Committee quarterly meetings were held to look into the details of expanded Caltrain service and its future plans which included the possibility of California High-Speed Rail (HSR) operating here on the Peninsula Caltrain Corridor. The later luncheon provided details on HSR future service between the Bay Area and Los Angeles with expanded service to Sacramento and San Diego.

During the last four years the California HSR Authority has been studying various route alignments statewide and has received much public input. As part of the route alignment studies three possible routes from the Central Valley to the Bay Area were studied. These included from north to south the Altamont Pass, Henry Coe State Park and Pacheco Pass. The Chamber has reviewed a considerable amount of information regarding these three possible routes. Recently the Henry Coe State Park alignment was dropped. While the Pacheco Pass had been the favored alignment by the HSR Authority it has now been directed to further review the Altamont Pass alignment which is underway.

The Chamber was requested by the Silicon Valley High-Speed Rail Coaliton to consider joining with the Coalition. They are supporting the Pacheco Pass alignment and is made up of business groups, elected officials at all levels and other stakeholders supporting the southern alignment for HSR from Salinas up through the Peninsula. The Coaliton supports the construction of a HSR connecting the Bay Area and Los Angeles as a means of relieving highway and air traffic congestion in one of the busiest traffic corridors in the nation.

Other benefits of this routing are maximizing the number of trains serving the largest cities ‹ San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, HRS speed, frequency of service, ridership and its long-term economic sustainability. This alignment will minimize adverse environmental impacts, follow existing Peninsula Caltrain corridor rather than creating a new transportation corridor and not pass through Henry Coe State Park. Utilizing the Caltrain Commuter Rail Service Corridor will reduce the cost of construction HSR line as well as improve the speed, frequency and safety of Caltrain commuter rail service between Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

At the request of this Chamber the Coalition has added an additional guiding principle to be sensitive to the commercial and residential land uses along the Peninsula Caltrain Corridor resulting from the construction and future operation of HSR and to minimize the impacts of this proposed service. In September the Caltrain Joint Powers Board will be considering also joining the HSR Coalition as requested by the Santa Clara VTA who serve on the Caltrain JPB to support the Pacheco Pass Alignment. The Chamber plans to continue to be active in this ongoing discussion on HSR.

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