AgdaPkt 2010-02-22 clsd and jnt - Laserfiche WebLink

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8e Page 1 MEMO From the Ci February 22, 2010 SUBJECT Informational Update - California High Speed Rail. BACKGROUND On November 4,2008, California voters passed Proposition 1A which authorized $9.95 billion in bond funds to plan and build the California High Speed Rail project. The High Speed Rail project will create an 800 mile long high speed train system between Sacramento and San Diego, which includes 52 miles between San Francisco and San Jose. Completion of the EIRlEIS process is projected for 2011 by the California High Speed Rail Authority ("CAHSR Authority"). City Council's High Speed Rail Ad Hoc Committee (UHSR Ad Hoc Committee") met on February 8, 2010. Committee members are council members Foust, Pierce, and Gee. As well, Council Member Foust represents the city's interests to the CAHSR Authority as a member of the Policymakers Working Group. Staff member Chu Chang is a member of the Technical Working Group. The CAHSR Authority continues public outreach efforts and to prepare technical documents which are part of the project EIRlEIS process. One of those documents, the Alternatives Analysis, is scheduled for presentation to the CAHSR Authority in Sacramento on March 4, 2010, followed by a 45 day comment period. This study indentifies the feasibility of vertical alignment options (below grade, at grade, and above grade) for High Speed Rail within the Caltrain corridor. The CAHSR Authority has previously excluded the option of an at-grade alignment through Redwood City due to the lack of right-of-way width required for that configuration. Above-grade and below- grade alignments remain as options going forward. The program level EIR identified a possible stop/station in Redwood City, however, little analyses of station alternatives have been offered by the CAHSR Authority to date. The city's HSR Ad Hoc Committee recommends scheduling two community meetings within the coming weeks to receive input from interested Redwood City citizens after which the committee will return to report and receive direction from Council. The Redwood City meetings have been scheduled to make timely use of the information coming from the CAHSR Authority and to provide the best opportunity for responding to the Alternatives Analysis within the prescribed time period. City sponsored events for Redwood City stakeholders are bolded in the table below.