AgdaPkt 2010-06-14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7.A Page 1 R:e.PORT.... . .' . . . . . . : ...'j ". 'T~ the H~O'9r.~~I~ .~~yor ..~"d .9~ty O~~n~'1 . I .:Fn)lll ttli Qi .:; pouocU Hi: b a;~~ct~ Ra'U lei H~c OQmmi.tt~~ June 14, 2010 SUBJECT High Speed Rail Alternatives Analysis Comment Letter for Council Concurrence RECOMMENDATION Endorse the Council High Speed Rail Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations for Redwood City's response to the High Speed Rail Authority regarding the Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report (response letter, attachment 1). BACKGROUND In 2008, California voters approved a bond measure to finance construction of the California High Speed Rail (HSR) system. In January 2009 the HSR Authority issued a Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Report/Statement for the Peninsula segment of the system, and proceeded with several scoping sessions. HSR staff met with Redwood City staff to discuss the principles and scope of outreach to the Redwood City community. As summarized in the May 18, 2009 staff report to City Council, the overarching principle for Redwood City was that the development and implementation of the HSR/Caltrain electrification facilities must take place with profound attention to the interests of the surrounding communities, stakeholders, and sensitive audiences; offer an augmented level of community outreach, communication, and involvement; and minimize negative impacts and effects on the communities in which the project will operate. The HSR system is planned to provide intercity, high-speed service on more than 800 miles of tracks throughout California, connecting major population centers. The HSR is envisioned as a state-of-the-art, electrically powered, high-speed, steel-wheel-on-steel- rail technology that will provide an expected express trip time between Los Angeles and San Francisco of approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. In the section between San Francisco and San Jose, trains will not exceed 125 mph and will operate in a shared use corridor with Caltrain, which is planned to be converted to an electrified railway. On April 8, 2010 the HSR Authority published its Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report for the San Francisco to San Jose Section (Preliminary AA Report). This marked the first time that preliminary vertical alignments, alld any reliable, engineering- level design information was made available for public review and comment. Although Redwood City was identified in the Preliminary AA Report as one possible location for a mid-Peninsula HSR station (along with Palo Alto and Mountain View), station design was not included in the Preliminary AA Report. Since the April 8 publication of the Preliminary AA Report, two community meetings have been held in Redwood City: . Aoril29. 2010 at Veterans Memorial Senior Center: This meeting was hosted by the HSR Authority as an opportunity for them to present updated information to