Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout23-04 • • RESOLUTION NO. 23-04 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS SUPPORTING THE CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY'S USE OF ONE OF TWO ALIGNMENTS INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA FOR THE STATE'S HIGH-SPEED RAIL SYSTEM WHEREAS, a high-speed rail line connecting northern and southern California would relieve highway and air traffic congestion between the 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 high-speed rail system,plans to run the first leg between Los Angeles and San Francisco through San Jose. Ultimately,the line would be extended to Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego. WHEREAS,the California High-Speed Rail Authority is recommending two alignment options through the Pacheco Pass or a series of tunnels through the Diablo Range to bring high-speed rail into the San Francisco Bay Area through San Jose. 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 faster travel times; more frequent service to San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland; higher ridership; and 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, another north to Oakland and a third to San Francisco over a new bridge across the bay. WHEREAS,the California High-Speed Rail Authority concluded that the Altamont Pass alignment would be problematic from an operational and environmental standpoint. According to the authority, splitting the service into three, rather than two, lines would reduce train frequencies and ridership, while substantially increasing operating costs. In addition, the authority noted that the costs of building a new rail bridge across San Francisco Bay and the environmental hurdles that would need to be overcome to do so make the Altamont Pass alignment impractical. 0 • WHEREAS,the California High-Speed Rail Authority released its program-level environmental document in late January 2004 and is now in the process of holding a series of public hearings on it throughout the state. In addition,the authority will be accepting written public comments on this environmental document until mid-August 2004. WHEREAS, a southern 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 southern 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 electrification, grade-separating the corridor, and increasing the speed and frequency of the service. These benefits could not be achieved for the entire CalTrain Corridor by using the Altamont Pass alignment for the state's high-speed rail system. NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills supports the California High-Speed Rail Authority's conclusion to use one of the two southern alignments (Pacheco Pass or Diablo Range) into the San Francisco Bay Area for the state's proposed high-speed rail system. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Town of Los Altos Hills will communicate this position to the California High-Speed Rail Authority in writing as part of the public record for the authority's program-level environmental document. PASSED,APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of May, 2004. By , // Magi' - C411:42131.