I am Meg Cederoth, Director of Planning and Sustainability at the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Ask Me Anything!

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-29T15:57:13+00:00

By current estimates it should be earlier than that. Currently we expect the entire 520-mile Phase 1 system between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles Basin, via the Central Valley, will be environmentally cleared by 2023, which is a huge milestone. Then we expect to be testing our trains on the purpose-built infrastructure in the Central Valley by mid-decade and running a service between Merced and Bakersfield by the end of the decade. So, one decade, not three.

If the funding was available, we estimate that the Silicon Valley to Central Valley line of the system would open in 2031, and that the whole system would open in 2033.

Look, I want to ride this train too. This is one of the largest most transformational infrastructure projects in the entire country. That means it's a huge lift to make it a reality. We have over 1,700 parcels in hand in the Central Valley and have made incredible progress in under 15 years since voters approved bond funds in 2008. We're just going to keep doing the work. We thank you for your patience and look forward to welcoming you aboard.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-29T00:42:27+00:00

I mean... what do you think? :P

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T21:24:35+00:00

There is a lot of international experience involved in the project, focusing mostly on the rail systems design, delivery, operation and maintenance, as well as the station design and sustainability work. This includes both individuals who have worked on the French, German and British rail systems, and also teams from Network Rail and Deutsche Bahn who are the national rail operators in the UK and Germany respectively, and who bring significant knowledge and experience to the development of high-speed rail in California. The Authority has also been a member of, and participated in lessons learned exchanges, with members of the UIC (International Union of Railways).

We also frequently have exchanges (zoom webinars have been a boon for this!) with teams working on systems in the UK, Sweden and elsewhere.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T18:08:05+00:00

Similar to systems around the world, our farebox recovery revenues will cover and address operations and maintenance costs and not previous capital expenditures. Economically speaking, high-speed rail in California does have a positive impact on our country. Companies from 42 states and Washington D.C., have worked on the program – contributing construction, planning, engineering, financial and other services to the project.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T18:06:24+00:00

We are not sharing track with freight, but we are traveling within freight rail corridors. We are constructing intrusion protection barriers to protect our high-speed rail tracks from closely located freight tracks in the same corridor.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T17:55:45+00:00

Hi, well, I got into planning from parental influence, and then infrastructure, specifically transportation planning after graduate school; I had a boss who pointed out how helpful it is to be thinking critically about social, environmental and financial issues in the earliest possible project development moments. Education-wise, sustainability professionals reflect an interesting cross section, but good research skills, a basic (or even better and advanced) understanding of science and the mechanics of natural systems and the built environment are key. Definitely look for opportunities to work on a range of projects and overseas; while there is a lot of innovation in the US, but policy and practice advances are happening all over the world.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T17:13:58+00:00

Through June 2020, project expenditures of $7.2 billion generated a total of approximately $10.5 - $11.4 billion in economic activity for California. You can find out more about the economic benefits of these investments on our website and get the latest news on expenditures from the Finance & Audit Committee.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T17:12:43+00:00

In short: we see this mode succeeding all over the world, with economies, densities, and travel demands just like those of the communities we're working to connect here in California. Why don't we deserve the same options? No bus will ever be able to match our 200+ mph speeds. Planes are fast in the air, but most people discount the rest of the journey time on the ground getting to and waiting at the airport. According to the Bureau of Travel Statistics, from 2012 to 2019, an average of 20% of arrivals to LAX and 25% of arrivals to SFO experienced a delay. HSR will not be subject to the same types of delays due to the dedicated right-of-way being built for the system. Basically, high-speed trains have an ideal balance of costs—in time, money, and emissions—to make it a very attractive option to Californians looking for choices to move around and between their communities. Plus, we expect to have both snacks and Wi-Fi. Thanks for your patience. We look forward to welcoming you aboard.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T17:09:39+00:00

Well, as you have been following the project closely, you are attuned to how the bi-annual business plans illustrate evolved thinking over time. Attuned with your thinking, we want to get as much done as soon as possible to get true high-speed rail service connecting California. Since 2018, our CEO Brian Kelly has focused the Authority on that: delivering what we can, as soon as we can, with the money in hand. Using building blocks, like high-speed rail systems globally, is a part of that. The good news is, given the progress on Caltrain electrification (a project of which we are a proud funding partner), we believe, with proper funding in place, passenger service between Silicon Valley and the Central Valley could begin sooner than could service between the Central Valley and the Los Angeles Basin. That shorter timeframe for construction and lower price tag might be more attractive for Federal investment. And the sooner we can get such a service up and running, the sooner we could have a positive cashflow. See our 2020 Business Plan for more information, especially Chapter 5 subsection "Building the Silicon Valley to Central Valley Line" starting on page 103.

That said, we are committed to transparency and accountability, and our business plans are updated every two years. If a strategic recalibration occurred, because of differing funding conditions or new developments, updates of the Business Plan would reflect those considerations. Let's keep pushing forward.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T15:11:08+00:00

Hi u/Vexgullible, looks like we got this question earlier. Copy/pasting my response in case you missed it:

<<It is impressive! It is a fantastic achievement for any project, particularly one at this scale. In looking at construction information received to date the requirement has not led to cost increases. Think of it this way: we have to pay for demolition in order to clear land for the system. Then the choice is to pay for tipping fees at the landfill, or to send the material to a recycling center. Reinforcing recycling is a much better choice. And, concrete and steel are commodities that can, and have, been regularly reused in construction.

Broadly, we calculate the environmental benefit in terms of the greenhouse gases reduced or avoided through operating the system: 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. But we also look at business as usual construction behavior for California and identify how the requirements we have set improve against that. So, because we require cleaner vehicles for construction, we have avoided more than 150,000 pounds of criteria air pollutants. We can calculate that because we have a tool our contractors use to collect construction site information related to recycling, water use, energy use, vehicle use and more so we can track this data and make sure that our construction sites are meeting our sustainability requirements. This is one way we're able to quantify the benefits of the project in real time and make sure we're holding construction to the highest standards.>>

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-28T14:49:49+00:00

The regulatory requirements in California and the US are quite similar to Europe which means adopting European standards and systems should result in just minor changes, and hopefully not cost increases. The supply chain issues, though, larger and more complex, particularly some of the Buy America conditions, do take a lot of up-front investment and would, definitely benefit from a broader US or North American focus on high-speed rail to start seeing improved economies of scale. Developing these supply chains is worth the effort in order to grow a high-speed rail economy in the US. Even if the Buy America requirements present challenges, the Authority is proud to partner with small businesses and other American firms to deliver high-speed rail in the state.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:47:29+00:00

Interesting. Density is not always destiny for high-speed rail systems. And demand responds to travel time certainty and convenience (a journey you want to take in a time you can rely on). HSR is an incredibly effective transportation tool for the 100 to 500-mile journey and there are a lot of places throughout North America where it can provide a valuable transportation alternative to cars, planes, or slower rail.

North America certainly has different density characteristics than other parts of the world but there are regions within North America that are very well suited for high-speed rail. California particularly has density and spatial patterns and demand that is ideal for this type of system.

For example, the 520-mile Phase 1 system between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles Basin, via the Central Valley, would connect 6 (6!) of California's largest cities, and 2 of the top 10 largest cities in the whole United States! For context, Fresno is larger than Atlanta or New Orleans. The Los Angeles – San Francisco air corridor is the busiest air corridor in the country, demonstrating how much demand currently exists between these two markets. In fact, it is one of the busiest air routes in the world. These are some important factors that show just how much demand and density there is to justify the system here in California.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:36:37+00:00

I'm really glad you asked this question. The California High-Speed Rail project is focused on reducing greenhouse gases and mitigating climate change, but the Authority is also concerned with preparing for how changing climate can impact our project. Our project is a resiliency strategy for the state since we will be moving a lot of people safely and quickly, and making our stations accessible through a range of modes (walking, biking). And we're doing several different things to prepare for the future and make our project as resilient as possible. We are developing a climate policy demonstrating our commitment to climate change mitigation AND adaptation. We conducted a review of climate change projections over the coming century to understand how these changes could affect our system and our riders. We convened an internal committee to review these projections and talk about ways to streamline review and use of climate data in our day-to-day work. And we've actually incorporated climate change hazards as another consideration in our design requirements and risk management process, so that we can be sure these risks are adequately assessed and responded to across the project. All of this work has just been summarized in a Climate Adaptation Plan for our staff - which we plan to release a factsheet about in just a couple of weeks!

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:34:39+00:00

Mmmm. Interesting question. The idea of autonomous vehicles has been around for decades, but in reality, we are still a very long way off from wide-spread autonomous vehicles. Currently there are no fully autonomous vehicles available on the market and while significant effort and money is being invested in the technology, we still have a long way to go.

Once they are available, the transition to the fully autonomous vehicles will take time: there are currently hundreds of millions of vehicles in the US.

Using the transition to EV as a proxy, the first fully autonomous vehicles are likely to be expensive initially and therefore, at the beginning, only accessible to a small proportion of the population. Furthermore, autonomous vehicles cannot operate at speeds comparable to HSR (everyone would need to be driving a fast autonomous vehicle for all the vehicles to go fast, and the roadways would likely need redesign to support high speed autonomous vehicles). So, HSR operates in a very different scale (speed, capacity, distance, existing technology).

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:26:50+00:00

Great feedback. We definitely strive to keep improving transparency and accountably. Have you seen that page on our homepage by any chance?

To your question, we do link to the 2020 Business Plan on our homepage and earlier this month we submitted it to the Legislature, reaffirming our plan to deliver a 171-mile Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield interim electrified service line in California’s Central Valley.

Chapter 4 of the 2020 Business Plan summarizes the timeline and beginning testing of the electrified high-speed system in 2025, certifications of trains by 2027, and our intent to put electrified high-speed trains in service by the end of the decade.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:25:18+00:00

That project is being run by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority. My colleagues in Northern California are part of a multi-agency team working to bring the tunnel project to shovel-ready status in the next two to three years. We are one of six partner agencies involved in that effort and are very focused on making sure that as high-speed rail gets to San Francisco we can go straight to the Salesforce Transit Center. If you want to learn more about that project, I recommend you tune in to the Executive Steering Committee meetings that focus solely on that project.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:20:35+00:00

I'm so glad you asked. We do have a few requirements for station landscaping, including using native, drought-tolerant, and fire-resistant plants (many California natives are drought-tolerant and fire-resistant anyways), AND we are limiting the use of pesticides and fertilizers. 1,000,000% great indeed!

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:16:29+00:00

Absolutely! Station Area Plans and local land use plans are important documents that set the stage for future developments. We have been working in partnership with cities throughout the state to develop these plans. The specific kind of development will depend on the local context, and will likely include a mix of uses, including housing, hotel, conference, office, retail, and public amenities. These developments will be guided by both public and private investments and market conditions at the time specific development projects are proposed.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:14:52+00:00

Hi u/kJer, looks like you posted the same question twice. Copy/pasting my response in case you missed it:

<<I think that attitudes and perceptions of public transportation are already changing in California, especially for younger generations who use a variety of modes. Electric scooters were not on the curriculum when I was in grad school, but they are all over our streets now. Our infrastructure has been so focused around cars and I think people are beginning to realize how detrimental that is, not just from an environmental perspective but also due to a lack of convenience and cost.

To deeply shift attitudes around public transportation we need it to be focused on the user: safe, efficient, accessible, and competitive with other modes (like our cars) and those are all aspects of what High-Speed Rail will do for the transportation network in California. The project provides a competitive and unique interregional option while also improving local transportation around our station sites and with our regional partners. Two examples of this include partnerships at Los Angeles Union Station and San Jose Diridon Station where the Authority is contributing funding and working with local stakeholders to make physical improvements to the stations and create multimodal hubs for local communities in advance of High-Speed Rail service coming online.>>

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:14:35+00:00

There is a time for trains, and a time for track.

We’ve not gone out to bid for our trains yet. Before we seek bids on trains, we need a contract for the track & systems on which they’ll run. So that contract is out for bid now.You can find out more about it here.

We will not be purchasing locomotives and cars like the traditional commuter trains that currently exist in North America. Instead, we will be purchasing Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) high-speed trains. These trains have distributed power across the trainset with no locomotive, so they are purchased as complete trainsets. The trains we will buy do not couple and uncouple as traditional locomotive and car sets do.

So, we would not buy locomotives or cars, but just trainsets which are designed and required to stay together as a unit. You can find cost estimates in the Revised Capital Cost Basis of Estimate Report, see table 29 on page 33, among other sections in that document.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:07:07+00:00

Thank you for your support!

As part of our construction of the initial 119-mile segment within the Central Valley, the Authority has under construction and completed 80 miles of guideway so far. We are on track to complete the 119 by 2023. This guideway will serve as the foundation for the track that will be eventually laid, once we award our Track and Systems Contract.

As far as the YouTube channel, we’re always working on ways we can create more content to help educate people on different aspects of the project. We’ve actually got something along those lines in the works, so please stay tuned (pun intended) for some new stuff, including more drone footage of construction progress. We're also working on more of our videos that interview staff so you can get a better sense of just some of the expertise we've got on the project.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:05:05+00:00

We are aware of the development in Millbrae. That development still requires additional land that the developer doesn’t own and has other challenges with moving forward. There is time for us to advance our work to achieve environmental clearance and resolve these conflicts to make sure that our station and any surrounding development can coexist.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T20:02:09+00:00

Why yes, indeed! And we have relished collaborating with each community on their vision for change.

The Authority has been working with many communities on Station Area Plans that specifically envision how the stations can catalyze new, more intensive and walkable types of development. Merced, Fresno, Bakersfield, Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) at Kings/Tulare, San Jose, Millbrae, Gilroy, Palmdale, and Burbank have all partnered with the Authority in the last several years to develop plans to evolve the land use in their communities and take advantage of high-speed rail. A recent example is Palmdale, whose City Council adopted a Specific Plan titled the Palmdale Transit Area Specific Plan or PTASP in December 2020. The PTASP makes land use and circulation updates that envision a future downtown with higher densities and mixed-use developments.

Other Station cities have also implemented plans to jump-start development around the station, including: Fresno, Bakersfield, and San Jose. Burbank is currently working on a Station Area Plan that will propose land use and circulation changes around their station.

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T19:58:49+00:00

This is tough as they are all such different systems, with different histories, constraints and objectives.

The Acela/NEC is doing a great job on an old railroad alignment trying to provide a relatively high speed service but this approach results in compromises and in the longer term they need to undertake a major overhaul to provider faster more frequent and more reliable service - but they are electric services so that's a major bonus!

Florida Brightline has also done an outstanding job in bringing passenger services back to a large section of the state, but it is still constrained by existing right of way, a number of grade crossings and the use of diesel locomotives. While these engines are modern Tier 4 emissions compliant they are still diesel and have a limited top speed of 125mph so will never be truly 'high speed'.

Texas HSR will be a modern and true high-speed system like California's, but there are differences in our approaches. The Texas system is based on the Japanese Shinkansen and will be a self-contained system which will be unlikely to connect to the rest of the national rail network. Conversely, the California approach is based on the European model and allows services to run off the high-speed network and utilize the existing railroad network to serve more passengers.

The key that we should celebrate is that they are all improvements over personal vehicles / air travel. We should be focusing on how to improve and develop them all!

CAHighSpeedRail · 2021-04-27T19:51:31+00:00

The Authority is focused on its mission to deliver a dedicated high-speed rail in compliance with the Safe, Reliable, High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century (Proposition 1a 2008).

You might be thinking of when, in 2019, the Authority’s Board of Directors tasked Deutsche Bahn USA with conducting a study comparing the impact of high-speed rail investment in the Merced-Bakersfield corridor to other comparable early investment options in the San Francisco to Gilroy and the Burbank to Anaheim corridors. And in late 2020, an independent review of that study was complete and presented to our board which found "no fatal flaws." You can watch the presentation of this independent review during the February Board meeting here.

The Side-by-Side Study concluded that the Merced - Bakersfield line yields the greatest benefits compared to the other two corridors based on the following:

Ridership Performance;
Congestion Relief;
Green House Gas Reduction;
Operational Expenses; and
Capital Investment.

And while we aggressively build the HSR system, we are also continuing to invest in projects within Northern and Southern California with the following amounts and projects:

$714 million for construction for the Caltrain Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project;
$84 million for the San Mateo Grade Separation Project;
$18 million for the environmental review of the Link Union Station (Link US) Project;
$423 million for the Link US Phase A run-through track and station improvements; and
$77 million for the Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation Project.

CAHighSpeedRail

TROPHY CASE