California elected officials call for “blended” HSR plan

California State Senator Joe Simitian and Representatives Anna Eshoo and Rich Gordon have released a statement on high-speed rail in the state, where it is and where it is going. As funding is an issue, the statement said, "If we can barely find the funds to do high speed rail right, we most certainly cannot find the funds to do high speed rail wrong. "Accordingly, we call upon the High-Speed Rail Authority and our local CalTrain Joint Powers Board to develop plans for a blended system that integrates high-speed rail with a 21st Century CalTrain." Three key points were made: • We explicitly reject the notion of high-speed rail running from San Jose to San Francisco on an elevated structure or "viaduct" and we call on the High-Speed Rail Authority to eliminate further consideration of an aerial option; • We fully expect that high-speed rail running from San Jose to San Francisco can and should remain within the existing CalTrain right of way; and, • Third and finally, consistent with a project of this more limited scope, the Authority should abandon its preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for a phased project of larger dimensions over a 25 year timeframe. Continuing to plan for a project of this scope in the face of limited funding and growing community resistance is a fool's errand; and is particularly ill-advised when predicated on ridership projections that are less than credible. "Within the existing right-of-way, at or below grade, a single blended system could allow high-speed rail arriving in San Jose to continue north in a seamless fashion as part of a 21st Century CalTrain, while maintaining the currently projected speeds and travel time for high-speed rail," the statement explained. All of this is possible, but only if the High-Speed Rail Authority takes this opportunity to rethink its direction, the officials noted in the statement.