Thinking Ahead: High-Speed Rail In Southern California

Written by jrood

"Thinking Ahead: High-Speed Rail in Southern California," a new report released August 27 by the Center for Urban Infrastructure, showcases the benefits of a fast, convenient, and efficient intercity high-speed rail system on southern California's economy.

"Just as the
Interstate Highway System transformed the way Americans lived and where they
worked in the 1950’s, high-speed rail has the same transformative potential
today," said Sarah L. Catz, author of "Thinking Ahead: High-Speed Rail in
California" and director, Center for Urban Infrastructure.

According to the study,
the California High-Speed Rail Project, which will ultimately link Sacramento
to San Diego, will contribute a regional income benefit of $701 million to
southern California workers who otherwise would have been unemployed. By 2035,
high-speed rail will attract over 127,000 new permanent jobs to southern
California due to the region’s increased livability and enhanced transportation
network.

By providing an
alternative to automobiles, high-speed rail will be a major catalyst for
expansion of southern California’s emerging "green" economy. It will
prevent the emission of nearly half a billion pounds of CO2 annually by 2035.
Additionally, high-speed rail will encourage a healthful lifestyle because it
will require commuters to walk or bike for a portion of their trip.

The report examines
high-speed rail’s impact in relation to recent legislative initiatives that
mandate a reduction in statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the
coordination of regional land use and transportation planning in support of those
reduction targets.

The report explores
strategies needed to ensure that cities around the region benefit from the
$2.34 billion investment made in California from federal stimulus funds,
streamlining zoning and land use codes suitable for intensified development.
This will allow cities to cluster their housing, retail and office space in
ridership and station area developments. The majority of federal funds granted
to the state will be spent in southern California for construction of a
high-speed rail line from Bakersfield to Fresno.

The study was presented
to a conference entitled, "The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Planning
for High-Speed Rail in Orange County and Southern California." More than
100 government, business and civic leaders from Orange County and Southern
California attended the conference held at Brandman University in Irvine. The
conference was sponsored by the Orange County Transportation Association,
Veolia Transportation, HDR NRG Energy West, the South Coast Air Quality
Management District and Brandman University.

"Cities with a
high-speed rail station will grow and transition into hubs of commerce. Regions
with commuter connections to the high-speed rail system will take advantage of
development opportunities," said Curt Pringle. "This study is a
reminder that high-speed rail can provide communities tremendous opportunities
to reinvent themselves, and prosper in the process."

The conference also
included a vigorous discussion that explored strategies for creating and
financing a multi-modal transit system including high-speed rail, higher-speed
rail as well as regional and local transit connections. A White Paper detailing
the thoughts and recommendations of conference participants will be released in
fall 2010/ the complete report can be found at www.c-u-i.org

The Center for Urban
Infrastructure (CUI) is an interdisciplinary forum that brings an objective,
innovative approach to a wide range of emerging policy issues relating to
transportation infrastructure, urban development and community design. CUI
considers urban issues at the local, regional and national levels, connecting
key experts’ insights and capabilities from throughout California and around
the United States in search of practical solutions.

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