CHSRA reaches settlement with Bakersfield; plans for groundbreaking ceremony

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has reached a settlement agreement with the city of Bakersfield, Calif., which will result in the dismissal of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) litigation over the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Fresno to Bakersfield project section of the high-speed rail program.

 

CHSRA says this agreement demonstrates the commitment between both parties to work together to bring high-speed rail service to the region along with small business opportunities and jobs for Central Valley residents.

“This agreement represents our shared commitment to continue working together to resolve issues in a constructive manner,” said Jeff Morales, chief executive officer of CHSRA. “Our goal is to maximize the benefits of high-speed rail in Bakersfield and minimize impacts to the community.”

Morales notes that CHSRA and the city will work together to engage the public and affected stakeholders to move the program forward.

In other CHSRA news, the authority will join government, community, transportation, business and labor leaders on January 6, 2015, to commemorate the start of sustained construction on the nation’s first high-speed rail system at a ceremonial groundbreaking in Fresno.

 

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