California High-Speed Rail Authority Holds Fair; Gives Update on Electrified High-Speed Rail

CHSRA

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California High-Speed Rail Authority released a video about its Diversity & Resources Fair and gave a design update on its plan to extend the current 119 miles under construction.

California High-Speed Rail Authority released a video about its Diversity & Resources Fair. The video, below, shows the Rail Authority bringing together “100 attendees representing small businesses for a day of networking and discussion surrounding the nation’s first high-speed rail project.”

The fair was held at the Ziggurat close to downtown Sacramento, and it provided the businesses in attendance the opportunity for networking, “engaging discussions on project opportunities, and talks about how to overcome barriers facing small businesses.”

Catrina Blair, Authority Process and Program Development Chief, said: “Small businesses from across the state play a major role on this transformative project. Engaging with and providing unique opportunities to these diverse businesses is essential to high-speed rail’s success. . . There is tremendous value in hosting free events like this aimed at encouraging and advancing equity in state contracting.”

Now, the Authority has started design work to extend the current 119 miles under construction to “171 miles of future electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield.” In addition, it has cleared 422 miles of the program from the Bay Area to the Los Angeles Basin. The Authority reports that the project has created over 11,000 jobs, and 70% of those jobs go to those from disadvantaged communities.