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Kopp gives high-speed rail presentation
Judge Quentin L. Kopp, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, addressed "High-Speed Rail — The Future" before more than 40 people at a recent Brisbane Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Radisson Hotel in Brisbane.
Kopp explained that when voters approved Proposition 1A on the November 2008 ballot, it provided $9.95 billion as a down payment on the construction of America's first high-speed passenger train system.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is responsible for building the train service, which is slated to eventually cover 800 miles at speeds of more than 200 mph, serving Sacramento, the Bay Area, the Central Valley, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego. It would create 160,000 construction-related jobs to plan, design and build the system.
"By law, we are limited to 24 stations," said Kopp, who noted that a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles would take 2 hours, 38 minutes.
"The Rail Authority is currently in the first phase now of designing the actual project from San Francisco to Anaheim, over Pacheco Pass, and passing closely to Highway 99," said Kopp. "The first phase will cost $34 billion to cover 520 miles and will take eight years to complete by 2019, although I feel some stations can open earlier in 2015."
Environmental reviews have noted that electrically powered, high-speed trains use one-fifth the energy of passenger cars and one-third the energy of airplanes, according to Kopp, who added that 11 other countries already have high-speed rail.
"The new system is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions ... by more than 12 billion pounds per year and reduce demand for oil by more than 12 million barrels per year in California," said Kopp.
For route information, visual simulations and more, visit www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov
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