Link: Maglev Team Commends U.S. Department of Transportation on Historic Corridor Designation
Maglev Team Commends U.S. Department of Transportation on Historic Corridor Designation
California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission Commends U.S. Department of Transportation on Historic Corridor Designation
Calls for transparent and fact-based discussion on which high-speed rail system best meets needs of region
Funding set to play a critical role in construction process
July 2, 2009
Las Vegas, NV
The California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission today commended the U.S. Department of Transportation on designating Las Vegas to the Los Angeles area as a new federal high-speed rail corridor. The Commission also reinforced its commitment to build the nation’s fastest and most environmentally-responsible 21st Century transportation system, addressing the growing I-15 highway congestion issue, setting a new standard for energy-efficient high-speed rail and ensuring travel between Las Vegas and Anaheim in a record 81 minutes.
With the new federal corridor in place, the Commission is calling on DesertXpress to engage in a transparent and fact-based discussion on which of the two leading systems best meets the needs of the people of Nevada and Southern California. This includes leveling with travelers about cost and the breakdown of public-private financing, realistic construction dates and terminus points, environmental benefits and shortcomings, and specifically how each project will address highway congestion, the primary reason for constructing a high-speed rail system in the region.
Earlier this year, Commission officials met with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to advocate for the designation of a new corridor. Today’s announcement is the latest development in the Commission’s public-private effort to bring high-speed rail service to the people of Nevada and Southern California.
The CNIMP corridor, with connection to three airports in the region, will provide quality passenger service to an estimated 43 million passengers annually by 2025 - the equivalent of an 8-lane freeway moving at a constant speed of 60 mph, or 295 fully loaded 747s landing at LAX each day. DesertXpress has announced plans to terminate service in the high-desert community of Victorville, nearly 80 miles short of Anaheim, leaving travelers to deal with anywhere between 2-3 hours of heavy traffic in Southern California.
Unlike the maglev project, DesertXpress received an exemption from the Surface Transportation Board (STB), a three person federal board based in Washington, DC, from complying with state and local land use, permitting and other environmental laws. In contrast, the CNIMP is fully committed to complying with such laws, which includes the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
In 2004, the Commission under the sponsorship of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) commenced an environmental impact statement (EIS) under federal law and an environmental impact report (EIR) under California law. This is in contrast to DesertXpress, which believes it is exempt from complying with EIR requirements.
In April, the American Magline Group (AMG) certified matching funds to the Nevada Department of Transportation for the $45 million currently available to the project to complete an Environmental Impact Study, already in the third and final phase.
Earlier this month, the Commission addressed inaccurate cost estimates by citing a March 2009 Government Accountability Office report which lists a cost of $12 billion to complete the full 269-mile project. Based on estimates provided by the Federal Railroad Administration, a traditional steel-on-wheel system to Victorville, which fails to connect to the population centers or airports of the Southern California basin, will cost up to $9 billion.[i]
Earlier this week, the City of Newport Beach joined Anaheim, Ontario, Barstow and the Orange County Transportation Authority in endorsing the maglev project. In a recent letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the California congressional delegation, Newport Beach Mayor Edward Selich highlighted the need to address the highway congestion issue, saying, “considering the amount of growth estimated in Southern California over the next 20 years, the maglev system will play an important role in upgrading the infrastructure capacity of the region.”
Last month, former Nevada Governors Miller and Guinn encouraged bi-partisan support for the project, noting the environmental, technological and economic benefits of an interstate maglev system:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/24/former-governors-press-maglev/
Quotes:
“When we met with Secretary LaHood earlier this year, we stressed the importance of designating a federal high-speed rail corridor to help alleviate the congestion issues facing our region,” said Bruce Aguilera, Chairman of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission. “We commend the secretary for his leadership and commitment to helping us achieve this important objective.”
“We’re thrilled that the U.S. Department of Transportation has taken this historic step to help pave the way for the nation’s fastest and most environmentally-responsible high-speed rail system,” said Richann Bender, Executive Director of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission. “Now it’s time for a transparent and fact-based discussion about which system best meets the needs of the people of Southern California and Nevada.”
About CNSSTC
The California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission is a state agency and non-profit public benefit corporation originally formed in 1988 to select, build and operate high speed train service in the heavily congested I-15 highway corridor, specifically between Anaheim, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, via the Inland Empire cities of Ontario, Victorville and Barstow, California,
Contact:
Erica Fitzsimmons
(202) 441-8740
efitzsimmons@theheraldgroup.com
[i] Using $30-$50 million per mile as a standard metric
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