Public hearings start for high-speed train network (Source: LA Daily News)

Public hearings start for high-speed train network - LA Daily News

Public hearings start for high-speed train network
Daily News Wire Services
Updated: 10/12/2009 08:55:45 AM PDT

Public hearings will start next week as state officials take comments on proposed routes for the southernmost leg of California's proposed $40 billion high-speed train network, which will include new tracks along one of three possible paths between Los Angeles and Pomona.

The state plans new tracks for 220 mile-per-hour trains from Los Angeles to San Diego via Pomona, Ontario, the Inland Empire, and Escondido, with trains making the trip from LA's Union Station to downtown San Diego in one hour and 18 minutes. Existing Amtrak service between the same cities, down the beaches of Orange and San Diego counties, takes nearly three hours.

Rail planners have identified three potential paths for the bullet trains between Los Angeles and Pomona: along the existing Union Pacific tracks through Commerce, Pico Rivera and Industry, or either parallel to or in the center of the San Bernardino (10) or Pomona (60) freeways.

The high speed trains would cross Pomona along the existing rail lines, and stop at Ontario International Airport. From there, several routes are possible east and then south to UC Riverside, with one option including a loop out to San Bernardino.

Those options take the tracks south on Route 215 to Murrieta, but another option is to head directly south from Ontario Airport along the Ontario (15) Freeway, through Corona and Lake Elsinore to Murrieta.

Tracks would then be built atop or along Interstate 15 south through Escondido to near the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar. One of several new alignments would angle over towards La Jolla, and the tracks would enter San Diego along Interstate 5 at Mission Bay.

Separate environmental studies are underway for a high speed line from Los Angeles south to end in Anaheim, and also for the tracks from L.A. north to Palmdale.

California legislators have passed a law that the first leg of the $40 billion, 800-mile statewide system will be the Anaheim leg, and the second target would be connections from L.A. to San Francisco and Sacramento. The Riverside/San Diego high-speed leg would likely be funded third, but officials note that construction money could come in fast enough to allow all three legs to be built simultaneously.

The California network will be funded with $9.95 billion in bond funds approved by voters, and a sizeable chunk of the $8 billion that Congress has allocated for nationwide high-speed rail seed money as a part of President Barack Obama's commitment to high speed rail. The state has asked for $4.7 billion, but may end up with about $3 billion, observers in Washington said.

Congress is expected to add another $1.5 billion in economic stimulus money as well. The federal government has identified eight city-pairs and corridors across the country as likely recipients of the federal money, but other states are seeking to get a piece of the federal pie.

The President has said California is at the head of the line because of the commitment of local money and advanced state of planning, as well as the fact that California is the only state proposing travel speeds of 220 miles an hour.

Nevada officials are proposing a privately-funded high speed track between Las Vegas and the outskirts of San Bernardino, and are investigating the possibility of bringing it across the mountains to plug into the California network.

Arizona and several other states are setting up planning efforts to investigate building high-speed rail lines between Southern California and Phoenix and Tucson.

This week's hearings will take public testimony on the proposed routes, as the state hears evidence on what issues and alternative routes must be studied during the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.

The first hearing will be Tuesday in La Jolla, with additional hearings set for later this month in San Diego, Riverside and then Los Angeles counties. All hearings are set from 3-7 p.m., and Los Angeles County-area hearings are set for:

-- Oct. 20, at the Corona Public Library, 650 S. Main St., Corona;

-- Oct. 21, at the Shepherd of the Hills Methodist Church, 333 S. Garfield Ave., Monterey Park;

-- Oct. 26, at the West Covina City Hall, 1444 W. Garvey Ave., West Covina;

-- Oct. 28, at the El Monte Community Center, 3130 Tyler Ave., El Monte;

-- Oct. 29, at the Pomona First Baptist Church, 586 N. Main St., Pomona; and

-- Nov. 2, at the Ontario Airport Administration Center, 1923 E. Avion St., Ontario.