Get Educated
Videos from the HSR workshop
Documents About High Speed Rail
LAO Analysis of California’s 2010-11 Transportation Budget. This document, posted March 3, 2010, includes an analysis on pages 25-32 of the costs and plans for high speed rail.
Caltrain’s right-of-way maps, posted on the CARRD Web site, show current widths along the rail line.
Peninsula Cities Consortium’s presentation at the January 21, 2010 State Senate Hearing in Palo Alto.
LAO Report on Business Plan. The following report was released by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) at the Assembly Meeting held January 11, 2010 in Sacramento. This is a preliminary analysis. A more in-depth report is due out soon. Click here to read the LAO Report.
California High Speed Rail Authority’s revised Business Plan. This is the plan released in December 2009. Click here to read the plan.
Technical Documents. Thanks to the persistence of the grassroots organization Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design (CARRD), we have obtained technical memos relating to the design of the high speed rail project from the California High Speed Rail Authority.
Please note: The documents came with the following caveat: "These documents are the basis from which we are currently performing our 15 percent and 30 percent design engineering. These documents inform a future ’Design Manual’ that will be used by the design teams to prepare the 100 percent designs to build the California High Speed Train Project. Therefore, while these documents provide guidance to the Program Management Team and the Regional Consultant teams, they are not necessarily the final criteria and standards that the high speed train will be designed and built to. " - Dominic Spaethling of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Regional Manager for the San Francisco-San Jose segment of the high speed rail line
CARRD Cofounder Nadia Naik said, "It is vitally important for stakeholders to be able truly engaged in this process. The release of these documents, which took a while, will ensure that everyone can proactively participate in finding alternatives that fit the context of the communities."
CARRD is a grassroots organization that formed in response to community concerns about the high speed rail project. For more information, contact Nadia Naik at nadianaik@carrdnet.org. The link to the documents is here: Click here to read the California High Speed Rail Authority’s Technical Memos.
Other Documents
Draft Scoping Report for the San Jose to Merced High-Speed Rail project EIR/EIS (2.52 MB)
Memo of Understanding among cities in the Peninsula Cities Consortium – City Councils in San Mateo County and Santa Clara County may join the Peninsula Cities Consortium by approving this document
Agreement between the California High Speed Rail Authority and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board of Caltrain regarding high speed rail
California Research Bureau’s draft report on restructuring the California High Speed Rail Authority, May 2009
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) pre-application summary for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds, July 2009
Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s San Francisco/Silicon Valley Corridor Investment Strategy, June 2009
Opinion Pieces and Blogs
Note: In the interest of encouraging healthy debate, a variety of opinions and blogs are presented on this site.
Opinion piece by Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto and Menlo Park Council Member Kelly Fergusson – This editorial explains why cities are joining the Peninsula Cities Consortium
The Caltrain HSR Compatibiity Blog (also known as Clem’s Blog) deals with high speed rail issues. It is the work of Clem Tillier, a Peninsula resident and daily Caltrain commuter. He is an engineer with a lifelong interest in rail who has no affiliation with any rail agencies, consultants or the media.
Kathy Hamilton of Menlo Park writes about transportation issues, particularly high speed rail, for the SF Examiner, a grassroots writing group published only on the Web.
The California High Speed Rail blog was created by Robert Cruickshank of Monterey, who describes himself a "a political activist, historian, teacher and native Californian who believes it’s time this state enters the 21st century."
Eric Chase does the Transbay Blog. His Web site discusses Bay Area urban planning and land use issues, as well as transportation projects, including California High-Speed Rail.
Read Adina Levin’s blog about the September 12 High Speed Rail Teach-In.
Read Katy Dickinson’s blog about the September 12 High Speed Rail Teach-In.
Other Information
California High Speed Rail Authority’s Workshop on 8/6/09 - This video is a large file; viewing time is about 3 hours and 15 minutes. You will need a QuickTime viewer to see it. Morris Brown recommends it, saying, "In my opinion, it is really an excellent learning experience for those that want to really understand this project." The PowerPoint presentation from the workshop is available separately.
Working Together to Integrate High Speed Rail with Caltrain and Communities
In November 2008, Californians voted for Proposition 1A, High Speed Rail. Today, Peninsula communities are wrestling with the implications of this enormous project running through our downtowns. Yes, we voted for it. But we did not give up the right or responsibility to plan and control our future. We must ensure that community voices are represented. We need to think long-term – 100 years or more out into the future – and make sure this project is done right.
Design Meeting Palo Alto
A weekend long Design Alternatives ’charrette’ was held in Palo Alto October 4 & 5th 2009. You can see photos from this event here: http://www.carrascodesign.com/tmp/hsr_workshop/index.html
The California High Speed Rail Project and CSS
The Peninsula Cities Consortium and Peninsula representatives for the California High Speed Rail Authority have adopted the use of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) during planning and design of the Peninsula section of the high speed rail line. CSS is a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach that involves all stakeholders in developing a transportation project that fits the context of a community. The process goes deeper than the usual requirements for building that are dictated by environmental laws to reflect full and fair consideration of all alternatives.
CSS has been used successfully for many years in highway construction projects. It grew out of community frustration with highway projects that plowed through cities without adequate regard for their surrounds. Its integration into the Peninsula high speed rail project marks the first time it has been used on a rail project anywhere in the United States.
November 4, 2009 Workshop Materials
Individuals who participated in a Peninsula Rail Program workshop held in Burlingame on November 4, 2009, received this packet.
All about the Teach In
This animation shows various design alternatives for High Speed rail in Palo Alto.