All About the Teach-In

This animation shows various design alternatives for high speed rail in Palo Alto.

Response to our High Speed Rail Teach-In on Saturday, September 12, was so strong that we had to move it to a larger location. Instead of being held at Palo Alto City Hall, the event took place in the Pavilion at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto

Click here for Agenda and Speaker Bios


More than 300 citizens, elected officials, transit experts, transit agency representatives and rail enthusiasts participated in the event, which was sponsored by the Peninsula Cities Consortium and took place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Participants learned about the latest developments in high speed rail, questioned experts and discovered how the public can influence the design of the project during presentations and interactive sessions. The event was hosted by the City of Palo Alto, in cooperation with Caltrain and the California High Speed Rail Authority.

"We’re excited about the tremendous response to our Teach-In. This is a unique forum organized by the cities and communities for our residents and businesses, designed to allow everyone to become educated and informed participants. You will learn from and ask questions of experts on rail, tunneling, community participation process, law and urban design.  Come join us!" said Yoriko Kishimoto, of the Palo Alto City Council, who chairs the Peninsula Cities Consortium.

“It is our belief that the final design should minimize the impacts upon local communities and incorporate best practices of urban design ideas from rail communities around the world," she added.

Program Details Announced

Following a welcome by Kishimoto, there were keynote talks by Gary Patton of the Planning and Conservation League and Bob Doty, director of the Peninsula Rail Program, a partnership between high speed rail and Caltrain. One panel of rail experts discussed the technical and operational considerations of mixed-used rail lines and another panel that included land use, legislative and community experts will focus on the decision process and how the community can influence the final outcome of the project. Break-out sessions addressed hot-button issues, encouraging discussion and networking.

Patton shared stories of how communities have become educated and informed partners with state and federal agencies to create win-win success stories. Doty, who is in charge of integrating Caltrain, high speed rail and Union Pacific (freight) on the Peninsula, discussed the challenge of integrating community desires, technical constructability and financial feasibility. He used high speed rail examples from around the world to give the public an understanding of the challenges, strategies and trade-offs facing planners.

In addition to Patton and Doty, speakers during the day included Greg Greenway, director of the Peninsula Freight Rail Users Group; Rich Tolmach, president of the Train Riders Association of California; Bradley Matteoni, a land use attorney with expertise in eminent domain; Ryan Ojakian from Senator Joe Simitian’s Sacramento office; Bill Cutler, community advocate for Context Sensitive Solutions; Tony Carrasco, architect and organizer of the October 3-4 Design Workshop sponsored by the Penisula Cities Consortium; and Seamus Murphy, government affairs manager for Caltrain.

Questions to Be Answered

Among the topics discussed were:

  • What are the myths and realities about the Peninsula project?
  • What are best practices from around the world?
  • What have other cities experienced during construction of a major railroad in an urban setting?
  • Why can’t it be tunneled all the way?
  • What impact will eminent domain have on backyards and grade crossings