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CHSRA Breaks Ground for High-Speed Rail in Fresno; Governor Calls It a Project to Bring California Together
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) celebrated a major milestone Jan. 7 when it broke ground for the state’s high-speed rail line at ceremonies attended by California Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown and hundreds of supporters and government, student, community, transportation, business and labor leaders. The event was held at the site of a future high-speed rail station in downtown Fresno.
“What is important is the connection that we are rooted in our forebears and we are committed and linked to our descendants,” Brown said. “And the high-speed rail links us from the past to the future, from the south to Fresno and north; this is truly a California project bringing us together today.”
The first segment of construction will cover 29 miles from Madera County to Fresno County and will include grade separations, two viaducts, a tunnel and a bridge over the San Joaquin River.
CHSRA Board Chairman Dan Richard added, “We now enter a period of sustained construction on the nation’s first high-speed rail system—for the next five years in the Central Valley and for a decade after that across California.” He called the line “an investment that will forever improve the way Californians commute, travel, and live.”
Plans call for the high-speed rail line to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles by 2029, operating at more than 200 mph. Ultimately, the system will operate between Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations.
Funding sources for the high-speed rail line include $3.3 billion in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money and matching funds from Proposition 1A, a $9.9 million bond approved by California voters in 2008. The state also will use 25 percent of greenhouse gas fees collected under its cap-and-trade program to help fund the project. However, a funding shortfall remains, and CHSRA is continuing to acquire land for future development.
“California is leading the way in transportation innovation,” said APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy in a released statement. “High-speed rail will expand transportation options in California and generate strong economic activity up and down the San Francisco-Los Angeles corridor. The American Public Transportation Association congratulates Gov. Brown and the California High-Speed Rail Authority on this major milestone and pledges to continue to work with them on this transformative project.”
Other speakers included owners of a family-owned steel manufacturer already benefitting from high-speed rail construction and student leaders from Fresno State and the University of California, Merced, who described how high-speed rail is creating new local opportunities.
Although the ceremony marked the official launch of the project, CHSRA has already broken ground in the Central Valley, and the day’s events included tours of nearby construction activity, including various demolition sites. Other achievements to date include finalization of project designs, ongoing right-of-way purchases and workforce training and mobilization.
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California Gov. Jerry Brown and other dignitaries sign a ceremonial high-speed rail at ground-breaking ceremonies in Fresno.
Photo courtesy of CHSRA |
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