Is High-Speed Rail a Good Idea for the Peninsula?

I enthusiastically support California’s High Speed Rail Initiative. I believe there’s a very real need for a high-speed alternative to air travel to connect the major metropolitan areas of California.  Imagine how cool it would be to hop on a train, pop open your laptop or favorite book, and in few hours you pull into Los Angeles?  No weather delays, no getting stuck on the tarmac for hours, and no need to navigate the endless I-5.  I’d definitely use this mode of travel.

France, Japan, and now China all run very successful high-speed rail systems, and it’s high time not only California but the entire United States got on board.   Ideally, a standardized high-speed rail system should be extended throughout the Western states…Imagine the possibilities.   But with all the talk about how and where the system should run, there’s one facet of the proposed plan that I don’t agree with:  Running the high-speed rail line up the Peninsula.

California, yes.  Peninsula, no.

Under the proposed route map, the high-speed rail system will connect San Jose and San Francisco via a route straight through the Peninsula, most likely following the existing Caltrain right-of-way. … Continue Reading

New Date for Town Hall Meeting on High Speed Rail Project…

OK, Let’s Try This Again..

The Town Hall meeting about the High Speed Rail Project that was previously scheduled for 7/25 (and subsequently canceled) has been rescheduled to Wednesday, August 26 at the Menlo Park City Council Chambers.   The details of the meeting can be found at this site:  High Speed Rail Town Hall Meeting.

Interested in the High Speed Rail Project?

As I discussed a few weeks ago in this post, the California High Speed Rail Project is moving ahead at full steam – even despite all of the recent budgets woes that are plaguing California. Although the main objective of this project is to connect the main metropolitan areas in California by a high-speed rail link, the plans call for the line to run right up through the Peninsula, sharing the existing CalTrain tracks.

Believe me, a 125 mph train will definitely have an impact on this corridor.

Town Hall Meeting.

US Congresswoman Anna Eshoo will host a town hall meeting this Saturday July 25 Weds August 26 to discuss the High Speed Rail project. It’s an opportunity for the community to learn more, ask questions, and gain a better understanding of the project and the process.

WHAT: Town Hall Meeting on High-Speed Rail hosted by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.
WHEN: Wednesday August 26, 7:00 PM
WHERE: Menlo Park City Council Chambers, 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, C

If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, Congresswoman Eshoo has arranged for the Town Hall Meeting to be viewed over the Internet. The live webcast of the Town Hall meeting will be available at http://eshoo.house.gov. Webcast viewers can also submit questions for the panelists via email at AskAnna@mail.house.gov

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For all articles on this site about the California High Speed Rail Project, click on the High Speed Rail Category.

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Town Hall Meeting: High Speed Rail Project

7-24 Update:  Meeting Postponed

From Public Communications Manager of Redwood City:  This Saturday’s planned High Speed Rail town hall meeting in Menlo Park has been postponed indefinitely, according to Representative Anna Eshoo’s office.

Her office says that Congresswoman Eshoo received notice today that she must postpone the scheduled meeting in Menlo Park on Saturday, July 25th due to critical votes in Washington, D.C. As a Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee she must remain in Washington over the weekend to vote.

They further note that Congresswoman Eshoo apologizes for any inconvenience the schedule change may cause and is committed to hosting a meeting in the near future with experts who can answer the community’s questions on High Speed Rail. She will inform constituents as soon as possible of the new date and time.

Interested in the High Speed Rail Project?

As I discussed a few weeks ago in this post, the California High Speed Rail Project is moving ahead at full steam – even despite all of the recent budgets woes that are plaguing California.   Although the main objective of this project is to connect the main metropolitan areas in California by a high-speed rail  link, the plans call for the line to run right up through the Peninsula, sharing the existing CalTrain tracks.

Believe me, a 125 mph train will definitely have an impact on this corridor.

Town Hall Meeting.

US Congresswoman Anna Eshoo will be joined by State Senator Joe Simitian to host a town hall meeting this Saturday July 25 to discuss the High Speed Rail project. … Continue Reading

High-Speed Rail through San Carlos? Count on it.

California High Speed Rail Initiative

With all of the news about the various fiscal challenges facing San Carlos (Measure B, City Budget Cuts), one critical intiative that will greatly impact all neighborhoods in San Carlos and surrounding communities on the Peninsula seems to almost be flying below the radar:  The proposed California High-Speed Rail System.

With the passage of Proposition 1A on last year’s ballot, the path has been cleared for the development of a high speed rail network that will connect the major cities within California.  This initiative is being aggressively pushed by policitians in California and Washington alike, and seems to moving forward at the speed of….well, a bullet train.   (When was the last time our state government moved that fast on anything?)

Impact on San Carlos

Since the plan is to utilize the existing Caltrain right-of-way, this new rail system will run right through the heart of San Carlos and other Peninsula communities as the map below demonstrates:

San Carlos residents get involved…

The residents of San Carlos who face the greatest impact of the high speed rail system are those on the east side just adjacent to the existing tracks.    The Greater East Side San Carlos coalition, which seems to be very busy lately tackling other issues like the San Carlos Transit Village, has joined forces with other communities up and down the Peninsula to form a unified voice that hopes to influence key design considerations with the new rail system.

Just this past week, San Carlos hosted a meeting with Palo Alto’s brethren group, known as The California Advocates for Responsible Rail Design, which is also actively soliciting the participation of other Peninsula communities.    The hope is that with an increasingly larger voice, they will have input on the look and feel of the rail system that they will ultimately inherit.

Your thoughts?

What do you think about a high-speed rail system running through San Carlos?  Should it even be running up the Peninsula at all?    Weigh in by posting a comment below…

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