High-speed rail plans unveiled: Agency plans Peninsula meetings on alignments, 6-mile passing track from San Mateo to Redwood City

For San Mateo County, one of the most impactful features will be whether to construct a nearly 6-mile stretch of separate passing tracks that would run from San Mateo to Redwood City.

The three meetings will be Wednesday, April 5, in San Francisco; Tuesday, April 11, in Mountain View; and Thursday, April 13, in San Mateo.

Feedback gathered during the forums will be incorporated as staff prepares a recommendation for how and where high-speed rail should run along the Peninsula, said Lisa Marie Alley, a spokeswoman with the High-Speed Rail Authority.

“This program needs the involvement of the constituents that it will serve,” Alley said. “We encourage the community in the Bay Area to learn about the program and provide their feedback about the alignments under consideration so they’re part of this process as we move forward.”

Plans to run high-speed trains from Los Angeles to San Francisco continue to face hurdles with intense opposition from those who say it is too expensive and ongoing litigation. Costs for the massive infrastructure project have skyrocketed since it was first proposed and the required funding has yet to be secured following California voters’ 2008 approval of nearly $10 billion in bonds.

On the densely-populated Peninsula, high-speed rail and Caltrain agreed to share the corridor to avoid the initial suggestion it create a separate set of tracks. That “blended system” was codified by legislation and resulted in high-speed rail contributing at least $713 million toward Caltrain’s plans to electrify the 51-mile line.

The $2 billion Caltrain Modernization Program is also confronting its own issues. A decision was delayed on its application for a $647 million federal grant after congressional Republicans requested the Trump administration hold off until high-speed rail is evaluated. Local officials are hopeful funding will be confirmed by June and allow it to stay on track and lock in the price of already awarded construction contracts.

The environmental review of high-speed rail’s San Jose to San Francisco segment considers a range of impacts from noise and air quality to safety and aesthetics. The goal is to bring a staff recommended option to the authority’s board in August, and finalize the review in 2018 as they strive to have the first segment operational by 2025, Alley said.

Three main areas in the alternatives that are likely to draw input include passing tracks that would allow high-speed rail to skip ahead of Caltrain, where a maintenance facility slated for Brisbane should be located and whether there should be a short or long viaduct at the San Jose Diridon station, she explained.

A long stretch of new tracks?

Passing tracks could have the greatest impact in San Mateo County. The two alternatives are to either not create a new set of additional tracks, or to add nearly 6 miles where high-speed rail trains could pass Caltrain vehicles that are slower and make more frequent stops. The proposed passing tracks — the only in this northern San Jose to San Francisco segment — would span from about Ninth Avenue in San Mateo to Whipple Avenue in Redwood City, Alley said.

That stretch includes the cities of Belmont and San Carlos.

Alley said the evaluation of where and whether grade separations throughout the region might be needed to mitigate impacts is ongoing. That includes passing tracks in areas with already existing grade separations. However, Alley said the new San Mateo grade separations at 25th, 28th and 31st avenues would be incorporated with any potential new tracks.

The authority must also consider meeting operational requirements about how long it might take for the train to travel a certain distance per voter-approved Proposition 1A requirements. The plan is to run high-speed rail trains up to 110 mph in the blended Peninsula corridor, while Caltrain has said its proposed new electric trains would run up to 79 mph.

High-speed rail plans on stopping at San Francisco’s new Transbay Transit Center, at the King Street station, in Millbrae near the airport, and in San Jose.

Without the proposed passing tracks, Alley said high-speed rail trains would use areas where Caltrain has existing passing tracks — which the Peninsula agency uses for its baby bullet trains.

More project details

The upcoming meetings will be the first time the public can see footprints of the proposed alternatives with more specific details about the potential impacts. Alley noted right-of-way constraints have not been fully outlined, but those in attendance will be able to use an interactive GPS map to see how close their address would be to the proposed alignment.

There are essentially two alternatives, options A and B, but depending on feedback various components can be mixed and matched, she explained.

Another decision is where in Brisbane to locate a light-maintenance facility, where service could be performed on the trains. The “east” option is a 114-acre parcel — an area where a massive mixed-use Brisbane Baylands redevelopment has been proposed. The second “west” alternative is on a 108-acre site near Bayshore Boulevard, Alley said.

The other alignment alternative they will be discussing is at the San Jose Diridon station and whether to use a shorter 1.5-mile or longer 3.9-mile viaduct leading into either an aerial or ground-level station for high-speed rail, Alley said.

With multiple transit agencies using that station, it’s another example of how further review and collaboration with stakeholders is needed to fully evaluate which should be the preferred alternative, she said.

Unable to confirm whether entire homes or properties might be required as part of the various alternatives, Alley stressed further review will be conducted and high-speed rail will likely plan on hosting more community outreach meetings this summer.

Alley noted high-speed rail hopes to stay on track by continuing reviews despite funding unknowns both with Caltrain’s federal grant and the authority in need of another $2.9 billion to complete the entire northern segment that would run from San Jose to San Francisco, up to Merced and into Bakersfield in the Central Valley. Ideally, the agency hopes to have the first passengers aboard in 2025, she said.

In the meantime, Alley encouraged the public to get involved and learn more about the project.

“This program needs the involvement of the constituents that it will serve,” Alley said. “We’re trying to build a world-class system that meets the needs of this ever-growing state, helps reduce our global footprint and provides a better way to connect our state like never before. “

The meetings run 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with presentations beginning 6 p.m. The first meeting is April 5 in San Francisco at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission headquarters, 375 Beal St. The Mountain View meeting is April 11 at 875 W. Maude Ave. In San Mateo, the meeting will be held April 13 at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, 1300 S. El Camino Real. Visit hsr.ca.gov for more information.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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