Lots of activity on High-Speed Rail
05/09/10 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
A tremendous amount is
going on at the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
With the ascension of Curt Pringle to the Chair,
Quentin Kopp and Rod Diridon have been marginalized
(finally!). The Authority hired its new CEO, the first
person with actual competence in High-Speed Rail in the
agency.
The comment period closed April 26 on the Revised Draft EIR intended to replace the EIR thrown out by the Court as the result of our litigation. We filed extensive comments in conjunction with our allies the Planning and Conservation League and the California Rail Foundation. Our comments were oriented towards placing extensive evidence into the official record of the feasibility of an Altamont route. On the previous EIR, the Authority had asserted that the Altamont route was infeasible.
We provided a report by the French High-Speed Rail route designers Setec Ferroviaire that establishes an innovative Altamont route as not only feasible but superior to the Pacheco route. We held a press conference on May 4 to introduce the report. The Mayors of Burlingame and Palo Alto and the former Mayor of Atherton spoke at the press conference, asking the California High-Speed Rail Authority to study the route as a possible means of reducing impacts on their communities.
Press:
KGO Channel 7
San Jose Mercury News
San Mateo Daily Journal
Finally, we held a press conference on May 6 to announce the filing of a petition, asking the Court to reopen the judgment in our EIR case so as to order the High-Speed Rail Authority to respond to our comments (included in our comments on the Revised Draft EIR) challenging the validity of the Ridership and Revenue model. After extensive investigation by Elizabeth Alexis and CARRD, the High-Speed Rail Authority released data indicating that its ridership projections were produced not by its peer-reviewed and documented Revenue and Ridership model, but by a model that had been changed significantly and kept hidden from the public.
Press:
KGO Channel 7
San Jose Mercury News
Palo Alto Weekly
The comment period closed April 26 on the Revised Draft EIR intended to replace the EIR thrown out by the Court as the result of our litigation. We filed extensive comments in conjunction with our allies the Planning and Conservation League and the California Rail Foundation. Our comments were oriented towards placing extensive evidence into the official record of the feasibility of an Altamont route. On the previous EIR, the Authority had asserted that the Altamont route was infeasible.
We provided a report by the French High-Speed Rail route designers Setec Ferroviaire that establishes an innovative Altamont route as not only feasible but superior to the Pacheco route. We held a press conference on May 4 to introduce the report. The Mayors of Burlingame and Palo Alto and the former Mayor of Atherton spoke at the press conference, asking the California High-Speed Rail Authority to study the route as a possible means of reducing impacts on their communities.
Press:
KGO Channel 7
San Jose Mercury News
San Mateo Daily Journal
Finally, we held a press conference on May 6 to announce the filing of a petition, asking the Court to reopen the judgment in our EIR case so as to order the High-Speed Rail Authority to respond to our comments (included in our comments on the Revised Draft EIR) challenging the validity of the Ridership and Revenue model. After extensive investigation by Elizabeth Alexis and CARRD, the High-Speed Rail Authority released data indicating that its ridership projections were produced not by its peer-reviewed and documented Revenue and Ridership model, but by a model that had been changed significantly and kept hidden from the public.
Press:
KGO Channel 7
San Jose Mercury News
Palo Alto Weekly
RTP Guidelines Revisions Adopted
04/29/10 Filed in: Climate
Change |
Transportation Planning
The California
Transportation Commission adopted revisions to the statewide Regional
Transportation Plan Guidelines in response to all
the changes resulting from SB 375. That law requires
RTPs to contain a sustainable communities strategy,
which attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to
meet a target set by the State Air Resources Board.
TRANSDEF participated actively in the revision
process and is very pleased with the results.
Oakland Airport Connector--Government at its Worst
Guy Span
wrote a powerful post on the decision of
the BART Board to put itself into serious debt, in
the midst of cutting service and not having the
funds to replace its cars.
Here’s the comment we posted: Read More...
Here’s the comment we posted: Read More...
Air District Revising CEQA Guidelines
12/08/09 Filed in: Climate
Change
The Bay Area Air Quality
Management District will consider the adoption of new
CEQA Thresholds of Significance at a hearing on January
6, 2010 at 9:45 AM. The documents to be considered for
approval can be found on their website.
These revisions will result in environmental impact reports that evaluate greenhouse gas emissions. They will also result in obstacles to projects that would add pollution to over-burdened environmental justice communities. TRANSDEF is generally supportive of the leadership the District is offering in this area.
These revisions will result in environmental impact reports that evaluate greenhouse gas emissions. They will also result in obstacles to projects that would add pollution to over-burdened environmental justice communities. TRANSDEF is generally supportive of the leadership the District is offering in this area.
Kopp and Diridon Eat Crow
12/05/09 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
On December 3rd, the
California High-Speed Rail Authority unanimously voted
to rescind their certification of the Final EIR for the
Bay Area to Central Valley HSR Project, along with the
selection of the Pacheco Pass alignment. The CAHSRA was
ordered to take these actions by the Sacramento
Superior Court, which had found the EIR to be legally
inadequate. This is the same case Quentin Kopp had
disparaged in the press as "frivolous."
Read More...
Finally, Someone's Writing about Highway Widening
11/24/09 Filed in: Climate
Change |
Transportation Planning
MTC continues to make
ludicrous claims that their proposed HOT lanes network
will result in decreased GHG emissions, despite the new
lanes’ encouragement of a significant increase in
driving in the Bay Area. Given MTC’s intention to go
forward with this massively counterproductive project,
it is heartening that the Sightline Institute has
produced an important study on the expected long-term
increase in GHG emissions that will result from highway
widening. Finally, someone in transportation is making
sense! See our Smart Growth
Resources page.