Construction of a high-speed rail line between downtown San Francisco and downtown Los Angeles has moved one step closer to completion after the ultimate environmental permit was granted for the multi-billion dollar project.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors last week approved the ultimate environmental document for the 38-mile section between Palmdale and Burbank. That means the 463-mile project between the Bay Area and Los Angeles County has now received environmental approval, a key step before construction can begin.
“This is a transformative project for the entire state of California, and the approval is a major milestone in connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours. It is also transformative for Los Angeles County as it connects Palmdale to Burbank in a way never before possible,” CEO Brian Kelly said in an announcement.
The panel's approval moves the section connecting the Antelope Valley to the San Fernando Valley closer to being “construction-ready” once financing is on the market, officials said. The entire project still needs greater than $100 billion to be accomplished.
Authority Board Chairman Tom Richards called the approval a historic milestone that closes the gap between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“We appreciate our agency team and their tireless support and collaboration with local and regional agencies and stakeholders as we work together to improve transportation in California for future generations,” he said in an announcement.
Current plans call for reduced tunneling through the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains for this final section in comparison with other alternatives. Less tunneling in these regions will reduce impacts on communities and environmental resources in the realm, officials said.
While the milestone represents the ultimate environmental impact assessment for the stretch from downtown San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles, the stretch from Los Angeles to Anaheim still requires an environmental impact assessment; completion is predicted next yr.
But work has already begun on the development of the 172-mile electrified high-speed rail line from Merced to Bakersfield. There are currently greater than 25 energetic construction sites within the Central Valley dedicated to this phase of the high-speed rail project.
If the cash is on the market, train service could begin between 2030 and 2033 with 4 sprawling stations along the Central Valley route, officials said. Another $7 billion is required to finish the section. It's unclear when high-speed rail could reach the Bay Area.
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