California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter X – Potential New Services
speed rail is technically, environmentally, and economically feasible, and once
constructed, could be operationally self-sufficient. The Commission
recommended a San Francisco/San Jose/Sacramento-Central Valley-Los Angeles-
San Diego alignment. The commission also recommended using either steelwheel-on-steel-rail
high-speed technology or magnetic levitation (maglev).
CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY
The California High-Speed Rail Act, enacted by Chapter 796, Statutes of 1996
(SB 1420 - Kopp and Costa), established the California High-Speed Rail Authority
(CHSRA) to direct the development and implementation of intercity high-speed
rail service. The act defined high-speed rail as "intercity passenger rail service
that utilizes an alignment and technology that make it capable of sustained speeds
of 200 miles per hour or greater."
Chapter 791, Statutes of 2000 (AB 1703 - Florez), modified the CHSRA’s
exclusive authorization and responsibility for planning, construction, and
operation of high-speed passenger train service to cover speeds exceeding
125 miles per hour. Previously, the CHSRA had such authorization and
responsibility for speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. AB 1703 also extended
the tenure of the CHSRA through 2003. Then Chapter 696, Statues of 2002
(SB 796 - Costa) repealed the sunset date for the CHSRA, making it a permanent
authority. The CHSRA is composed of nine members. The Governor appoints
five members, the Senate Committee on Rules appoints two members, and the
Speaker of the Assembly appoints two members.
In 2000, the CHSRA completed its Business Plan, Building a High-Speed Train
System for California. The Business Plan found that a high-speed train system is a
smart investment in mobility, an evolutionary step for transportation, and a project
in keeping with California’s standards for environmental quality and economic
growth. The Business Plan determined that the next project step is to initiate a
formal environmental clearance process with the development of a State-level
program EIR.
To implement the environmental process, the CHSRA prepared a Draft Program
CEQA EIR and a NEPA Tier 1 EIS. The CHSRA is the State lead agency for
CEQA and the FRA is the Federal lead agency for NEPA. The draft programlevel
EIR/EIS was released on January 27, 2004. After extensive review, the Final
EIR/EIS was posted on the Federal Register on September 23, 2005.
On November 2, 2005, the Authority certified the Final EIR/EIS.
The EIR/EIS describes the potential environmental impacts of three transportation
system alternatives and compares how well they would meet California’s current
and future transportation needs. The alternatives that were studied are:
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