California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Executive Summary
PART I
Passenger Rail Element
Government Code Section 14036 requires the California Department of Transportation
(Department) to complete a ten-year State Rail Plan with both passenger and freight
rail elements. The law also provides that the State Rail Plan be updated every two years.
The passenger rail element of the California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16 (State
Rail Plan) examines intercity passenger rail transportation in California, and reviews
the current operations of state-supported intercity rail passenger service and outlines
ten-year plans for capital improvements and service expansions. The passenger rail
element of the State Rail Plan is covered in Part I (Chapters I through XIII); the freight
rail element is contained in Part II (Chapters XIV through XX).
Chapter I–California’s Vision for Intercity Passenger
Rail
GoCalifornia
Transportation in California is guided by the Administration’s comprehensive
GoCalifornia vision, which guides the FY 2005-06 transportation budget and capital
and operating programs.
GoCalifornia’s vision statement is:
Improve mobility and accessibility for people, goods, services, and information
through a safe, integrated, multimodal, world-class transportation system that
achieves the “3-E’s”:
• Prosperous Economy
• Quality Environment
• Social Equity
GoCalifornia's goal is:
Mobility that continues to attract capital investment in California to generate jobs.
GoCalifornia’s objectives in its ten-year investment plan for mobility are:
• Address 20-year needs and reduce congestion below today’s levels.
• Deploy demand-management strategies, use existing capacity more efficiently,
and expand capacity.
• Build a world-class transportation system that incorporates best research and
technology.
The linkage between transportation, housing, and land use are also important themes
in the strategies and implementation of the GoCalifornia vision.
2 Executive Summary California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16