High-Speed Rail Segment In LA County Earns Key Approval
LOS ANGELES, CA — The oft-delayed effort to build a high-speed rail system between San Francisco and Los Angeles reached a major milestone Thursday when officials approved the final environmental impact report on a 38-mile segment in LA County.The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors gave the clearance for the system's segment between Palmdale and Burbank. The approval was the final environmental clearance for the San Francisco to LA segment.The clearance is a key step required for any major project in California. The reports include detailed studies of a range of alternatives, weighing the impacts and benefits of each one.Now, the only environmental clearance needed for the full 494-mile Phase 1 system is the Downtown Los Angeles to Anaheim segment, which officials expect to finalize next year.Farther down the line, a second phase would stretch from San Francisco to Sacramento in the north and from Anaheim to San Diego in the south.A rendering of the Kings–Tulare Regional Station in the Central Valley. (California High-Speed Rail Authority)“This is a transformative project for the state of California as a whole, and today’s approval is a major milestone for connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours. It’s also transformational for Los Angeles County, connecting Palmdale to Burbank in a way that’s never been possible before," authority CEO Brian Kelly said.The Palmdale to Burbank segment will shuttle riders through 30 miles of tunnels, including 28 miles through mountains, in a trip that will take 17 minutes thanks to speeds of over 200 mph. By car, the trip can easily take over an hour.Tuesday's approval was for an alignment that runs partly along the 14 Freeway and is a grade-separated, high-speed rail-only system. Trains will run underground through Acton and much of the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, according to officials.Other alternatives had longer tunnels through the mountains. Officials say this alignment will minimize impacts to residents and environmental resources in teh area.Work is already underway on the system: There are more than 25 active construction sites in the Central Valley.The article High-Speed Rail Segment In LA County Earns Key Approval appeared first on Los Angeles, CA Patch.
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