The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which administers transportation dollars for nine Bay Area counties, recommended recently that the proposed bullet train take a Pacheco Pass route rather than an Altamont Pass route.
This is not a final decision – that’s up to the state’s High Speed Rail Authority – but it is considered unlikely that the they will overrule the MTC and choose the Altamont alignment instead.
- Pacheco Pass alignment recognizes Silicon Valley’s importance
This decision is a strong indicator that transportation officials understand the importance of keeping Silicon Valley’s economic engine a main part of the bullet train’s route, rather than a spur.
The choice of the Pacheco Pass route also recognizes that it is the most cost-effective of the two proposals.
Critics argue that the Pacheco Pass route cuts through environmentally sensitive areas, so great care must be taken to minimize any negative impacts. Let’s study how high-speed rail systems in other areas – Germany and Japan, for example – have handled these issues.
It’s clear that the high-speed rail technology is safe and effective. It’s being used in various parts of the world with great success.
But that doesn’t mean that everything is settled and that high-speed rail is a done deal in California.
- South County stop up in the air
One open question is whether or not the train with its Pacheco Pass alignment will have a South County stop. We urge that planners include one. In addition to being an economic boon for South County, it would also allow high-speed rail travelers easy access to the Monterey Bay and Central Valley regions.
Increasing the appeal of the train to travelers heading to those regions will increase ridership and make it easier for the project to pencil out.
- Serious fiscal questions remain
But the fiscal issues are far from settled. A $10 billion bond to begin funding the project must first be approved. It could appear on the ballot as soon as 2008.
But the total price tag to build the high-speed rail system is expected to be in the neighborhood of $40 billion.
While we’re pleased that the Pacheco Pass route appears to be the chosen alignment in Northern California if the bullet train is built, we haven’t yet come to any conclusions about the viability of the high-speed rail system itself.
We need to see ridership and cost projections (are they realistic?), look at safety procedures (will they be less time consuming and onerous than those at airports?), and the size of the taxpayer subsidy (is it too much?) before coming to any conclusions on that matter.
But, for now, we’re glad to see that the preliminary steps are wise ones.
