The bullet train will come through the Pacheco Pass and possibly
swing by Gilroy, but only if voters approve a $10 billion bond,
officials said.
GILROY
The bullet train will come through the Pacheco Pass and possibly swing by Gilroy, but only if voters approve a $10 billion bond, officials said.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority decided Tuesday that if a bullet train were constructed to connect Southern and Northern California, it would enter the Bay Area from the Central Valley through the Pacheco Pass. The route, which would swing by the San Luis Reservoir, up South County and split at San Jose to go to both the East Bay and Peninsula, was chosen over the rival Altamont Pass route, which would have run through Livermore and Fremont.
It was the “right decision,” Santa Clara County Supervisor and Gilroy resident Don Gage said. “Environmentally it’s sound and it’s the least expensive of the two (routes).”
The high-speed rail could bring economic benefits to South County if there is a stop near the city and the rail is built in a way that it allows access to commercial and residential areas, Gilroy officials said. While officials have been working with the authority to develop a station, there is no guarantee that the bullet train would stop in Gilroy.
In fact, there is no guarantee that the rail line will be built at all. Before construction can even start, voters would have to approve a $10 billion bond in 2008, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which administers Bay Area transportation money for nine counties. The bond measure – which has been delayed twice since 2004 – would only constitute about one-quarter of the total cost.
If voters do not approve the bond, they will be making a mistake, Gage said. Area airports, especially the Mineta San Jose International Airport, will be overloaded in the near future, he said. The high-speed rail will provide an alternative to keep Silicon Valley accessible to residents and business.
“I believe that it’s something that’s necessary,” he said.
