If built, the bullet train will travel over the Pacheco Pass,
but questions remain as to whether it will come to Gilroy or if
state voters will be willing to shoulder the $40-billion cost.
Gilroy
If built, the bullet train will travel over the Pacheco Pass, but questions remain as to whether it will come to Gilroy or if state voters will be willing to shoulder the $40-billion cost.
The state-created Metropolitan Transportation Commission – which administers Bay Area transportation money for nine counties – recommended Wednesday to the California High-Speed Rail Authority that a proposed bullet train enter the Bay Area from the Central Valley via the Pacheco Pass. The commission also recommended that some trains bypass the Bay Area and travel up through the Central Valley to Sacramento. The decision is almost a guarantee that, if built, the train – which would reach speeds of 220 mph and travel to Los Angeles in less than three hours – travel through the area, commission public information officer John Goodwin said.
“This settles the Bay Area question,” he said. “We have forged a regional consensus. The Pacheco Pass alignment does provide the most effective and cost-effective way of connecting the three biggest cities on the route – Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.”
City officials and staff were not surprised by the decision. The authority and commission have discussed the route for at least two years. Nonetheless, officials and staff regarded the decision as another chapter in a long process that has at least 10 years left. The authority is aiming for the train to make its first run in 2018.
“There’s some great possibilities, but it’s so preliminary,” said Larry Cope, president and CEO of Gilroy’s Economic Development Corporation.
If the line comes through Gilroy, it could provide quick, easy access to the Bay Area and Los Angeles – a departure from the current infrequent and slow train, air and road options, he said. The speedy transportation would encourage business to set up shop in Gilroy, bringing with them high-paying jobs and an inflow of cash, he added.
However, even with the near-guarantee of Pacheco Pass route, there is no guarantee the train would pass by Gilroy or stop near downtown.
In addition, there is no specific design as to where a Gilroy station would be located or whether the route would be built to avoid impeding traffic on city roads, as city staff requested. These are major issues that need to be resolved, Mayor Al Pinheiro said.
“It’s an opportunity, if done right, to serve the area of Gilroy,” he said. “The devil is in the details.”
While city staff worked with the authority on preliminary rail designs, the council has not given project approval. There is no date to vote on the issue.
County supervisor Don Gage, who lives in Gilroy and represents South County, was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.
A major question in the future of the train is whether voters will support a $10 billion bond in 2008. The bond measure – which has been delayed twice since 2004 – would only constitute about one-quarter of the total cost, but would be a major kick-start, Goodwin said.
