By the NUMBERS
Train Speed : up to 220 mph
SAN FRANCISCO to LOS ANGELES Run : 2 hours , 40 minutes
SAN FRANCISCO to SAN JOSE Run : 30 minutes
Operating Hours : 5:30 am to midnight , 365 days a year
Gilroy Station Area Tracks : 4 sets of tracks ( 2 for Gilroy stops , 2 for thru-trains ) Frequency : 6 trains per hour ( 3 northbound , 3 southbound ) during peak hours
The Question of Noise According to the Authority , highspeed trains traveling at 200 mph , a distance of 100 feet away , will generate noise levels of 90-100 dBA ( decibel level average over 24 hours ). That ’ s roughly equivalent to standing 3 feet from a power mower .
It ’ s fine to compare high-speed rail noise to other sources of noise , but in reality , the arrival of a high-speed rail system will add to environmental noise already generated by city and highway traffic , traditional rail , airplanes and other sources of noise .
To Break Even If the high-speed rail system averaged … 203.8 years of passengers paying $ 86 for a ticket to break even with the current $ 64 billion cost estimate .
Source : The Mercury News
LEARNING from our PREDECESSORS
California may be charting a new frontier with high-speed rail in the American West , but Japan introduced the first bullet train back in the 1960s . Since then , more than 20 other countries have followed suit , from the UK and Europe to Asia and beyond . And currently , Florida is building a high-speed rail with private investment . Rail technologies have evolved over the years . Tripousis said the Authority has the advantage of years of lessons learned and best practices to draw upon from around the globe .
What we do know is that when loosely compared with the California HSR project , many of these established rail systems serve very large metropolitan areas , they have relied on government subsidies , and their fares aren ’ t cheap .
What the Authority is not saying , is who will build the rail cars , and who will operate them . However , Tripousis said there ’ s strong interest .
MANAGING RISK
As the lead sponsor the High-Speed Rail project , the Authority is accountable to the Federal Railroad Administration and tasked with upholding California Environmental Quality Act ( CEQA ) standards . The Authority monitors and reports on its ability to manage risk across eleven areas .
• Environmental Approvals : obtaining clearances and approvals , meeting conditions of the approvals .
• Financing and Funding : attracting lenders , timing of funding .
• Legal : meeting legal requirements that impact schedule , cost , financing .
• Operations and Maintenance Costs : projecting costs , ensuring they are covered by fares , not government subsidies .
• Railroad Agreements : negotiating agreements for each project section .
• Ridership and Farebox Revenues : making realistic projections , contracting with train operators that can deliver on those projections .
• Right of Way : anticipating and effectively managing Right of Way acquisitions .
• Staffing / Organization Structure : staffing up to meet changing project demands .
• Stakeholder Support : building and maintaining public and private support over time .
• Technical : managing risks associated with tunneling , groundwater impacts , mountains , earthquake faults , alignment potentials for derailments , landslides .
• Third Party Agreements : working with utilities partners to locate utilities effectively .
The RESEARCH for FUNDING
California ’ s 2016 Gross Domestic Product was more than $ 2.6 trillion — making it the world ’ s sixth largest economy . On the flip-side is a $ 400 billion debt burden ( 2016 ) and billions more in deferred infrastructure maintenance and upgrade costs .
The Authority ’ s current estimate to complete HSR from San José to Bakersfield is $ 20.7 billion , but again , that may be optimistic . It has secured roughly $ 20 billion including federal stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , Senate Bill 1029 appropriations , and Cap and Trade funds . However , the ARRA funds have been spent , the future of Cap and Trade beyond 2020 is uncertain , and HSR ’ s greatest champion , Governor Jerry Brown , terms out in 2018 .
CHSRA has stated that Phase I sections will be profitable in their first year of
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN JULY / AUGUST 2017 gmhtoday . com