There are three (3) separate, remaining important ways in which you should be submitting public comment on the high speed rail project. Always make copies and retain proof of delivery.
1. The Peninsula Alternatives Analysis (AA) was released by the HSRA April 8. While we're really no closer to knowing where we stand than we were before the AA was released, the good news is the alternatives remain essentially all on the table. View the AA here. Related documents such as the Executive Summary and the Board Presentation are listed at http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/library.asp?p=8243. Although the HSRA has not given a deadline for accepting comments to the AA, they indicated that they were likely to make initial decisions after a 30 days based on whatever comments they had at received at that time. After discussion with the HSRA, Burlingame requests comments be submitted by June 21, 2010. This should be similar for other cities. Please read the AA report carefully; if you have comments, try to submit them at your earliest convenience.
Note: It is recommended that your comments be prefaced by a statement to the effect of "Due to the fact that a final route has not legally been determined as the de-certified and re-released Program level EIR was not re-certified at the time of the Alternatives Analysis release, it is inappropriate that alternatives comments should be limited to the Caltrain corridor."
AA comments can be sent to the HSRA via one of the following methods:
Mail (certified is recommended): Robert Doty
California High-Speed Rail Authority
925 L Street, Suite 1425
Sacramento, CA 95814
Attn: San Francisco to San Jose Section Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report Comments
Email (read receipt is recommended):
The subject line “San Francisco to San Jose Section Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report Comments”
Send to comments@hsr.ca.gov,
Facsimile transmission:
(916) 322-0827
2. Final Project Level EIR Reminder:
The Program Level EIR comment period ended on April 26. The Final Project Level EIR will be released at a future date (TBD) in 2010/2011 and will be based on the Program EIR, AA and CSS input. A comment period will follow. The Project EIR will have the final design upon which comments regarding whether or not impacts were properly mitigated may be submitted.
3. Context Senistive Solutions (CSS) Toolkit: The Peninsula Rail Program (PRP), a joint collaborative between Caltrain and HSRA, has developed the CSS toolkit for stakeholders of the San Francisco to San Jose section of the California High-Speed Train Project. The purpose of the toolkit is to provide a methodical, online approach for both providing technical and project information to stakeholders and for soliciting a wide range of inputs that will be used to further shape the project alternatives. While a bit tough to view on a computer monitor (you might want to print out the pages that pertain to you), this toolkit utilizes "click-and drag" features to help with user friendliness. Stay alert for workshops in your city for training. Their technical working groups (TWGs) and policy working groups (PWGs) are being trained by the HSRA shortly.
To Recap:The AA addresses design alternatives such as tunnel, trench, at-grade, berm and aerials, while the Final Project Level EIR addresses the final design into the Bay Area and environmental impacts such as noise, vibrations, visual, traffic, vegetation, land use compatibility, etc. BOTH are extremely important! While it is not exactly known just how CSS input will be incorporated into the final EIR, suffice it to say that it can only help, and is therefore also highly recommended. CSS input type can be broad, but as with the AA and the EIR comments, CSS input should be as detailed as possible.
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