Fj pa-friendsof caltrain-levin-responseltr-10-09-2019 (1) (1)
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The letter responds to concerns raised by Friends of Caltrain about the relationship between the California High-Speed Rail project and other local planning efforts like the Caltrain Business Plan and Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan. It explains that the High-Speed Rail project has been planned collaboratively with Caltrain since 2012 to develop a blended system, and that while the plans will be considered, they will require their own environmental clearances in the future. The letter also states that the High-Speed Rail project will not preclude the other plans from moving forward and that the agencies will continue to work together on long-term plans for the rail corridor.
Fj pa-friendsof caltrain-levin-responseltr-10-09-2019 (1) (1)
- 1. 100 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113 www.hsr.ca.gov Northern California Regional Office October 9, 2019 Ms. Adina Levin Friends of Caltrain 3921 E Bayshore Rd Palo Alto, CA 94303 Re: Preferred Alternative for the San Francisco to San Jose Project Section Dear Adina: Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) Preferred Alternative for the San Francisco to San Jose Project Section. Friends of Caltrain has been a valuable member of our Community Working Groups and we look forward to continuing to work with members of your organization. In your letter, you raised concerns about the relationship between the Authoritys proposed project that is undergoing environmental review and other planning efforts including the Caltrain Business Plan and the Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan. The Authority has been working collaboratively with Caltrain to plan, evaluate, and develop the blended system since 2012. Caltrain in 2015 completed environmental clearance for the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP). After completion of the PCEP environmental clearance, the agencies worked together to develop and assess the infrastructure needed to add high- speed rail service to the corridor in addition to those previously-evaluated and adopted plans by Caltrain. That work (along with substantial input from other stakeholders) resulted in the two alternatives under study in the San Francisco to San Jose project section. Our efforts have taken place concurrently with Caltrains development of a business plan to lay out a long-range vision for the corridor and the Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan (both of which are ongoing). These efforts are important planning work for the future and are still evolving meaningfully. The Authoritys environmental documents will take both of these efforts into account but they will both require separate environmental clearance at the time that they are further developed, finite and stable. The Authoritys efforts will not preclude either the Caltrain Business Plan or the Diridon Integrated Station Concept Plan from moving forward. Additionally, we
- 2. Ms. Adina Levine October 7, 2019 Page 2 plan to stay actively engaged and to work collaboratively with Caltrain and our other partners on the development and long-term plans for the rail corridor between San Francisco, San Jose, and Gilroy. I am attaching Caltrains letter to the Authority that lays out some of those future collaborative steps while also concurring with the Authoritys identification of the Preferred Alternatives in Northern California. As all of these efforts continue to advance, we look forward to an open and frequent dialogue with Friends of Caltrain. Sincerely, Boris Lipkin Northern California Regional Director