Palmdale to Burbank Supplemental Sacramento Alternatives Stockton Analysis Transbay Transit Center Modesto Millbrae-SFO Redwood City or Palo Alto San Jose Merced Report (Potential Station) June 2015 Gilroy Fresno Kings/Tulare Bakersfield Palmdale East Burbank San Gabriel Valley Ontario Airport Los Angeles Riverside/Corona Norwalk Anaheim Murrieta Escondido San Diego This Page Intentionally Left Blank California High-Speed Rail Project Palmdale to Burbank SUPPLEMENTAL ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS REPORT JUNE 2015 This Page Intentionally Left Blank CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT SUPPLEMENTAL ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PALMDALE TO BURBANK SECTION JUNE 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS ES1 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 1 ES 1.1 Palmdale to Burbank Project Section Background ............................................................. 1 ES 1.2 Summary of Recommendations in the SAA ....................................................................... 1 ES 1.3 Public and Agency Outreach Efforts ................................................................................... 3 ES 1.4 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................... 3 1 Supplemental Alternatives Analysis Report ............................................................................... 4 1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Criteria Applied in the Alternatives Analysis Process ......................................................... 4 1.3 Background and Description of Alternatives; Conclusions of this SAA .............................. 5 1.4 Alternatives Development Process ..................................................................................... 6 1.5 Meeting Project Purpose and Need/Objectives .................................................................. 7 1.6 2014 Business Plan ............................................................................................................ 9 1.7 Evaluation Measures and Comparison of Alternatives ....................................................... 9 1.8 Community Outreach ........................................................................................................ 12 1.8.1 Summary of Public Scoping Meetings .................................................................... 13 1.8.2 Summary of Community Open House Meetings ..................................................... 13 1.8.3 Summary of Community Working Group Meetings ................................................. 13 1.8.4 Summary of Outreach Briefings .............................................................................. 14 1.8.5 Corridor Cities ......................................................................................................... 17 1.8.6 Select Elected Officials - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors ..................... 20 1.8.7 Select Agencies - Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and Metrolink .............................................................................................. 20 1.9 Previously and Newly Identified Alternatives .................................................................... 20 2 Description and Analysis of Modifications and Newly Identified Alternatives...................... 24 2.1 Alignments and Stations Proposed by the Public ............................................................. 24 2.2 Refinements Since the 2014 SAA ..................................................................................... 24 2.2.1 Shift within the City of Palmdale .............................................................................. 24 2.2.2 Lake Palmdale Avoidance ....................................................................................... 24 2.2.3 Refinements near the Community of Acton ............................................................ 24 2.2.4 Refinements near the City of Santa Clarita ............................................................. 29 2.2.5 Withdrawal of the East Side San Fernando Valley Alignment ................................ 29 2.3 East Corridor Study Area .................................................................................................. 29 2.3.1 Description of East Corridor Alignment Alternatives ............................................... 29 2.3.2 Description of Burbank Airport Station Options ...................................................... 36 Page i CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT SUPPLEMENTAL ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PALMDALE TO BURBANK SECTION JUNE 2015 2.3.3 Evaluation of East Corridor Alternatives ................................................................. 38 2.3.4 Analysis of Burbank Airport Station Options ........................................................... 47 2.4 SR14 Corridor Alternatives ............................................................................................... 47 2.4.1 Description of SR14 Alignment Alternatives ........................................................... 48 2.4.2 Description of Burbank Airport Station Connections to SR14 Alternatives ............. 51 2.4.3 Evaluation of SR14 Alternatives .............................................................................. 51 3 Recommendation ......................................................................................................................... 58 TABLES Table 1.7-1 Performance Objectives and Criteria ................................................................................ 10 Table 1.7-2 HSR AA Evaluation Measures .......................................................................................... 10 Table 1.8-1 Summary of Palmdale to Burbank Section Key Stakeholder Outreach Meetings (June 2014 – March 2015) ................................................................................................ 14 Table 1.9-1 Palmdale to Burbank Corridor Alignment Alternatives and Station Options ..................... 23 Table 2.3-1 East Corridor Station Configuration Compatibility ............................................................ 38 Table 2.3-2 East Corridor – Summary of Non-Tunnel (Surface and Aerial) Evaluation Measurement Criteria........................................................................................................ 39 Table 2.4-1 SR14 Alternative Station Configuration Compatibility ....................................................... 51 Table 2.4-2 SR14 Corridor – Summary of Non-Tunnel (Surface and Aerial) Evaluation Measurement Criteria........................................................................................................ 52 Table 3.1-1 Alternatives Evaluation Summary ..................................................................................... 60 FIGURES Figure ES-1 Palmdale to Burbank Section Overview.............................................................................. 2 Figure 1.9-1 Alignment Alternatives and Station Locations Carried Forward in the 2014 SAA ............ 22 Figure 2.1-1 Alignments Proposed by the Public .................................................................................. 25 Figure 2.2-1 Refinements in the Palmdale Area Alignment .................................................................. 26 Figure 2.2-2 Design Refinements at Lake Palmdale ............................................................................. 27 Figure 2.2-3 Design Refinements near the Community of Acton .......................................................... 28 Figure 2.2-4 Design Refinements near the City of Santa Clarita .......................................................... 30 Figure 2.3-1 East Corridor Alignment Alternatives and Station Options ............................................... 31 Figure 2.3-2 Burbank Airport Station Configuration Options A, B, and C ............................................. 37 Figure 2.4-1 SR14 Alignment Alternatives and Station Options…… .................................................... 49 Figure 3.1-1 Alignment Alternatives and Station Options Carried Forward .......................................... 59 APPENDICES Appendix A Detailed Evaluation Tables Page ii CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT SUPPLEMENTAL ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PALMDALE TO BURBANK SECTION JUNE 2015 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AA Alternatives Analysis Amtrak National Railroad Passenger Corporation Authority California High-Speed Rail Authority Authority Board California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors Caltrans California Department of Transportation CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CGS California Geological Survey CHSTP California High Speed Train Project CNG Compressed Natural Gas CNPS California Native Plant Society CRHR California Register of Historical Resources CWA Clean Water Act EC East Corridor E1a East Corridor 1a E1b East Corridor 1b E2a East Corridor 2a E2b East Corridor 2b E3a East Corridor 3a E3b East Corridor 3b EIR Environmental Impact Report EIS Environmental Impact Statement EMT Engineering Management Team FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FRA Federal Railroad Administration GIS Geographic Information System HOV High Occupancy Vehicle HDC High Desert Corridor HSR High-Speed Rail LADOT City of Los Angeles, Department of Transportation LA River Los