SUMMER 2019 SAN JOSE TO MERCED PROJECT SECTION STATE’S PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE OVERVIEW High-speed rail offers an unprecedented opportunity to modernize California’s transportation system and tie together the state’s economies. The San Jose to Merced Project Section will be the crucial connection between the Bay Area and the Central Valley. This fact sheet discusses the staff recommendation for the State’s Preferred Alternative to be considered by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) Board of Directors. WHAT IS A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE? Since 2008, numerous alternatives have been considered Alternative. Authority staff is seeking feedback on this for the high-speed rail alignment traveling within and recommendation before it is presented to the Authority outside of the Bay Area. Ultimately, four alternatives Board of Directors in September 2019. are being analyzed for the Draft Environmental Impact Alternative 4 will be referred to as the staff-recommended Report/Statement (EIR/EIS). The alternative determined State’s Preferred Alternative until the Authority Board to best balance tradeoffs between environmental; of Directors concurs with the staff recommendation or community; and performance, operations, and cost factors requests that a different alternative be identified as the will be identified as the State’s Preferred Alternative. State’s Preferred Alternative. The identification of the Planning, design, and analysis of the four alternatives, State’s Preferred Alternative for the Draft EIR/EIS does collaboration with landowners and agencies, and input not express or imply approval or adoption of a preferred from the public and stakeholders has led Authority staff alternative for final design or construction. to recommend Alternative 4 as the State’s Preferred WHAT IS THE PUBLIC’S ROLE IN DEVELOPING AND RECOMMENDING ALTERNATIVES? The Authority coordinates closely with individuals, local governments, tribes, public agencies, and organizations to gather local knowledge and input on project alternatives. Over the last three years, the Authority HOW TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK participated in nearly 500 meetings with stakeholders By email: [email protected] and members of the public. By phone: 800-455-8166 Now the Authority is seeking public feedback on the By mail: Northern California Regional Office staff-recommended State’s Preferred Alternative. A California High-Speed Rail Authority 100 Paseo De San Antonio, Suite 300 summary of feedback provided at community meetings San Jose, CA 95113 and open houses – as well as via telephone or written In person: Attend a Community Open House correspondence – will be presented to the Authority e August 8 in Gilroy e August 21 in Los Banos Board of Directors in September 2019. e August 15 in San Jose e Attend the Board Meeting September 17 in San Jose Social icon Circle Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our Brand Guidelines. @cahsra facebook.com/CaliforniaHighSpeedRail @cahsra youtube.com/CAHighSpeedRail WHAT ARE THE FOUR ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED? SAN JOSE DIRIDON STATION APPROACH LEGEND Alternatives at a Glance San Jose STANISLAUS Scott Blvd Diridon Station San Jose to Merced Alignments COUNTY SUBSECTION/ (Aerial) ALT 1 ALT 2 ALT 3 ALT 4 Aerial Tunnel DESIGN OPTIONS Embankment Trench The Central Valley Wye Study Area is being analyzed and evaluated as a separate effort San Jose Diridon Station Approach West Alma AvenueMONTEREY At-Grade CORRIDOR from the San Jose to Merced Project Section environmental document. Viaduct to Scott Blvd San Jose (Long Viaduct) h h Diridon Station San Francisco to San Jose Alignments (At-Grade) Central Valley Wye Alignments Viaduct to I-880 h (Short Viaduct) Bernal Way HSR Stations MERCED COUNTY Blended, at-grade h Maintenance of Way Facility CENTRAL VALLEY WYE STUDY AREA San Bruno Ave. SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY Monterey Corridor SANTA CLARA US 101 COUNTY Viaduct h h MORGAN HILL McCabe Rd. I-5 Morgan Hill AND GILROY PACHECO PASS Road Carlucci UPRR Dedicated, at-grade h ALTERNATIVE 3 Church Ave. ALTERNATIVE 1 Blended, at-grade h ALTERNATIVE 2 Santa Nella Volta M San Martin ALTERNATIVE 4 Los San Luis Banos Morgan Hill and Gilroy East Gilroy Station Reservoir (Embankment) Embankment to SANTA CRUZ Downtown h Gilroy downtown Gilroy COUNTY Gilroy Station 0 2.5 5 10 (Embankment) N M Miles Viaduct to Downtown ilometers h Gilroy Station Casa De Fruta 0 5 10 20 downtown Gilroy (At-Grade) Viaduct & embankment Downtown h Gilroy Station to east Gilroy (Viaduct) San Felipe Rd. Blended, at-grade to downtown Gilroy h SAN BENITO Alternative 4 COUNTY MONTEREY Alternative 4 was developed to address feedback from Pacheco Pass COUNTY stakeholders on Alternatives 1, 2, and 3: minimize property Tunnel, viaduct, and h displacements, limit natural resource impacts, retain other structures h h h local community development patterns, improve the San Joaquin Valley Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 efficiency and safety of the existing railroad corridor, and set the stage for extending regional electrified passenger Embankment and The objective of Alternative 1 Alternative 2 features a Alternative 3 was also designed rail service to Southern Santa Clara County. viaduct along Henry h h h h is to minimize land required dedicated high-speed rail to minimize the project footprint Miller Rd for the project, minimize alignment located between by operating on viaducts Alternative 4 is different from the others because it would impacts on the ground, and the existing Union Pacific and going around downtown enable both Caltrain and High-Speed Rail to operate on reduce the need to purchase Railroad (UPRR) corridor Morgan Hill. The objective of the same alignment (this is called a blended system). The right-of-way to build and and Monterey Road. This Alternative 3 is to minimize service would operate on two electrified passenger tracks Pacheco Pass and San Joaquin Valley Subsections operate dedicated, fully grade- alternative would have the the needed right-of-way in alongside one conventional freight track predominantly separated high-speed rail. highest number of property downtown Gilroy by bypassing All alternatives have the same East of the I-5 overcrossing, within the existing Caltrain and UPRR rights-of-way. This would be accomplished displacements (taking downtown and instead serving alignment after Gilroy (starting the alignment through the San by extensive use of viaduct private or public land for rail), an east Gilroy Station. Like The maximum train speed would be 110 mph where near Casa De Fruta). Through the Joaquin Valley Subsection would (raised “aerial”) structures and but would provide grade Alternative 2, Alternative 3 operations would be blended between San Jose and Pacheco Pass Subsection, there be predominantly on embankment bypassing downtown Morgan separations between the features a long viaduct between Gilroy. South and east of Gilroy, speeds would increase up would be a long tunnel around along the south side of Henry Miller the northern arm of the San Luis Road to Carlucci Road, traveling on Hill. By traveling where existing rail corridor and city streets Scott Boulevard and Diridon to 220 mph in the dedicated High-Speed Rail portion of Reservoir and viaducts over the viaduct over major watercourses transportation infrastructure in San Jose, Morgan Hill, Station, but is the same as the alignment. Alternative 4 will require the successful California Aqueduct, Delta-Mendota and through the Grasslands – like rail or highways – exist, San Martin, and Gilroy. Alternative 1 from the Monterey completion of negotiations with UPRR for the use of their Alternative 1 makes use of Corridor Subsection to Church Canal, and I-5. Ecological Area. rail corridor between San Jose and Gilroy. existing rights-of-way whenever Avenue in San Martin. feasible. Social icon Circle Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our Brand Guidelines. HOW TO STAY INVOLVED www.hsr.ca.gov 800-455-8166 [email protected] @cahsra facebook.com/CaliforniaHighSpeedRail @cahsra youtube.com/CAHighSpeedRail Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Key Terms At-grade An alignment at ground level MOWF Maintenance of way facility: A facility where equipment for nightly maintenance of Aerial An alignment with tracks raised in the air right-of-way and tracks is stored (e.g. on a bridge or viaduct) mph Miles per hour Authority California High-Speed Rail Authority: State agency responsible for planning, designing, NEPA National Environmental Policy Act: A building, and operating the first high-speed Federal law that requires Federal agencies rail system in the US to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions Blended A rail system shared between two or more operators (e.g. high-speed rail and Caltrain) NOI Notice of intent: A formal announcement of intent to prepare an EIS; the first step of the CEQA California Environmental Quality Act: NEPA process A California law that requires state and local agencies to identify the significant NOP Notice of preparation: A document stating environmental impacts of their actions that an EIR will be prepared for a particular and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, project; the first step in the CEQA process if feasible PAA Preliminary Alternatives Analysis report: For Dedicated An alignment with only high-speed trains the San Jose to Merced Project Section, this document, released in 2010, provided initial EIR Environmental impact report: A document details of design options in each subsection