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Home My WebLink About2002-01-08 - AGENDA REPORTS - SUPPORT HIGH SPEED RAIL (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approval: �h7 Item to be presented by: Mark L. Yamarone DATE: January S, 2002 SUBJECT: CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL — RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AN ANTELOPE VALLEY ROUTE ALIGNMENT AND NORTH LOS ANGELES COUNTY STATION LOCATIONS DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Engineering Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council adopt a resolution supporting an Antelope Valley route alignment and North Los Angeles County station locations for the proposed California High -Speed Rail system. BACKGROUND The California High -Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is the State entity responsible for the planning, construction, and operation of a high-speed train system serving California's major metropolitan areas. The Authority is preparing a program -level Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a 700 -mile high-speed train system serving Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Valley, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Orange County, and San Diego. The Authority is reviewing staff recommendations for the first screening of alternatives for the entire system, including the Los Angeles -to -Bakersfield segment. Due to the topography of the Tehachapi Mountains, one of the most challenging segments of the proposed high-speed rail system is selecting a route alignment between Los Angeles and Bakersfield. The Authority is currently studying three route alignments between Santa Clarita and Bakersfield. • I-5 Granevine Alignment: This alignment would generally follow the I-5 through the Grapevine to Bakersfield. The terrain on this route, however, is challenging with steep slopes, requiring extensive tunneling and structure construction. This alignment would include a stop in the Santa Clarita Valley. Potential station locations identified by the Authority are in the areas of the I-5 and Magic Mountain Parkway and the SR -126 Interchange. Adopted:, D �- Agenda Item: CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL RESOLUTION January 8, 2002 — Page 2 • SR-14/SR-58 Alignment: This alignment would generally follow the SR -14 through the Santa Clarita Valley and the existing Metrolink route through Soledad Canyon. The alignment continues north through Palmdale and Lancaster along the existing rail right-of-way and follows the SR -58 existing rail route over the Tehachapis. This route crosses earthquake faults at grade. This alignment would include a stop in the Santa Clarita Valley. Potential station locations identified by the Authority are in the areas of the SR -14 and San Fernando Road and Via Princessa. • SR-14/Aqueduct Alignment: This alignment would generally follow the SR -14 through the Santa Clarita Valley and the existing Metrolink route through Soledad Canyon. The alignment continues north through Palmdale the veers west following the SR -138 crossing the Tehachapis, in a tunnel, near the California Aqueduct. This alignment would include a stop in the Santa Clarita Valley. Potential station locations identified by the Authority are in the areas of the SR -14 and San Fernando Road and Via Princessa. At their meeting on May 25, 1999, the City Council received a presentation from the High - Speed Rail Authority on the proposed rail system and the various route alignments between Santa Clarita and Bakersfield. Following the presentation, the City Council unanimously passed a motion to support the Antelope Valley route. The Authority is scheduled to screen out two of these proposed alignments and select a single preferred alignment and potential station locations between Santa Clarita and Bakersfield at its January 2002 meeting. As part of this process, the Authority has asked communities interested in this segment to present their views on which alignment(s) and station locations should be selected for further analysis. After discussions between the cities of Lancaster, Palmdale, and Santa Clarita and the County of Los Angeles, the SR-141SR-58 Alignment (described above) is supported by each of these jurisdictions and by the North County Transportation Coalition (NCTC). At this time, the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster have determined that it is premature to designate a single station location in the Antelope Valley. Instead, it is recommended that the Authority allow for placement of a station anywhere within and between the central business districts of Lancaster and Palmdale, with the precise location to be determined through the environmental impact analysis. The Authority has also identified a station location in Sylmar that could replace the proposed Santa Clarita station. Staff believes that the Authority should include a potential station location along the SR-14/SR-58 Alignment within the Santa Clarita Valley, with the precise location to be determined through the environmental impact analysis. Adoption of the proposed resolution will again show the City of Santa Clarita's support for an Antelope Valley High -Speed Rail alignment and Santa Clarita station. CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL RESOLUTION January 8, 2002 — Page 3 ALTERNATIVE ACTION Other action as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT There is no immediate fiscal impact from adopting the proposed resolution. ATTACHMENTS Resolution Map — Proposed High -Speed Rail Alignments and Station Locations between Los Angeles and Bakersfield MLY:dis council\ hsr_av_align_rea .doc California High -Speed Train Program EI EIS Bakersfield -to -Los Angeles W Hiah-Speed in Screening Evaluation X M ok4ftwmdTndn Atpm and ,—..Cm4 ltatlonaTar%haaaNarwfMWto ��QmY � Mm91 .u..« prig+MYIYb Laa Angalr ColTfdar U.S. Deportment oirrenaponenon Page 2 ♦+�neYwrYwowpYwpw +aeawir Feeewl RYlrwa Mminbtrtllon