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Governor Signs High Speed Rail Bill / Kings Co Weighs Route

Governor Jerry Brown is visiting Los Angeles’ Union Station today signing the bill providing funding for construction of the first phase of a statewide high speed rail service that will connect LA to SF.

The symbolism is clear that the victory on passage in the state Senate recently came because of support in urban areas for the big project sweetened with $8 billion for upgrades to their commuter train system that will connect to the future bullet train.

In the meantime the focus this week is on Kings County where a comment period on a revised EIR has begun. While farmers and government officials have been vocal opponents of the project – it was state Senator Mike Rubio who represents Kings County who cast a deciding vote to support the project.

“The construction of the Central Valley segment will create about 100,000 year-long jobs in the Valley. Unemployment rates in Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare Counties are unacceptable and high speed rail guarantees jobs for the Central Valley” said Rubio.

Which alignment will the California High Speed Rail Authority pick through the South Valley to bypass Hanford when they run the bullet train route through Kings County? Originally they posed a route east of Hanford that would cross 198 just east of Hwy 43. Now they have offered a west of Hanford alternative as well,the “revised draft” released this week, crossing 198 west of Armona. The Authority board will select which one after the first of the year with the final Record of Decision on their EIR coming in March 2013.
Then expect the lawsuits to come from Kings County property owners who pretty much don’t like either route. Hanford does not want it to run through their town as Amtrak does today. Tulare County cities prefer the east of Hanford route (if they can’t get Hwy 99) for a station site that would be closer to their population cnters.
Kings County would prefer Hwy 99 routing as well but railroad giant Union Pacific won’t hear of it and the CHSRA has taken it off the table.
Resolution of the legal issues will have to happen before the 114 mile, $7 billion segment begins construction.
With funding approved now, CHSRA hopes to begin construction of the Central Valley segment that runs Fresno to Merced area late this year but also faces several lawsuits first.

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