-April 30,2019-
Kings Co settlement news coming?
The California High Speed Rail Authority will work to breath new life into their troubled business plan this week as they file a new proposal May 1 with the state legislature to connect California, at least the northern half.
You could call it ‘medium high speed rail’ perhaps – promising 180 mph AMTRAK trains to link the southern San Joaquin Valley with Merced and on to the Bay Area on the planned expansion of the ACE train to San Jose (see map).
Kings County Supervisor Doug Verboon says he was told of the plan and had a chance to vent to CHSRA vice chair Tom Richards when he came to Kings County recently.Verboon also sits the San Joaquin Rail JPA.
Verboon wanted to explain why Kings County opposed designs by the Authority before the PUC complaining they do not allow enough room for the large farm equipment that will be using the overpasses in the county. Veboon says he wanted Richards to sit on big ag machine rather than just look at pictures.
Verboon also hinted there could be a breakthrough over the CEQA lawsuit the county has with CHSRA this week as a a settlement proposal will be presented to the Kings board in closed session Tuesday, today, he says.
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On Wednesday CHSRA will release their long awaited, new improved, business plan update to tell the legislature and voters how they will connect California by patching together rail routes already in place or in the works for use within a few years when the 171 mile Central Valley segment is completed. The expensive project is fighting the notion this is a train to “no where.” Valley mayors cringe that their communities are not nowhere.