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A Cu stom Pu b l i cat ion o f The Fresno Bee | Satu rday, Ju n e 18 , 2 01 1



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Making the case

for high speed rail The high-speed rail system is an economical choice for long-distance travel within

the state — faster and more cost effective than air or vehicle travel.by Steve Geil and the Geil families

High-speed rail is, nodoubt, a contentiousissue.

How could it not be? Califor-nia’s $43-billion, 800-mile railline — slated to begin in theCentral Valley — is an infra-

structure project too grand tonot seem like a pipe dream,especially in light of the currenteconomic situation.

But anyone following thenews knows it’s also taking shape, even as you read this.

The California High SpeedRail Authority hopes to havepassengers on trains by 2020.Construction on the initial leg of the line — from Fresno toBakersfield— is set for thesecond half of 2012. Environ-mental impact reports arealready being drafted.

On the following pages, you’ll

find a bevy of information onhigh-speed rail and how it willaffect our lives — from transpor-tation and commerce, toagriculture and education —not written by politicians, butby those with a personal stakein what eventually happens.

High-Speed Rail:

Game Changer for the Valley? A custom publication of

The Fresno Bee

Valerie Bender Vice President of CustomPublications forMcClatchy California

Carey NortonCustom Publications Editor

Monica Stevens Assistant Editor

Joshua Tehee

Project Coordinator

Erik DavisonCover/Graphics Designer

Infographic informationprovided by Steve Geil. Photosby Thinkstock.

California’s population isexpected to grow by morethan 15 million in the next 30

years and by 50% by 2050. We, Californians, love our cars,

but the increased demands on thestate’s transportation infrastructurefrom the projected growth forces usto look at alternatives to traditional

types of transportation systems:buses, planes and Amtrak trains.One alternative stands out from all

others: high-speed rail. High-speedrail would connect the Central

Valley to the rest of the state with acompletely grade-separated (nocrossings) rail system. With trainstraveling more than 200 miles perhour in the San Joaquin Valley, theCentral Valley becomes seamlessly connected to the metropolitan/com-merce centers of Southern andNorthern California.

Currently, there are no flightsconnecting Central Valley cities toSacramento except through San

Francisco. Costly freeway expansionpromotes urban sprawl, whilehigh-speed rail spurs high-density development around city centerstations. This is critically significantin the Central Valley where, aspopulation growth pushes us to thelimits, we are trying to protect primefarmland from becoming the nextresidential subdivision.

The high-speed rail system will bean important and economicalchoice when traveling 400 miles orless. Faster, more reliable and lesscostly than air or vehicle travel perpassenger mile, high-speed raillessens the loss of productive time

in comparison to driving or going through the air travel process.Reliability? High-speed trains

travel through snow, sleet, rain, fog and freeway accidents. No delaysdue to congestion, accidents, orfoggy-day schedules. High-speed rail

gets you there on time trip after tripafter trip, safely, reliably, efficiently and cost-effectively.

With improved access to ourregion, some people may come tosee our Central Valley cities as“bedroom communities” to majormetropolitan labor and financialmarkets. The enhanced high-speedtrain connectivity could be thetipping point to persuade employersto move to the Central Valley andtake advantage of reduced costs of operation.

High-speed rail will add to thequality of life in the San Joaquin

Valley. Southern and NorthernCalifornia residents will gain extraor-dinary access to the Central Valley to visit Yosemite, Sequoia and KingsCanyon national parks. The BlossomTrail and Madera Winery Tours

would be accessible to millions asnever before. All of the majoreconomic, cultural and visitor-orient-ed events and attractions would beavailable to a statewide audience.

This leads to increased exposure,and increased tax revenue generatedfrom tourist dollars spent in theCentral Valley. It is these tax reve-nues that support the quality of life

we cherish in our Valley communi-ties.

Quality of life will improve inother ways through high-speed rail: Reduced congestion and

accidents on highways Reduced highway repair and

maintenance costs Reduced pollution leading to

cleaner air Connectivity to Central Valley

innovation, know-how, and entrepre-

neurship and major markets’venture capital Creation of a level playing field

for allocation of federal and statetransportation tax dollars historical-ly given to Southern and NorthernCalifornia metropolitan areas.

Jobs, jobs, jobs

High-speed rail represents thegreatest infrastructure investment inthe Central Valley for futuregenerations. With the highestpoverty and unemployment rates inthe nation, there is no better reasonto support high-speed rail than theimpact it will have in changing the

fortunes of tens of thousands of Valley residents.

High-speed rail jobs perfectly align with the skill sets of the Valley workforce. Additionally, theUniversity of California, Merced:California State University, Fresno;State Center for Community Colleges; as well as the WorkforceInvestment Agencies are in place toeducate and train an eagerpopulation to become equipped tocompete for the high-paying,high-speed rail jobs.

California and this Great Valley were built on the shoulders of dreamers who saw what the future

could offer. We can sit by andaccept the status quo, or we candemand that our country, onceagain, become the global center forthe world’s innovators andentrepreneurs, as we have been ingenerations past.

Beginning high-speed rail now forfuture generations is a responsibility our generation must accept as ourparents and grandparents did for usin building the currenttransportation systems. We will notconcede defeat to apathy.

Our family believes we are theprogeny of those dreamers andvisionaries who came before us, and

we envision a future of economicopportunities and benefits thathigh-speed rail will bring to thisGreat Valley. The Geil families include Steve

and Eileen, Jason and Kym, Mattand Kelly and Ryan and Kasey

The HSR system would be more reliable and cost effective than air or vehicle

travel. If you factor in lost time for weather delays, drive time or the total

process for air travel, high-speed rail just makes sense.

MYTH: The California HighSpeed Rail Authority is building

the track to nowhere.

TRUTH: The CHSRA is going tobuild a high-speed rail track that runs from San Francisco toLos Angeles/Anaheim that willlater extend north toSacramento and south to SanDiego.

It is a massive infrastructureproject that will allow trains totravel between Los Angeles andSan Francisco in less than 2hours and 40 minutes. Like any major construction project,

whether it be I-5, Freeway 99 orhighways 41, 180 and 168, it has

to start somewhere.The Central Valley segment of

the line is the only segment thathas the potential to achievetrue high speeds of up to 220miles per hour and will serve asa test track for the system as itis home to miles of relatively straight land where trains willbe able to run at top speeds formore than 100 miles.

Trains will not be permittedto carry passengers until they are tested at top speeds for anextended period of time. Thistesting function is not possibleanywhere else in California.

A CUSTOM PUBLICATION OF THE FRESNO BEE SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011 3



It is impossible to talk aboutCalifornia’s transportation sys-tems and our future transporta-

tion needs without including high-speed rail. There are about 38 millionCalifornians today; that number isexpected to grow by a full third, to 50million, by the year 2035. Stateleaders have the responsibility of accommodating that growth whilealso maintaining economic strengthand high-speed rail is one of the bestmeans to accomplish both.

California will need more roadcapacity, more airport capacity andhigh-speed rail is another transporta-tion option. The continued health of California’s economy relies on being able to move people and goodsefficiently within the state – from

international origins, through theports, from Northern California toSouthern California.

The benefits of the planned systemto connect the largest populationcenters in our state, which includestwo of the largest population centersin our nation – will be seen in boththe short term and the long term. Inthe near term, it means economicstimulus and job creation. In thelong term, it means economicefficiency and environmental im-provements. In a time of staggering unemployment figures – especially inthe Central Valley – it’s even clearerthat infrastructure investment is asmart, forward-thinking way tocreate jobs.

But what is it exactly that Califor-nia is planning? California’s high-speed rail project is not one of incrementally improving existing passenger rail lines, but one of constructing new infrastructure toallow operating speeds of 220 milesper hour and travel times from theLos Angeles Basin to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area that competes withair travel.

California’s high-speed rail system will span more than 500 miles in thatfirst phase, and ultimately cover 800

miles when it stretches from Sacra-mento to San Diego.

California’s high-speed rail systemis a job creator. With this project,

when estimating job creation, aconservative figure is used, com-pared to that of transportationadvocacy groups and other infrastruc-ture projects, of 20,000 jobs per $1billion in investment.

In a short amount of time, lessthan a year and half, California wasawarded the most funding in thenation for its high-speed rail project.More than $6 billion is available tostart construction, and that will

mean more than 100,000 jobs during initial construction. That means jobsfor construction laborers, equipmentoperators, construction managers,cement masons and concrete finish-ers, electricians, accountants/audi-tors, civil engineers and more. Thebulk of those jobs will be local andbased out of the Central Valley.

California’s high-speed rail systemis slated to begin construction in theCentral Valley next year. There are

many reasons the High Speed Rail Authority and the federal govern-ment chose to begin construction of the Los Angeles area to Bay Areasystem in the Central Valley.

The Central Valley constitutes thebackbone of the statewide system,

where we will have true high-speedtrain travel on dedicated tracks. Thenew tracks will accommodate thetesting of the nation’s first high-speed trains, equipment and technol-ogy.

Also, beginning in the center givesthe flexibility to build either north orsouth as more money becomesavailable. Why begin where our

system will be straight, flat andrelatively inexpensive? To get themost bang for our buck and get moreCalifornians directly to work.

California’s high-speed rail system will run 100% on electricity, whichmeans that electricity can be pro-duced from clean sources like wind,solar and more, protecting the airquality in a place that has some of the poorest air quality in the nation.

California’s high-speed rail system will turn a profit. According to theInternational Union of Railways,

which is the international authority on rail, every existing high-speed

train system in operation around the world generates a profit from itsoperations.

Two lines — the Tokyo-to-Osakaand Paris-to-Lyon lines — have evenmade enough profit to pay back thecost of their initial infrastructureinvestment. The authority is working

with nine countries around the worldto tap their expertise and exchangebest practices to ensure California’ssystem will be the best in the world.

California’s high-speed rail system will be funded by a mix of sources. With their approval of a $9.95 billionbond measure in 2008, Californiansdid their part. The federal govern-

ment has already pumped moremoney into California’s project thanthat of any other state in the nation,though the authority continues to

work to secure a long-term federalcommitment. And we have a greatdeal of interest from the privatesector to invest and operate thesystem, more than 1,500 representa-tives of which attended a high-speedrail industry forum we hosted in Los

Angeles earlier this year.

Soon, you will see the environmen-tal impact reports for the Central

Valley portion of the project, as wellas an updated business plan fromthe Authority, both of which will give

you a clearer picture of what it isexactly that we’re proposing.

In the end, it is this: a safe, clean,fast and affordable way to travel thatimproves California’s economy andquality of life and brings us onto thesame playing field the rest of the

world has enjoyed for decades.

HSR: the future of transportation

Clean-running high-speed trains will use technology that can connect

California’s growing population and give its people needed jobs.by the California High Speed Rail Authority

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5

15

80

101

50

99395

Map shows routesunder consideration.

Only one will be selected.

Sacramento

Stockton

Stations Under Consideration

Millbrae-SFO

Mid-Peninsula

Modesto

Fresno

Bakersfield

Kings/Tulare Regional

San Fernando/Branford/Burbank

Merced

San FranciscoTransbay Terminal

San JoseDiridon

Gilroy

HST Alignment Alternatives- Phase 1

Los Angeles

San Diego

San Gabriel Valley

Ontario Airport

SanBernardino

MarchAFB

Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs or Fullerton

Anaheim

Murrieta

Escondido

Corona

Palmdale

HST Alignment Alternatives- Phase 2

Sectionselectedto receive

federalfunding

Does HSR helpmid-sized cities?

“History shows thatinvestment in infrastruc-ture results in economicgrowth in the future.”

— CNN.com user“thenewsjunki”

Expert response: That’strue

“One of the biggest andoften overlooked advantag-es of high speed rail, andeven of not-so-high-speedrail, is its ability to restorethe economic promise of many mid-sized cities

where airline service is nolonger available orprohibitively expensive.Fast, frequent railpassenger and packageexpress service onceprovided cities like

Lynchburg, Va., orRockford, Ill., with theconnectivity to othermarkets they needed tothrive as centers of

business. Now, as part of ‘flyover America,’ they struggle because getting from there to anywhereelse requires long autodrives to distant and/orpoorly served airports.”

— Philip Longman,senior research fellow,

New America Foundation

4 SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011 A CUSTOM PUBLICATION OF THE FRESNO BEE



With a struggling economy and energy costs skyrocketing,

now is the perfect time tobegin building America’s firsttrue high-speed rail system.The completely electricrailways will not only stimu-late the economy of the state,but help reduce fuel costs by not needing to import fossilfuels to run this system.

If we are to break thisaddiction to fossil fuels thatevery technological society must do to have its economy and energy sources secured,

we must make the invest-ments in green energy technology, including electrictransportation, which notonly includes railways butcars as well. High-speed railisn’t a dream. It is reality. Itis at the core of the strongesteconomies in the world.

Many countries in Asia andEurope that built high-speedrail would never go back tothe days before they con-structed their systems. Theireconomies would take alarge hit from the slowing

movement of its people andgoods. California has theopportunity to join thesenations and jumpstart theeconomy with a piece of infrastructure that is univer-sally regarded as being what

smart societies build to grow and prosper in the 21st

century.

When it comes to the

future of high-speed rail,

there’s no other place to bethan right here in Fresno.

The competition between Valley cities to win the Heavy Maintenance Facility brings apromise of jobs and educa-tional opportunities that willbenefit our community for

generations. Thousands of jobs are on the table to be won for Fresno, and ourcommunity leaders andorganizations have steppedup in a big way to come outon top.

Fresno Works is a coalitionof officials from the City of Fresno, Fresno County andthe Council of Fresno County Governments, which istaking up the job of bringing the HMF to Fresno. Already this coalition has marked anarea just south of Fresno forthe facility with an incentiveof $25 million of Measure Ctransportation funding if thesite is chosen by the state’shigh-speed rail authority.

Fresno colleges and univer-sities are also on board, withsupport from California State

University, Fresno, FresnoPacific, Fresno City College,and the State Center Commu-nity College District, withcurriculum currently being developed with the supportof international partners inEurope and Asia.

Many people have askedme, “What will this trainbring to Fresno?”

I say it will be a game-changer. With a brand-new downtown station on H andMariposa streets, which thecity has signaled as its

preferred station site, itmakes the prospect of Fresnobecoming a destination city areality. Our downtown willhave a real opportunity toboom with new apartmentand office buildings, and new

retail and entertainmentdistricts on Fulton andMariposa malls.

High-speed rail will bring in millions of dollars frominvestors locally and abroadto build the vibrant down-town this community wants.

With thousands of boardingsand departures at our sta-tion, Fresno will see not only our downtown change forthe better, but also the rest of the community.

Being a college student, Ihave dedicated many hoursto study and advocate for

this project. It has become apersonal goal to ride bullettrains out of Fresno to theBay Area and SouthernCalifornia in the next decade.

I’ve volunteered my time tothis cause because I think it’sthe most important infra-structure project in the entirecountry today. If this trainisn’t built, we will still haveto figure out how to movemore and more people asCalifornia’s population willeclipse 50 million in 20 years.

Not building this project

doesn’t mean we’ve savedmoney; it actually means we will spend more. We willhave to expand our already burdened freeways andairports. Instead of eightlanes of clogged freeways, we

will see 12 and 16 lanes of traffic jams. Instead of 20minutes waiting on thetarmac for take-off at ourairports, we will see delayslonger than 40 minutes.

High-speed trains will run when they are scheduled torun every day. Even theslightest of delays, fiveminutes in some countries,

will bring refunds to itsriders. And unlike cars andairplanes, high-speed trainsdo not run on costly fuelfrom foreign countries.

So far, the California HighSpeed Rail Authority has

secured more than $6 billionin federal and state funding to begin construction, hascreated partnerships withcountries that have high-speed rail, developed interest

with more than 1,000 privatebusinesses, and producedthe documents to beginconstruction next year. Onceconstruction begins, morethan 100,000 people will beemployed here in the Central

Valley, giving our economy the boost it needs. Paul Herman was born

and raised in Fresno. He

graduated from Bullard HighSchool in 2007 and attendsFresno City College. He is anintern with Fresno County District 2 Supervisor Susan

Anderson, working specifical-ly on high-speed rail.

The California High Speed Rail Authority has

received billions in funding from the federal

government specifically for California’s

high-speed rail project.

Downtown station could be regional transportation hub

Bus service from outlying areas and to destination points like Fresno

Yosemite International Airport will connect region to high-speed rail.by Tony Boren, Executive Director, Fresno Council of Governments

No better time to embrace the dream From college students to government officials, the idea of high-speed rail in California is catching on.by Paul Herman, college student and high-speed rail advocate

The competition

between Valley

cities to win the

Heavy Maintenance

Facility brings a

promise of jobs andeducational opportu-

nities that will

benefit our commu-

nity for generations.— Paul Herman

Locating thiscountry’s firsthigh-speed rail

station in downtownFresno is incredibly exciting. Fresno’s statusas the regional econom-ic center for the SanJoaquin Valley, incombination with itscentralized location,makes it an ideallocation to serve as theregional hub of asustainable multi-modal (rail, publictransportation, bicy-

cling, walking) transpor-tation system serving the San Joaquin Valley.

The San Joaquin Valley is currently hometo 4 million people,

with growth expected to

take us to more than 9million by 2050. This

will have a tremendousimpact on our ability tomove both people andgoods throughout the

Valley. This projectedgrowth, combined withour tremendous air-quality challenges inthe Valley, makes itimperative that we look for opportunities toencourage people tomove from their auto-mobiles to other modesof transportation. A

high-speed rail stationin downtown Fresnohas the potential toserve as a tremendouscatalyst for both eco-nomic developmentand multimodal mobili-

ty in the Valley.Providing regional

connectivity to thehigh-speed rail stationfrom throughout theSan Joaquin Valley islikely to require acombination of trans-portation strategiesincluding strategically timed shuttle busesserving the station fromthe Valley’s smallerrural cities; and well-timed connections toexisting bus and trainservice. In addition,

direct inter-city busservice from outlying communities is alwaysan option if sufficientdemand is present.

Connectivity from theregional high-speed rail

station to our regionalairport (Fresno

Yosemite International)can be achieved by utilizing a combinationof express bus routes,shuttle bus service andconventional taxis.

Ideally these services would all intersect atthe downtown high-speed rail station andcould potentially belinked to additionalshuttle bus service that

could provide directservice to the threenational parks(Yosemite, Sequoia andKings Canyon) serving our region.

From a motorist’sperspective, the down-

town station location will provide excellentconnectivity as it hasconvenient access tothree major statehighways: State Route99, State Route 41 and

State Route 180, whichin turn provides conve-nient access to StateRoute 168, thus provid-ing the entire Fresno-Clovis metropolitanarea with automobileaccess to the downtown

station in less than 20minutes, as well ashighway connectivity toall of Fresno County’srural communities andthe surrounding SanJoaquin Valley counties.




The Central Valley, andFresno County in particularoperates on a largely

agriculture economy. A largeone, at $5.4 billion in 2009, butone with historically high ratesof unemployment. High-speedrail will diversify that economicbase, creating a new workforce— directly and indirectly —during and after construction.

California’s long-studied and currently much-talked-about High Speed Rail (HSR) project isabout to become reality. What that means for

us in the Central Valley as a region, and in Fresno as‘ground zero’ for the start of this most ambitiousproject: a positive, clean, environmentally soundtransportation alternative that will infuse into oursagging agrarian economy a much needed ‘game-changing’ boost that will be beneficial for at leastthe next 100 years.

Economics

The advent of 135,000 permanent construction jobs on the Merced-Bakersfield segment is agame-changer for the Valley, especially with ouralmost record- setting unemployment rates ranging anywhere from 16.3% to 19.5% in various Central

Valley counties. (Source, Fresno Bee). Adding in the impact of locating the Heavy

Maintenance Facility in Fresno County, which willbecome the operational foundation of the entiresystem on this segment, is another 600 to 1,300permanent high-tech, high-paying jobs. (Thisdoesn’t take into account the permanent jobscreated by the operation of the system and itsancillary services.) Given the financial incentivesalong with our local technical training alliances withour higher education system (CSUF, SCCCD, FPU),this is not an unrealistic expectation.

Additionally, the reality that all HSR contractorsand vendors will need to not only have theirproducts tested and certified by the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA),hopefully right here in the

Valley, these same companies will need a venue where they can showcase their wares tothe rest of the U.S. high-speedrail market. This adds thepotential for hundreds more

jobs. Many of these companieshave already expressed in

writing their respective interestin investing heavily in this‘soon-to-be-reality’ high-speedtrain system.

Fresno’s downtown stationlocation will return downtownto the center of transportationactivity it was in the halcyondays of passenger rail servicethat ended in the early ’60s. Additionally, station

area development will be an integral part of thisrenewed economic engine repowering an honest

downtown revitalization. This downtown renewal is

not a pipe-dream, but has been witnessed in almost

every city center in Europe and Asia, with the

advent of a downtown/city center HSR passenger

station.

Environmental

We have recently been told by some of our Valley

SEE COMMERCE, PAGE 7

High-speed rail project’s impact could be staggering

The clean, environmentally sound transportation alternative will create jobs unlike any project the Central Valley

has seen. Just imagine what 135,000 new jobs could mean for the economy.by Edward P. Graveline, Former Vice Chair of the California High Speed Rail Authority

Processing commercial materials

Processing C&D materials, sel-haul materials,

and Operation Clean-up materials

Transerring solid waste to a permitted landfll

Sub-contracting the transportation o solid wastes

Cedar Ave. Recycling and Transfer Station

Caglia Demolition & Recycling Company

The Caglia Family Supports High Speed Rail

Let’s Address the Challengesand Issues and Make It Happen

2 8 7 3 5 4

■ Trainset fabrication■ Train control-signaling

■ Communications

■ Central control center

■ Operations and power supply

■ Electrification/traction

■ Traction power supply stations

■ Switching/paralleling stations

■ Overhead contact systems (OCS)

■ Track, ties/ballast, fastening system

■ Maintenance equipment for trains and systems

■ Service planning and fare setting

■ Operations planning, scheduling, fees■ Train driving and dispatching

■ On-board passenger services

■ Ticketing and revenue accounting

■ Station services and security

■ Train servicing and inspection

■ Train maintenance

■ Fixed core system and infrastructureinspection and maintenance

MAINTENANCE JOBS:

CORE SYSTEM JOBS:

OPERATIONS JOBS:

Fresno’s downtown

station location will

return downtown to

the center of trans-

portation activity it

was in the halcyon

days of passenger

rail service that

ended in the early

’60s.— Edward P. Graveline




What will happen when high-speed trainspull into the downtown Fresno station?

Will passengers want to make Fresno adestination, or stay on the train and pass through?It all depends on what we do now to build athriving downtown in the years ahead. A vibrantdowntown is key to making any city worth visiting — but even more so when visitors are arriving right in the heart of it.

What do you see when you arrive in a vibrantdowntown Fresno? As soon as you exit the station,

you find a place that calls you to walk around. At

night, the musicfrom a rooftopbar splashes overthe cheer of thecrowd at Chuk-chansi Park.

Walking less thanthree blockstoward a lively Fulton Mall (or toa bus or rentalcar), you pass

well-designedbuildings withstorefronts andrestaurants atground level, and

offices and living space above.

Within easy walking distance, you find great

commerce and culture, not to mention conve-

nience.

The city began laying the foundation for this

kind of place last year, with the start of work on

the Fulton Corridor Specific Plan. The SpecificPlan provides a new code for developmentthroughout downtown.

Under the new zoning, every project must be

designed for pedestrian access, as buildings once were. The rules make it easier to build a greatdowntown, one investment at a time. A draft of the Development Code is available at www.fresn-odowntownplans.com.

The city is also working to plan the publicinvestments that will make the station areafunction well, with streets and transit access.

The Specific Plan makes the first move in thisdirection by resolving the long-running debateabout the future of the Fulton Mall. Five malloptions are now under study, each offering varying blends of restoring vehicle traffic and thecurrent landscape, all with the goal of making themall a more attractive place for private invest-

ment.The city is also seeking funds to develop a

high-speed rail multimodal station area plan that will design the streets leading to the station,

program public transit, locate parking, and offer

solutions to fund the necessary investments tomaximize economic development and opportuni-

ty in and around the station.

The city has even applied for arts funding to

redesign the Mariposa Plaza area at the center of

the Fulton Mall, making it an easy place to host

concerts and cultural events. Where better to put

on a show every weekend, and show off the

Valley’s diversity, than just steps from the high-

speed train station?

The city is working now to prepare our down-

town for high-speed rail. Fortunately, we’re not

alone.

At each step we are asking the private sector to

tell us what would make the most impact on their

decision to invest. We are asking the public to

continue to participate in the Specific Plandecision-making process.

Through all the efforts under way, we will be

asking you to get involved as the future envi-

sioned for the station area moves along the track

to reality.

A vibrant downtown will welcome train riders

Efforts are under way now to transform

downtown into a vibrant stop for high-

speed rail passengers.by Craig Scharton and Elliott Balch,Downtown and Community Revitalization Department

congressmen that now is not a

good time to spend federal

dollars on HSR. We are led to

believe that we ought to take

these federally allocated dollarsand widen Highway 99 through

the Valley.

The footprint for a two-rail

HSR line carrying 10,000

passengers per hour in either

direction is 50-feet wide. To

duplicate this same capacity on

Highway 99 would require an

additional four lanes at 132 feet

of width.

This definitely speaks to the

question of agricultural land loss

as it relates to the construction

of HSR. The total acreage

affected in Fresno, Kings, Tulare

and Kings counties is at most

2,542 acres (Source: URSCorporation). The cost per mile

for the construction of HSR is

approximately $60 million per

mile compared to an estimated

cost of $166 million per mile for

again, the same capacity of

highway for an additional 10,000

passengers per hour (Source:

Caltrans cost estimate for I-5

from Oceanside to San Diego).

In comparing how far a gallon

of fuel or its energy equivalent

will take a person by

transportation mode, the

following was discovered: On a

gallon of gas, a Prius hybrid will

take one person from 40 to 100

miles; an Airbus will take you

from 49 to 100 miles and HSR

will take you from 150 to 300

miles(Source: fueleconomy.gov,

Airbus, Japan East Rail and

SNCF).

Clearly, taxpayers get the

greatest bang for their dollar

with the investment in HSR.

Californians cannot afford thecost of adding new freeway lanes

at the expense of ag land, mode

capacity loss and incredibly poorfuel mileage.

Transportation impact

Given that both Los AngelesInternational Airport and SanFrancisco International Airportare at maximum ground and

gate capacity (pre-recession) without the prospect of being able to build out to meetair-travel demands due tooverwhelming environmentalconcerns, HSR creates along-term solution for this very real current problem.

Ground and gate capacity atmajor airports are negatively affected by the proliferation of small regional aircraft used toshuttle passengers to largerairports to connect to long-haulflights that are the real profitcenters for all airlines. HSRcreates the opportunity to

overcome some of theseimpediments by allowing thetraveling public access to ourinternational airport, Fresno

FROM PAGE 6

SEE COMMERCE, PAGE 8

When visitors exit the train at the downtown Fresno station, city

planners hope they will see a vibrant downtown, alive with

restaurants, nightclubs and places to shop.

Commerce: Project means jobs

Jobs: Rail vs roads

“History shows that you get more jobs

and economicgrowth for every dollar spent on railsthan you do for every dollar spent on roadsor any other infra-structure project.”

— CNN.com user“thenewsjunki”

Expert response:It depends.

“This question isimpossible to answerbecause it’s hard totalk about theseprojects in theabstract. It matters

where and how theseprojects are built.”

Location: “...if youbuilt high-speed railin a remote place like

Montana, theneconomically, thisproject may notmake a lot of sense.

However, if youfocus high-speed rail

in corridors betweenmetropolitan areasthat are economically connected, thenthere is no reason

why it couldn’t havean economic return if built correctly. ...Los

Angeles to SanFrancisco is a perfectcorridor for this typeof project, becausethere is an economicconnection and it’sthe right distance(about 380 miles) forhigh-speed rail to be

competitive with airtravel.”— Robert Puentes,

the BrookingsInstitution

Will passengers

want to make

Fresno a destina-

tion, or stay on the

train and pass

through? It all

depends on what we

do now to build a

thriving downtown

in the years ahead.




On 2:46 p.m.March 11, amagnitude 9

earthquake struck nmortheast Japan, andits effects were felt asfar away as Tokyo.Prefectures along thePacific Ocean were hit

with shaking thatreached the maximumlevel, according toJapanese measure-ments. The accompany-ing violent rise in thesea floor created amassive tsunami —

estimated at more than100 feet — that sweptinland. Cars and homes,boats and breakwaters— the wave swallowedeverything like they

were dollhouse piecesand left 15,000 peopledead and another10,000 missing. Those

who managed to escape

the tsunami lost theirhomes, and now live inshelters.

Nevertheless, during this historic event, 27Shinkansen (JapaneseHigh-Speed Rail) trainsin operation in theTohoku region, withmany passengers onboard at the time,stopped safely without asingle derailment. Interms of preventing thederailment, JR East, oneof four high-speed railoperators in Japan,

claims that theShinkansen trainshad their speedautomatically decreased by their earthquakeearly detectionsystem before thepowerful quakearrived. Theanti-seismicreinforcementson the elevated

track pillars alsohad significanteffect, a lessonlearned fromtheir experience

with the GreatHanshin/AwajiEarthquake in1995.

Despite thedamage caused by this

disaster, JR East gradual-

ly restarted operations

in sections without

much damage. It

reopened the entire

Tohoku Shinkansen line

on April 29. As one of

the main arteries of

Japan’s transportation

infrastructure, this line’srenovation and theslowly increasing number of touristsstood as a symbol to the

Japanese people thatthey could endure andrebuild.

As the 1964 Olympics— the first in Asia —opened in Tokyo, the

world’s first high-speedtrain also made itsdebut.

Japan in the 1960s

was booming withincreased demand fortransportation andtourism, and theTokyo-Osaka Tokaidoconventional rail line

was reaching the limitsof it capabilities. To

address this, JapaneseNational Railwaysplanned a 130-mphtrain to connect the twocities in about threehours.

The Shinkansennetwork, which formsan important supportnetwork for the Japa-

nese economy, grew inthe following years and

now includes approxi-mately 1,500 miles of tracks, with further

expansion in the future.JR East also plans to

increase operating speeds from current 186to 200 mph.

The Shinkansen

system has more

advantages than success-

ful anti-seismic and

disaster-proof engineer-

ing. It also drives the

growth of tourism in agiven area. For example,

in December 2002, JR

East opened a new

route from Morioka to

Hachinohe in northeast-

ern Japan. These 60

miles of track enabled

JR East to shorten the

trip to Hachinohe from

Tokyo by 40 minutes,

while simultaneously

proving that one-day

ridership increased 50%

and continues to climb.

Yearly transportation

numbers through

Hachinohe station

increased from 1.1million to 1.9 million

within five years. This

data shows the effect

high-speed rail has on

regional and inter-re-

gional demand.

Furthermore, the

Shinkansen also has an

impact on tourism

demand itself. The

number of tourists to

Aomori (Hachinohe’sprefecture) increased by almost 6 million peoplethe year after the lineopened. These peoplevisited national parksand spring festivals

where cherry blossoms— the Japanese nationalflower — were in fullbloom.

The number of tourists to southern

Aomori specifically from the Tokyo areadoubled in the five

years after the line

SEE JAPAN, PAGE 10

Yosemite International, by reducing

the amount of air shuttles with

timely HSR trains to and from the LA

basin and the Bay Area at a lower

cost. In return, FYI becomes a hubfor transcontinental flights due to

reduced “drive aways” that have

been created by an increased

passenger base in and from the

Central Valley.

With the advent of a

state-of-the-art intermodal

transportation center in downtown

Fresno, anchored by the new HSR

station, Fresno has the opportunity

to offer an integrated and seamlesstransportation system that can serve

the entire Central Valley.

This can be accomplished by

integrating a Bus Rapid Transit

system connecting outlying communities like Kerman, Selma,

Kingsburg, Sanger, Reedley and

Madera as well as FYI to the new

station. This intermodal facility

would offer affordable transportation

to all in the Valley.

All of the aforementioned are

indicators that we are on the cusp of

a transportation revolution in the

United States.

As an integral part of the

international community, we have

been identified for moret than two

centuries as problem solvers and

innovators. Let us not be defined by the problem identifiers and

naysayers.

I’m not suggesting that theenvironmental process won’t be

fraught with real issues that in some

cases could become highly divisive.

However, I honestly believe that this

is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

for us as a community and region to

shed the belief held by so many for

so long that nothing great can

happen in Fresno. We must dispel

that myth.

We, more than any other nation,

ought to be striving toward HSR as

part of the solution to mitigating

many of our intra-city travel issues

for the next 100 years.

We owe it to our children and

grandchildren to leave this state in

better shape than it has been left to

us.

So, to borrow a bit from a recent

ad slogan: Let’s build something

great together!

FROM PAGE 7

Japan’s rail lines reliable,quakeproof

March’s earthquake and tsunami didn’t

stop Japan’s high-speed rail, long a source

of tourism and economic stability.by Masayuki Tanemura

Consulate General of Japan,San Francisco

As one of the main

arteries of Japan’s

transportation

infrastructure, this

line’s renovation

and the slowly

increasing number

of tourists stood as

a symbol to the

Japanese people

that they could

endure and rebuild.— Masayuki Tanemura

Commerce: Project means Valley jobs

Rail passengers cross a street in Japan, site of the world’s first

high-speed rail system, which debuted for the 1964 Olympics.

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DEVELOPMENT




Staying competitive in today’sglobal economy is no easy feat.Emerging markets are challeng-

ing more developed countries likethe United States, and this trend willonly continue as the marketplaceevolves.

One area that is adversely affecting the United States’ competitiveness isits transportation system. Thecurrent system needs to be updatedand integrated with other modes of transportation to create a compre-hensive network that makes it easy for businesses to ship their productsto customers and for people to get

where they need to go. Unfortunate-ly, the United States is currently stuck in the slow lane, not only figuratively, but literally.

A truly intermodal transportationnetwork that integrates air and

automobile travel with passenger

rail, in particular, high-speed railnetworks, would strengthen the

United States’ position in the global

marketplace by driving economic

growth, increasing energy efficiency — while reducing dependence on

foreign oil, and facilitating the smart

growth of towns and cities. The

benefits of high-speed rail arealready being realized by countriesaround the globe —countries the UnitedStates is competing with inthe global marketplace.

In China, a 4,300-mile high-speed network is connecting citieslike Beijing and Tianjin in just 30minutes, and the country plans toexpand the network to 8,000 miles by 2012. High-speed rail is not only making it easier for people to movearound in dense urban areas — thesystem recorded 41 million passen-gers in its first two years — but alsostimulating the economy, driving updemand for construction materialssuch as steel and cement, andcreating jobs to construct the line.Construction of the Beijing toShanghai line put 110,000 people to

work.In a 2010 study Siemens sponsored

for the U.S. Conference of Mayorsexamining the economic impact of

building high-speed rail in four

major cities, researchers found thatbuilding high-speed rail would add$6.1 billion annually in new businesssales to Chicago while creating 42,000 new jobs. In Los Angeles, $7.6billion would be added yearly andsome 55,000 jobs created, and inNew York’s state capital, Albany, $2.5billion would go to the local econo-my and some 21,000 jobs would becreated.

Dispelling a myth, high-speed railactually started in Germany in theearly 1900s with the first rail car that

ran 126 mph on a testtrack near Berlin. The

country now has more than1,000 miles of high-speed networks

connecting cities in Germany and

connecting Germany to the rest of Europe with trains that cross bordersinto Austria, Belgium, Denmark,France, the Netherlands, Switzerlandand the United Kingdom.

These highly efficient trains arefully integrated into the country’stransportation network and work together with the airlines and auto-mobile travel. A passenger traveling through Germany can purchase acomplete travel itinerary including

SEE World, PAGE 10

HSR: A world

connected High-speed rail has helped countries like China, Japan,

Germany, Russia and Spain transform themselves in

many ways.by Oliver Hauck, President, Siemens Mobility

Division, USA

While high-speed rail has yet to catch on in the UnitedStates, there has been a global expansion in HSR lines inrecent years, and for many countries, it is a major source

of transportation. Spain, for instance, has been pursuing HSR for20 years and by 2012 will have the longest system in Europe.

The benefits of high-speed

rail are already being

realized by countries

around the globe –

countries the United States

is competing with in the

global marketplace.— Oliver Hauckr

While high speed

rail is new to the

United States, it

has already made

an impact globally.

China, Japan,

France, Germany,

Spain, Italy and

Russia are the

global leaders in

high speed rail.

CHINAFuture planscall for 8,000

miles by 2012

4,300miles

Moves at217 mph

Services 152,000 passengersa day from Beijing to Tianjin

FRANCEFuture planscall for 2,500miles by 2025

1,143miles

Moves at199 mph

Paris is the central hub for allHSR connections in France

GERMANYFuture planscall for 1,500miles by 2025

1,056miles

Moves at186 mph

German trains traveled more than 14 million miles in 2009

SPAINFuture planscall for 2,000miles by 2020

633miles

Moves at220 mph

HSR absorbed 50 percent ofairline traffic from Barcelona to Madrid

ITALYFuture planscall for 800miles by 2020

547miles

Moves at186 mph

70 daily connections for the37-minute trip from Bolognato Florence

RUSSIAFuture planscall for 7,000miles by 2030

403miles

Moves at155 mph

Had 411,000 passengersin first four months ofoperations

UNITED STATESFuture planscall for 1,200miles by 2020

435miles

Moves at149 mph

Acela links Boston,Washington and New York

Future planscall for 1,800miles by 2015

1,487miles

Moves at186 mph

$19 billion economic impactannually, with no passengerfatalities in 45 years

F ANCE

JAPANOverseas jobs?

“Any rail project in theU.S. will require steelrails imported fromKorea or China and traincomponents importedfrom Germany.

Yes, we will need a few locals to put this alltogether, but the primary

jobs will be createdoverseas.”

— CNN.com user“StanCalif”

Expert response: Nottrue

“The high-speed railprogram includes strictBuy America provisions,

which require steel, ironand any manufacturedgoods used in theprogram to be producedin the United States.”

Examples: “Already,the steel rail for projectsin Maine and Vermontare being cast at a plantin Indiana.

Rehabilitation of passenger cars is under

way in Delaware, Indianaand New York. And, railsector manufacturers andsuppliers are developing or expanding theiroperations in the U.S. to

accommodate anticipat-ed future demand.”

— Roy Kienitz, undersecretary for policy,U.S. Department of

Transportation:




Measure C has worked hard to

deliver on our promise to betterFresno County by leveraging tax

dollars, cleaning our air, and

improving our local economy.

Now, with high speed rail

looking more possible than

ever in the Central Valley,

Measure C continues to

deliver by matching federal

funds in order to build

a Heavy maintenance

Facility projected to

generate $110 million

annually for local

workers.

FULL

SPEED AHEAD

airline and train tickets at the sametime. Train travel complements air

travel, taking the burden off airlineson the shorter regional trips that arenot profitable and freeing the airlinesup to increase capacity on long-dis-tance flights that are more profitable.

Furthermore, rail is already among the cleanest and most energy-effi-cient transportation modes available.

Air travel between Paris and Londonhas been decreased by approximately 50% since implementation of theEurostar service between the twocities. This rail line is estimated to be90% more energy efficient perpassenger than air travel over thesame distance.

According to a study by the Center

for Clean Air Policy, implementing high-speed rail corridors in theUnited States could result in 6 billionpounds of carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphereannually.

In addition to being more energy efficient than travel by automobile orairplane, high-speed rail is morereliable. In Russia, the Sapsan train isfunctioning in extreme weather withoutdoor temperatures as low as -58degrees Fahrenheit. Travelers wouldno longer have to worry about delaysor cancellations due to inclement

weather. Trains can run in nearly any conditions, getting people wherethey need to go on time. In fact, theSiemens Velaro train in Spain arriveson schedule more than 99% of thetime.

Americans are looking for a betterquality of life and rail travel isconsiderably more relaxing than thestress of fighting traffic jams. The

value of knowing exactly what time you will arrive at your destination is

priceless — no more extra hours to

accommodate traffic or battling forparking, no more long security linesat airports and extra time for check-

in.

In order to build a modern trans-portation infrastructure that will help

keep this country competitive and

increase individual Americans’transportation choices, we need to

begin these projects now and demon-

strate to America how valuable thiscan be for the nation.

The system envisioned in Califor-

nia would be true high speed, mean-ing it will be on its own tracks and

travel at speeds up to 220 miles per

hour. Passengers already ride onthese types of systems on routestoday in Spain, Japan, Russia, China

and Germany.

The Velaro high-speed train is theperfect fit for California. The Velaro

— one of the world’s fastest produc-

tion trains — gets the equivalent of

700 miles a gallon per passenger on afully loaded train. That’s like going

62 miles on the amount of gasoline

you could fit in a can of soda. Andbecause the Velaro is electrically

powered, it can be made to userenewable sources of energy.

Siemens stands ready to play a rolein helping America realize its own

vision for high-speed rail, enabling itto stay competitive for decades tocome.

Siemens Mobility Division U.S.

is a full-service provider of productsand services for the transportation

industry in North America.

FROM PAGE 9

World: United States stuck in slow lane

opened, while the closest nationalpark to Hachinohe reported increases

of 30% in the year immediately

following commencement of service.

The communities along the line, as

would occur in Fresno, work hard to

incorporate high-speed rail into their

future development, and these cities

continue their efforts to stay attractive

to tourists by developing their down-

town areas, station squares, bus

service to local tourist sights, events

and local tourist resources.

This is good news for numerous

Central California towns looking at

the possibility of high-speed rail in

their communities. Using the pres-

ence of the rail line as the impetus to

drive development, Californians canlure tourists to destinations as far as

Yosemite National Park or as close as

Main Street.

As can be seen from Japan’s experi-

ence with the Shinkansen, effective

engineering and disaster planning

means that infrastructure this impor-

tant never needs to lead to a loss of

service or a loss of life, while bringing

myriad benefits to millions of ordi-

nary people.

In my experience, the recent

disaster has led to an outpouring of

support from Americans individuals

and organizations in the form of

donations, materials, rebuilding

advice and condolences.

The U.S. military has also taken an

active role in rescue and reconstruc-

tion with Operation Tomodachi

(Friends). The connection America

and Japan share is recognized as one

of the strongest bilateral relationships

in the world, and the earthquake hasonly reinforced that impression.

Personally, I am convinced that the

Japanese people will never forget the

kindness shown to them in these

trying times, and on behalf of the

Japanese Consulate in San Francisco,

I would like to extend my thanks for

the moral and material support.

FROM PAGE 8

Japan: Tourism grows in connected areas

MYTH: International investment in the systemis bad.

TRUTH: We live in a global economy. Just as you will find significant American investment in other countries, there is significant foreigninvestment here in our own San Joaquin Valley. Rabobank, Ikea and

Shell are Dutch. Union Bank is Japanese. Siemens is German.Schneider Electric is French. Fresh and Easy is British. Grundfos isDanish, to name a few. It’s a good thing these companies are here.They are a part of keeping the economy healthy and moving.High-speed rail is no different. In fact, in this case, internationalinvestment will bring better transportation and a great deal of jobs tothe area.




The United Stateshas fallen behindmuch of the

developed world inimplementing a railsystem that is fast,reliable and safe, whichis why the demand forhigh-speed rail supportin this country is sohigh.

The residents of California are familiar

with freeway congestionin our state’s north-south corridors. We canall agree there would beimmediate benefitsfrom the Californiahigh-speed rail project

with the advancement

of a San Francisco to

Anaheim corridor

through Merced and

Fresno counties.

Thousands of full-

time jobs will be creat-

ed. California will

continue to progress as

a leader in sustainabili-

ty as high-speed rail will

reduce oil consump-tion, greenhouse gas

emissions, road conges-

tion and dependence

on cars. California’s

new rail corridors will

spur economic growthand new businessdevelopment in theregion. Local politiciansand community activ-ists are fighting forhigh-speed rail stops intheir cities and townsbecause they realizethat having access to a21st century transporta-tion option means thatbusinesses will be ableto compete better in theglobal economy.

There has been a lotof concern as to who

will pay for this $43billion project, andrightfully so. Govern-ment officials on boththe local and federallevels are concernedthat taxpayers will bearthe burden of costoverruns. However,there is another optionfor the state to consid-er. It’s called a PublicPrivate Partnership.P3s, as they are knownaround the world,essentially allow theprivate sector to helpfund, build, own and

maintain large-scaleinfrastructure projectssuch as high-speed rail,tunnels or turnpikes.

The concept, similarto how utilities dobusiness in the U.S., has

been popular for at

least 20 years in Europe.

The Swedes have used

P3s to fund wind

projects. In the UK, they

have been employed to

build 800 projects since

1992, including power

plants. In Poland, they

are building a public

hospital. Now, otherparts of the world are

embracing P3 opportu-

nities. In Chile, which

has a strong economy,instead of spending

money on roads, thegovernment is investing in health care, withgreat success, andleaving transportationto the private sector,easing congestion,

improving safety andmodernizing travel.

The U.S. has been lateto embrace public-pri-vate partnershipsbecause we have long been told that it’s thegovernment’s job toprovide basic services,such as laying high-

ways. But the railroads were built by privatecompanies. Our electric-ity, gas, telephone andtelevision are privatizedand regulated.

But what has been a

foreign concept is now taking hold in Florida,

where two highway projects are under way;Texas, with two massiveroadway deals executedthis year; and Virginia,

where private compa-nies are rebuilding theCapitol Beltway, as wellas the Midtown Tunnelbeneath the ElizabethRiver, connecting Portsmouth to Norfolk.

All are P3 projects.Fundamentally, a P3

involves the procure-

ment of a public service(such as a high-speedrail project) by theprivate sector on along-term contractualbasis usually lasting

anywhere from 20 to 50 years. In these types of projects the privatesector executes andmanages the finance,design, construction,tolling, traffic manage-

ment, operations,maintenance, safety,and sustainability efforts that delivercost-efficient assets togovernment withoutraising taxes. At the endof the contract period,the facility and manage-ment of it, is handedback to the publicsector at no cost.

By developing public-private partnerships,government providesincentives for quality

work and demands

accountability foroperations and mainte-nance.

Despite the promiseof economic growth,

jobs and less govern-ment money, there is amisconception thatsomehow governmentsare “giving away” publicassets. That is not thecase. Through a perfor-mance-based contract,P3 projects remainmostly controlled by thegovernment, which can

fine or fire a developerthroughout the contractif it fails to perform.

Private firms haveevery incentive to build

SEEMONEY, PAGE 12

A lot of confusion exists about how a project like California’s

high-speed rail will be funded. The reality is public-private

partnerships are essential to a healthy system.

Benefits aside, high-speed rail is an expensiveendeavor. The California High Speed Rail

Authority puts the cost of its project at $43billion, though others put the number higher.

The question becomes: How does it get built? Someof the money has already been allotted — both onthe state and federal level. Close to $10 billion wasapproved by voters in 2008 via Prop 1A. The rest willcome from public-private partnerships — privatecompanies investing money with the hope of futurepayoffs. Interested companies from China and Japanhave already sent delegates to Fresno.

MYTH: Any funding California receivesfor high-speed rail

should instead bespent on Highway 99improvements.

TRUTH: The Califor-nia High-Speed Rail

Authority has re-ceived billions of dollars in funding from the federalgovernment specifi-cally granted forCalifornia’s high-speed rail project.Because of the way these funds havebeen designatedtoward high-speedrail, the federal, state

and local govern-ments cannot takethis money andspend it on Highway 99.

Likewise, Proposi-tion 1A, the Safe,Reliable High-SpeedPassenger TrainBond Act, approvedby voters in 2008,provides for $9.95billion in bonds to beissued to establishthe high-speed trainservice. In thisinstance, too, it

would be illegal to

spend the money onanything other thanthe high-speed railsystem.

MYTH: Taxpayers will have to complete-

ly subsidize thehigh-speed trainsystem.

TRUTH: CHSRA’seconomic model for

its high-speed trainsystem has, from theonset, always calledfor a public-privatepartnership tofinance systemconstruction andoperations. The goalis to attract local,state, federal andprivate funding, withprivate funderstaking on the lion’sshare of the invest-ment. High-speedtrain systems arebuilt and operated

worldwide under thismodel. These financ-

ing experts andinterests are outthere, including high-speed trainoperators in France,Germany, Spain,China, Japan, Koreaand more. They’vebeen visiting Fresnoover the past severalmonths to see how they can participatefinancially in thishistorical project.

With an 18.4%unemployment ratein Fresno County, thenext six months willdetermine whether

this investmentpartnership willcome together. Whenit does, much needed

jobs will come to ourcounty.

Public-private partnerships essential

P3s, as they are called, offer the potential

to stretch government dollars with private

capital as a way around lack of funding for

large-scale public projects.by Michael Colbelli, Skanska USA

By developing

public-private

partnerships,

government

provides

incentives for

quality work and

demands

accountability for

operations andmaintenance.

— Michael Cobelli




Money: Partnerships are the answer to HSR

and operate the asset with maximumcare to make the partnership withgovernment work — and keep thepublic happy.

Another misperception is that P3scost union jobs. Yet without privatefinancing, many public projects and

the jobs they create would not evenexist, and among the largest inves-tors in P3s are union pension funds.

Increasingly, municipalities under-stand the value and promise of P3s.

About half of all U.S. states, includ-ing California, have enacted legisla-tion that permits public-privateinitiatives on state projects. But theprivate sector must also come to thetable with the leadership and exper-tise necessary to complete one of these projects along with a solidbusiness case based on value formoney. There must be transparency on both sides along with a genuinepartnership between the government

and the private entities. As more and more municipalities

face these tough decisions, we urgethem to consider a public, privatepartnership for the sake of theeconomy, the environment, and apublic benefit to commuters whonow bear horrible congestion thatimpedes business growth anddiminished quality of life.

We all understand the reality that

government simply cannot afford tofully pay for our growing infrastruc-ture needs. In California, it’s clearour significant transportation needscannot be met entirely through statefunding. The good news is that thereare billions of dollars in privatecapital available and ready to invest.

P3s offer potential to stretchgovernment dollars with privatecapital as a way around lack of funding for these large scale publicprojects. They are the right option

for the state, at the right time,beginning with the California high-speed rail project. Michael Cobelli is the chief

operating officer of Skanska USA’sCivil business unit. Globally, Skanskahas delivered 19 public-privatepartnership projects including tollroads, hospitals, schools, watertreatment plants, hydro-power andprisons.

FROM PAGE 11

IT’S ONE OF THE MANY WAYS FRESNO STATE IS

POWERING THE NEW CALIFORNIA.

www.csufresno.edu

Fresno State is ready to useits faculty expertise in educatingand training students to becometomorrow’s leaders, and contributeto the efforts to see high-speed railin the Valley become a reality.

I l l u s t

r a t i o n

c o u r t e s y o f N C 3 D

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO

FOOTPRINT

COST

GASOLINE

Day-of: $235 (single rider); $940 (family of four)

Next day: $209 (single rider); $836 (family of four)

Two-day notice: $183 (single rider); $732 (family of four)

Two-week notice: $157 (single rider); $628 (family of four)

Two-month notice: $157 (single rider); $628 (family of four)

Six-month notice: $157 (single rider); $628 (family of four)

Round tripfrom Bostonto New York

(equivalent to Fresnoto Los Angeles or

San Francisco)

Day of: $115 (single rider); $460 (family of four)

Next-day: $99 (single rider); $272 (family of four)

Two-day notice: $99 (single rider); $396 (family of four)

Two-week notice: $99 (single rider); $396 (family of four)

Two-month notice: $99 (single rider); $396 (family of four)

Six-month notice: $99 (single rider); $396 (family of four)

394 miles

193 miles

S o u r c e : t i c k e t s . a

m t r a k . c

o m .

C h e a p e s t t i c k e t p r i c e l i s t e d .

P r i c e

s a s o f 6 / 7 / 2 0 1 1 .

Monthly unlimited pass: $1,710 10-ride pass for 45-day time period: $76

Acela operates the United State’s only high speedrail line, which connects Boston, Washington, D.C.,

and New York. Looking at typical rates for theselines, we can get a sample of what it may cost to

travel California’s high speed rail.

To match that capacityHighway 99 would needfour more lanes at 132feet wide.

Highway: $166 million per mile

HSR: 150 to 300 miles on the energy equivalent of agallon of gas

1 two-rail HSR rail cancarry 10,000 passengersper hour, in either direction:50 feet wide.

HSR: $60 million per mile

Prius: 40 to 100 mpg

Airbus: 49 to 100 mpg

Round tripfrom Boston to

Washington, D.C.(equivalent to

San Franciscoto Los Angeles)

In California, it’s clear our

significant transportation

needs cannot be met

entirely through state

funding.— Michael Colbelli




Agriculture interests are perhaps themost outspoken opponents of Califor-nia’s high-speed rail project — and

with good reason. The rail lines have to gosomewhere, and some of that will undoubt-edly be ag land. While high-speed railcomes with an infusion of jobs and capital,it must be balanced against the Valley’s long and steady history with agriculture.

Central Valley agriculture is theenvy of the rest of the world.The agricultural and irrigation

infrastructure created here, including

our large tracts of uninterruptedland, cannot be found in most otherparts of the world. For those whoknow this, there is the desire to

protect these critical assets, nomatter what the threat. The mostrecent concern is that of the pro-posed high-speed rail route.

The map of the initial proposedHSR route through Fresno, Kings,

Kern, and Madera counties createshavoc for local farm operations. Onhundreds of parcels in these coun-ties, a new line blazes through, many

on a diagonal, slicing up operationsand destroying infrastructure.

The facts are simple: two dissectedparcels are much more difficult tofarm than one single parcel, let alonethe replacing and/or duplicating of infrastructure as a result.

The pro-rail lobby has unsuccessful-ly tried to cover up agriculture’sconcerns, stressing that short-term

job gains, no matter who or whatthey affect, are more important thanlong-term planning and projectsustainability. Unfortunately,through this process, farmers andranchers have been portrayed by some as trying to stop progress, and

HSR has been touted as the silverbullet to solve all of the Valley’stroubles.

What needs to be highlighted isthat farmers and ranchers who arepart of the Valley’s No. 1 industry

have much at stake and need to beincluded in decisions that affect theirlivelihoods and homes.

It is difficult for some to believe

that there are still families that spenddecades and multi-generations in asingle home. The home becomes anintegral part of their identity. Thefields around the home are morethan just dirt; many farmers view thesoil and crops with the intimacy andprotectiveness of a family member —a living, breathing form that hasprovided a living for them over theirlifetime. Yet, as one reads letters tothe editors and news stories, it hasbecome apparent that there aregovernment agencies and self-serv-ing interests that would like tobulldoze through these operations

without a second thought.

Voters were promised by passageof the HSR proposition in 2008 that it

would use existing corridors of transportation. Unfortunately, HSRleaders have broken that promise. A few small- to mid-sized communities

have stated their desire to not havethe track go through their backyard,thus forcing agriculture to onceagain serve as a “cheap” mitigation

alternative. Urban California’s desirefor an HSR system is proposed tocome at the expense of agricultureand its rural residents.

There is an easy fix to the problem:Get the track back on existing transportation corridors. Whether itis the Union Pacific or BurlingtonNorthern Santa Fe railroad lines, orthe I-5 or Highway 99 routes, theHSR authority should not arbitrarily create a route that devastates agricul-tural lands.

Work should be completed tomitigate problems with the citiesrather than forcing eminent domainon agricultural land.

Agriculture is not against HSR. If built, however, our requests aresimple: Please stay on existing corridors and show the public thatthe project is sustainable based onan accurate portrayal of a businessand financial plan.

HSR treads

softly on agriculture

Farmland or high-speed rail line? There

needs to be an effort to balance the two.by the High Speed Rail Authority

Well before Californiacould even claimstatehood, it was

home to some of the mostproductive land in the world.

Some of these farms have

been in the same family’shands for years, for decadesand for generations. It is no

wonder that the approach of high-speed rail — whichbrings with it undoubtedbenefits — also brings with itthe kind of questions thathave surrounded the adventof every major new develop-ment from the telephone tothe interstate.

The California High SpeedRail Authority has in placenearly a dozen agreements

with other countries aroundthe world that operatesuccessful high-speed railsystems. We did this so that

we didn’t have to reinventthe wheel, so that we canlearn from them whatchallenges they overcameand what opportunities they embraced.

And we have found some-thing of utmost importance:Done right, high-speed rail’srelationship with agriculturecan be mutually beneficial.By working hand-in-hand,

we can create smarter growthover the long term, whichmay reduce stress on agricul-tural land.

We can certainly continueto build additional freeway miles and more airport gatesand runways, but we arepursuing a better alternative,one that, by working directly

with the agricultural commu-nity, will help preserve thatcommunity.

Consider the often-repeat-

ed suggestion to simply

widen Highway 99, whichbisects the Central Valley, to

accommodate future traffic.That may yet be an option,

but also consider that afreeway requires significantly

more right-of-way than we

propose for high-speed rail – which will be 120 feet or less.

There are nearly 7 millionacres of agricultural land

being farmed in the Central Valley. Conservative esti-

mates indicate that less than4,000 acres of agricultural

land between Merced and

Bakersfield may be affected. When you do the math, 4,000

acres of 7 million acresequates to .057%, less than

1%.

It is simply impossible that

any public works project of this scope is going to be

without its impacts.

Of course, while the big picture may be one of smart,sensible growth, we are

committed to working withour agricultural partners

whose land will be affected— those 4,000 acres — to doall we can to maintain theiroperation and way of life asbest we can.

That is why staff with theCalifornia High Speed Rail

Authority has met repeatedly — and will continue to do so— with farmers and agricul-tural groups and experts toget their input on the projectand how to best mitigatepotential impacts.

We have heard theirconcerns, and you will seemany of them represented in

our work going forward. Wehave already agreed with theFederal Railroad Administra-tion to use existing transpor-tation corridors as much aspossible to minimize theimpact on agricultural land.

It’s important to rememberthat the Authority is guidedby very strict state andfederal laws. We must — by law — minimize any impactsto existing land use, includ-ing farming and ranching.

We are creating a working group to bring the Authority and agriculture even closertogether as we move ahead.

Let us continue to work together as we figure outhow best to bring all Califor-nians a clean, fast, safe andconvenient way to travel thatmoves them into the future

while also protecting the bestparts of their past.

Should the high-speed rail train use existing lines

or should agricultural land be used?

Route main issue of concern for farmers Farmers aren’t necessarily against high-speed rail, ag leaders say. The debate is about where the rail line lands and long-term sustainability.by Ryan Jacobsen, CEO/Executive Director Fresno County Farm Bureau

The map of the initial

proposed HSR route

through Fresno, Kings,

Kern, and Madera counties

creates havoc for local

farm operations.— Ryan Jacobsen




The creation of a high-speed rail system inCalifornia will depend

largely on local workers whoare trained and prepared tobring this transportationtechnology to life.

It is vital that the regionpossess an abundant work-force supported by a network of education and training systems to build and operatea high-speed railroad.

As new technologies enterthe Valley, local education,business and labor leaders

are working to ensure thatFresno’s workforce will beready to fill the thousands of

jobs that will be created by high-speed rail.

Because high-speed rail isnew to the United States, aneducation subcommittee of Fresno Works is establishing informational exchanges withcountries including China,Germany and Spain todetermine what specialized

jobs and skills will be re-quired of California high-speed rail workers.

This will lay the ground- work for new high-speed railcurriculum and training programs.

The technical training andeducation needed for high-speed rail can easily be metin Fresno. Some of oureducation and training institutions include: California State Universi-

ty, Fresno— Colleges withinFresno Stateof particularinterest to California high-speed rail include the Collegeof Science and Mathematics,the Department of IndustrialTechnology, the Craig Schoolof Business and the LylesCollege of Engineering.

Together, these collegesoffer programs in: construc-tion management, civil andgeomatic engineering,

electrical and computerengineering, mechanicalengineering, computerscience, earth and environ-mental sciences, logistics andsupply chain strategies,computer informationsystems and human resourcemanagement. State Center Community

College District — Fields of

study offered include airconditioning, architecturaldrafting, computer-aideddrafting and design, construc-tion, electronic technology,environmental technology,industrial education, manu-facturing technology and

welding/metal fabrication. Fresno Unified School

District— The district hasmore than 5,000 studentsenrolled in career and

technical education coursesand 250 sections of CTEclasses offered at the second-ary level. Collaborationamong regional and nationalindustry partners, such asour local Workforce Invest-ment Board and Ford PAS asa Next Generation Learning Community, and alignmentto identified high-demand

employment sectors providea network of training oppor-tunities unique to our region.

Additionally, thousands of local residents outside theeducation systems are ready for high-speed rail jobs.

The Fresno Regional Workforce Investment Boardhas identified an abundanceof clients in Fresno County alone that are training-ready for each job category associat-ed with high-speed rail.

It’s not enough to have thousands of jobs streaming intothe Valley as the high-speed rail project progresses. Therealso needs to be a literate and ready workforce, which

means there will be immense educational opportunity in thenear future. Already, a broad coalition of education, businessand labor groups are working to make sure the area has aneducated pool of employees ready for the jobs created by high-speed rail. Creating new high-speed curriculum andtraining is happening now, taking cues from educationalinstitutions in China, Germany and Spain.

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High-speed rail curriculum and training programs are being developed

now at local high schools and colleges.

Educators prep for creation of ready workforce

From high school to college, high-speed rail curriculum

is being designed now to ready tomorrow’s employees.by Blake Konczal, Executive Director, FresnoRegional Workforce Investment Board

U N I V E R S I T Y C A L I F O R N I A , M E R C E Dof

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students are tackling some of the most complex

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The fortunes of a small farming

community in Japan were highlight-ed recently in a national newspa-

per, and the story should provide encour-agement for our own community.

The article focused on the efforts of these Japanese farmers as they lobbiedfor a high-speed rail station to be built intheir community, a largely rural, agricul-tural area isolated from major transporta-tion hubs and known for high unemploy-ment.

Through their efforts, a high-speed railstation was built and the community literally changed its economic destiny,lowering unemployment to single digitsand attracting major companies that

have employed many of their citizens incutting-edge industries.

This should sound familiar, as theGreater Merced High-Speed Rail Commit-tee is focused on the same goal, advocat-ing for the high-speed rail heavy mainte-nance facility to be constructed at theformer Castle Air Force Base and making sure that downtown Merced is selectedas a station stop. Fresno is also vying forthe maintenance facility.

Knowing what high-speed rail hasdone for the economy in other countries,

we believe that big things are in store forthe Merced region. The technology of the high-speed rail systems is mind-bog-

gling and continues to improve. Some

foreign systems travel up to 300 miles

per hour at maximum speed. WhileCalifornia’s system is not designed toreach these speeds, the system willchange travel patterns throughout thestate.

Since 2003, our committee has beencommitted to making sure that theMerced region gets the maximumbenefit from the development of theCalifornia High-Speed Rail system. Andthis is for a very good reason. We feelstrongly about doing anything possibleto help lower our 22% unemploymentrate.

In fact, the Associated Press recently released a study declaring Merced

County as the second most economically stressed county in the nation. This is nota reputation we want to continue.

Now is the time to get very aggressiveabout this project. The heavy mainte-nance facility at Castle will bring 1,500full-time, high-paying jobs and serve asCastle’s anchor tenant. The downtownstation stop, one of only three stations inthe entire Central Valley, will provide acentral regional transportation location

with connections to various modes of transportation, allowing train passengersto take a bus, taxi, trolley or shuttle totheir destinations. The redevelopmentpotential of having a downtown stationis endless, and the potential to create

thousands of jobs while serving as aneconomic catalyst is too great to ignore.

If we want these jobs to be located inMerced, we need to make our voicesheard now. Just as our community

joined together to bring UC Merced toour county, our local community,businesses and elected leaders mustmobilize with that same passion andunity if we are to win the competition of securing the HMF.

Our committee has developed anextensive website with important infor-mation on the benefits, technology,challenges, and impacts that high-speedrail poses for our community. Theproject’s progress changes daily and our

website is one method to help communi-ty members keep informed. The new

website address is www.mercedhighspeedrail.com.

The website has a section to postcomments or questions and will show

the latest routes through Merced, as wellas the location and possible designs of the proposed Merced downtown station.

Various links to the state high-speed rail website are included. The website alsolists two committee proposals for theheavy maintenance facility. We havemany partners collaborating on this

website, and we thank the cities of Merced and Atwater and the County of Merced.

Merced County Farm Bureau, MercedCollege and UC Merced, along with all of our elected officials, have also providedvaluable feedback during the creation of the website.

While some community membersexpress doubt about high-speed rail

coming to the Merced community, many of us remember hearing the sameskepticism about UC Merced. Yet, thefirst class of UC Merced seniors hasgraduated and the campus continues togrow and flourish.

High-speed rail will happen and weneed to be prepared to capitalize on this$45 billion statewide investment. Sonow, more than ever, it’s time to fightand advocate for what we deserve —

jobs created by a maintenance facility that will revitalize Castle and a down-town Merced station that will serve as acatalyst for our economic revival.

Community support has been phenom-enal, but we still need to do more. To

win this project, we must be visible,vocal, engaged and active. We thank allthose who support our efforts andencourage those who are not yet con-vinced to visit our new website and takea look at the system development.

You will continue to hear from us as we continue to advance high-speed railand bring the HMF to Castle and astation stop to downtown Merced.

Let the battle begin today with all of us joining in the fight to revitalize ourcommunity. Dr. Lee Boese Jr. and Dr. Ben Duran

are co-chairs of the Greater MercedHigh-Speed Rail Committee, a citizenscommittee formed in 2003 comprising of

elected officials, educational leaders andprivate business owners all advocating for the California High-Speed Rail Heavy Maintenance Facility to be located at theformer Castle Air Force Base and astation to be located in downtownMerced.

Fresno may be the first Central Valley city to see high-speed rail, but it won’tbe the only one to benefit from the

project. The rail line will eventually run toSacramento and San Francisco, taking passengers straight into Merced, where there

will be a downtown station. Here, it willconnect with existing Amtrak trains — abenefit for Valley residents long before thehigh-speed system’s final stages.

Profitable?

“There are nohigh-speed railprojects in the worldthat are profitable.None. They are alltaxpayer/governmentsubsidized.”

— CNN.com user“aksdad”

Expert response:Not necessarily true.

“The Acela Express, Amtrak’s high-speed

rail service along theNortheast corridor,has shown a positivereturn from its New

York-to-D.C. route.“And it’s not fair to

just point the finger athigh-speed rail.Highways and othermodes of transporta-tion, like the airlines,are heavily subsi-dized, too.”

— Robert Puentes,the Brookings

Institution

Expert response:Not true.

“While many high-speed rail

systems in the worldrely on a governmentsubsidy, this in no

way means that railoperations cannot beprofitable.

“Private railoperators in GreatBritain, such as South

West Transport and Virgin Rail, competefor franchise intercity rail service contractsand regularly generatea profit. Rail routes inJapan and France turna profit.”

— Reps. John Mica,R-Florida, chairman

of the Transportation

and InfrastructureCommittee, and Rep.Bill Shuster, R-Penn-

sylvania, chairman of the Subcommittee on

Railroads, Pipelinesand Hazardous

Materials.

Merced sees high-speed rail as an answer to its high

unemployment rate, and is fighting to secure the

much sought-after maintenance facility.

Merced

mobilizes community support

Merced High-Speed Rail Committee fights

for rail maintenance facility.by Dr. Lee Boese Jr. and Dr. BenjaminDuran, Co-Chairmen of the Greater

Merced High-Speed Rail Committee

If we want these jobs to be

located in Merced, we need

to make our voices heard

now. Just as our community

joined together to bring UC

Merced to our county, our

local community, business,

and elected leaders must

mobilize with that same

passion and unity if we are

to win the competition of

securing the HMF.— Dr. Lee Boese Jr.

and Dr. Benjamin Duran




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