BayRail Alliance

On January 28, President Obama announces that California will receive $2.34 billion in federal ARRA (stimulus funds) for its high speed rail and intercity rail program.

"BayRail Alliance is very pleased to see the federal government making a financial commitment for high speed rail," said Andy Chow, president of BayRail Alliance. "The federal government is making a wise investment to improve mobility in California. These federal dollars will be matched dollar for dollar with Proposition 1A, as well as local funding."

Of the $2.34 billion, approximately $90 million will support infrastructure improvements on the existing Amtrak California corridors, which will enhance train speed and frequency. The remaining $2.25 billion will be used to construct the proposed California High Speed Rail system, which will be sharing the corridor with Caltrain between San Francisco and San Jose.  Crucially, the $400 million train box at the proposed Transbay Transit Center is specifically reserved in the funding package.

"By sharing the corridor and other infrastructure, this federal investment is consistent with the local effort to electrify Caltrain service on the Peninsula," said Chow. "This funding will take us much closer to having a world class high speed regional and intercity transportation system in California."

Since its original founding as Peninsula Rail 2000 in 1983, BayRail Alliance has been a strong advocate for a new rail station at the proposed Transbay Transit Center, which could be the foundation for a revolutionary High Speed Rail system.  When the High Speed Rail bond was first approved by the state legislature in 2002, BayRail Alliance held a forum in San Jose with various transportation, environmental and business leaders to bring awareness of the need for high speed rail.  BayRail Alliance is proud to see one of its founding goals finally reaching fruition.

However, this important project still faces minor hurdles. Despite years of environmental planning and engineering work funded by San Francisco, the High Speed Rail Authority is insisting that they need to study an alternative station location at Beale Street. BayRail believes further consideration of Beale Street location is causing unnecessary delays for the Transbay Terminal project and is putting unneeded stress on residents of Rincon Hill. BayRail asks the HSRA to reject Beale Street alternative immediately.

A petition has been set up in support of the Transbay Terminal project: http://www.change.org/actions/view/save_high_speed_rail_in_san_francisco

According to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, the first phase of the project will create 36,000 new jobs. The first phase of construction can start as early as this spring.