The City hosted a meeting of the SCV Transportation Coalition Thursday to discuss a myriad of issues, including the upcoming California High Speed Rail Authority board meeting slated for Sept. 16 at 9 a.m. at Palmdale City Hall.
The group agreed to advocate for inclusion of the Palmdale to Burbank direct alignment in the EIS/EIR that is being completed for the proposed High Speed Rail Project. This alignment would avoid Santa Clarita, Acton and Agua Dulce.
(Note: Regardless of where the tracks run, the trains WILL NOT STOP in the SCV. The only question is whether the state’s High Speed Rail Authority will dig up the SCV to get from Burbank to Palmdale.)
“I asked that the Coalition be brought together because it is vital that our community speak with one voice on this very important issue that will impact our community for years to come. The Coalition, which is comprised of businesses, educators, legislators and residents, is united in their request for the study of the direct alignment from Burbank to Palmdale,” said Mayor Pro Tem Marsha Mclean.
Councilwoman Marsha McLean: Brought coalition together.
The group also discussed the process for developing SCV transportation priorities for future local transportation measures, as well as the need to enhance Metrolink services along the Antelope Valley line.
Attending the meeting today was Assemblymember Scott Wilk and representatives for Sen. Steve Knight, Sen. Fran Pavley, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon and Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Additional participants included Joan Lucid, Superintendent of the Saugus Union School District; Rob Challinor, Superintendent of the William S. Hart School District; Lynn David from the Sulphur Springs School District; Jim Backer, Chairman of the Board of the SCV Chamber, Terri Crain, SCV Chamber Executive Director, and Holly Schroeder, President and CEO of the SCV Economic Development Corporation.
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15 Comments
Any idea why they want it to bypass us?
Any idea why they want it to bypass us?
It’s a shame they want to bypass SCV.
There smart, that’s why, it’s a b.s. Train we already have passenger trains, 250 billion dollar black hole!
Don’t worry about it. This worthless train will never be built!
The inmates are running the staterunning the state
It’s such a bad idea in the first place. We should be glad that it won’t destroy our communities.
It’s such a bad idea in the first place. We should be glad that it won’t destroy our communities.
I admit that if it were my home on the chopping block, I may not want the train here in SCV. Isn’t there a point when we have to ask ourselves “How much MORE traffic can the people of SCV handle?” I do not know all of the details. I doubt any of us reading this do…………. we need to question every answer any politician gives to any question they are asked. Their response may only be truthful from their perspective. I love our city, so grateful to live here! I need more unbiased information before I would be able to turn down this opportunity.
I’m not a big fan on the train because of the cost, but how is having it stop here bad for the community?
There seems to be some confusion. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE WOULD THE TRAIN STOP HERE. The question is ONLY where the tracks are going to run. The state is currently planning to run the tracks through Sand Canyon and Acton. In other words, they’d dig us up, and throw people out of their homes, but the TRAINS WOULD NOT STOP HERE. The only stops around here would be in Burbank and Palmdale, regardless of where the tracks run. This coalition wants the tracks to run through places where nobody lives.
The coalition wants the tracks to run through places where nobody lives. And nobody lives in those places because those places are in an area that is
a) a national forest and
b) a mountain range.
The suggestion of running the tracks through a tunnel under the mountains between Palmdale and Burbank is probably slightly better than having the tracks go through Acton and the SCV, from the point of view of the residents of the area. But the train itself is an expensive and impractical idea. There is already a quick and relatively inexpensive way to get from the southern to the northern part of the state. It’s called an airplane. It is inherently more flexible than a train.
I am glad the coalition is trying to get the tracks put elsewhere, but I’d far rather the train idea was dropped. We’ve already spent too much money on it. We need to give up this stupid notion that “if you build it, they will ride”.
The plan was to run the train along the freeway on land they already own. This is a good plan. Otherwise they will dig up and distroy National Forest land.
It would not be a high speed train if it had to stop too often!
Why not use a tunnel boring machine and go through the mountains in a straight line from Burbank to Palmdale.