CCMIN091807 - Laserfiche WebLink

Councilmember Sullivan said he was somewhat at a disadvantage, said he has never seen the EIR and disagreed with the Council having to receive the presentation tonight and be asked to make substantive comments. As the EIR's and plans move forward, he felt there would be opportunity to make additional comments. He questioned the effectiveness of the high speed rail idea. Ms. Nelson said the studies done to date suggest they would be extremely effective. She works in downtown San Francisco and she often works in either Sacramento or Los Angeles areas and for her to have to go to the airport, fly to Los Angeles and get downtown would take more time than it would to get on a high speed rail train. So, she felt the market is there and that California is unique in having its major populations center spaced the way they are, and she felt there would be a very good market for high speed rail. Councilmember Sullivan confirmed that the high speed rail would be passenger-only and not freight. He questioned if it would make sense to look also at freight improvements for truck traffic. Ms. Nelson said the regional rail plan recognizes that the freight railroads own the freight tracks and they are in a unique position to make those decisions. The regional rail plan cannot dictate to Union Pacific or others how to operate their freight business, but by separating the passenger and freight tracks and making improvements in the northern corridor through Benicia and Richmond and having separated those operations, the belief is that the long distance trains from the Port of Oakland would naturally be on that northern right-of-way and there would be a decrease in the amount of freight service operating in the I-580 corridor on the Union Pacific tracks with the exception of the regional service. Councilmember Sullivan felt much of the freight on I-580 was going to the Port of Oakland to Los Angeles and vice versa, and Ms. Nelson agreed and said this is the freight that would come off of the stretch. The improvements made would free up freight capacity and allow the railroads to operate in the most efficient way, and this would decrease traffic on I-580, and the high speed bond would provide for this. Councilmember Sullivan asked what approval authority Pleasanton had over a high speed trains coming though town and Ms. Nelson said the High Speed Rail Authority, created by the Governor and chaired by Quentin Kopp, would ultimately make those judgments and she was not aware of any specific authority the City has. The Authority had a hearing in Livermore and she did not see them building high speed infrastructure over the strenuous objection of a city that it must pass through, but she did not believe the City has the authority to say yes or no to this, but was not sure about this. He questioned if they would have some sort of eminent domain capability to say we will build a track through the town whether we like it or not. City Manager Fialho said the State of California would, but if the City had strong objections to it, they would certainly take that into consideration in preparation of the EIR. Councilmember Sullivan said if the high speed train was the Altamont route only, it would require elevated structures through Pleasanton, but if it were the hybrid, it would not require this and he questioned why. Ms. Nelson said if all trains are being put through any one corridor, tracks must be available for the regional service and passing tracks available for the high speed service. If the regional service is only being run over the Altamont, then many less trains are running, the passing track is not needed, far less right-of-way is required and does not require the structures. Councilmember Sullivan said assuming the bond does not pass, he questioned what the train at the 45 mph speed would work, and Ms. Nelson noted it separates the tracks into passenger and freight tracks, it provides for improved signalization and operates conventional high speed conventional rail services, which would have a stop at the current stop in downtown Livermore City Council Minutes 9 September 18, 2007