NEWS RELEASE: California High-Speed Rail Releases Final Environmental Studies to Finalize Project Alignment into San Francisco

June 10, 2022

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today released the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIR/EIS) for the approximately 43- mile San Francisco to San Jose project section in Northern California. If approved by the Authority’s Board of Directors in August, this project section and its environmental document will complete full environmental clearance for high-speed rail in Northern California.

“We’re making true progress on nearing full environmental clearance for the entire Phase 1 high-speed rail project,” said Authority CEO Brian Kelly. “With 380 miles from the Bay Area to northern Los Angeles County already complete, today’s release brings us into San Francisco and nearly 423 miles to be environmentally cleared. We look forward to the Board’s consideration of this document in August.”

The Authority’s Board of Directors will consider certifying the San Francisco to San Jose project section Final EIR/EIS and approving the Preferred Alternative between San Francisco and Scott Boulevard in Santa Clara during its two-day board meeting August 17 and 18. If approved, this project section will move a step closer to being “shovel ready” for when preconstruction and construction funding becomes available.

Under both high-speed rail project build alternatives to be considered by the Board of Directors, an interim rail station is planned at 4th & King streets in San Francisco – until the connection to Salesforce Transit Center is made – along with a station at Millbrae that offers a direct BART connection to San Francisco International Airport. Both Caltrain stations would undergo alterations to accommodate high-speed trains, including modifications to existing tracks and platforms.

Both alternatives include constructing a light maintenance facility, straightening tracks to improve travel times and installing rail corridor safety improvements. The Preferred Alternative for Board consideration, identified in the Final EIR/EIS as the portion of Alternative A to Scott Boulevard in Santa Clara, includes an East Brisbane Light Maintenance Facility and excludes the additional passing tracks proposed in the other build alternative studied in the Final EIR/EIS, Alternative B.

The Final EIR/EIS includes:

• An analysis of alternatives, including impacts and effects.
• Mitigation measures proposed to reduce environmental impacts and effects.
• Public comments received on the Draft EIR/EIS and Revised/Supplemental Draft EIR/EIS and responses to comments.
• Revisions to the Draft EIR/EIS made in response to comments.

The Final EIR/EIS can be found on the Authority’s website, hsr.ca.gov. In addition to the website, printed and/or electronic copies of the Final EIR/EIS are available at the following locations during operating hours:

• The Authority’s San Jose and Sacramento offices. To make an appointment to view the documents, call ​800-435-8670.
• Libraries and other public buildings:
  • San Francisco Library, Main Branch — 100 Larkin St.
  • Brisbane Library — 250 Visitacion Ave.
  • South San Francisco Library — 840 West Orange Ave.
  • San Bruno Library — 701 Angus Ave. West
  • Millbrae Library — 1 Library Ave.
  • Burlingame Library — 480 Primrose Road
  • San Mateo Library, Main Branch — 55 West Third Ave.
  • Belmont Library — 1110 Alameda de las Pulgas
  • San Carlos Library — 610 Elm St.
  • Redwood City Library, Downtown Branch — 1044 Middlefield Road
  • Atherton Town Government Building — 150 Watkins Ave.
  • Menlo Park Library —800 Alma St.
  • Palo Alto Library, Downtown Branch — 270 Forest Ave.
  • Mountain View Library — 585 Franklin St.
  • Sunnyvale Library — 665 West Olive Ave.
  • Central Park Branch, Santa Clara County Library —2635 Homestead Road
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose —150 East San Fernando St.

The California high-speed rail project is currently under construction along 119 miles in California’s Central Valley at 35 active job sites. To date, nearly 8,000 construction jobs have been created since the start of construction. For more on construction, visit:www.buildhsr.com

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8. These files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.