high speed rail
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High Speed Rail. San Mateo Union High School District March 11, 2009. CARRD - Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design. Grassroots volunteer organization Process focus Engage community and encourage participation Watchdog for transparency - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
High Speed Rail
San Mateo Union High School District
March 11, 2009
CARRD -Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design
Grassroots volunteer organization• Process focus • Engage community and encourage participation• Watchdog for transparency• Do NOT advocate for a particular implementation or route
Founders• Nadia Naik, Elizabeth Alexis, Rita Wespi, Sara Armstrong• We are not train experts, we are not lawyers• Contact info
o website: www.carrdnet.orgo email: [email protected]
Considerations for School Districts
Focus areas for schools• Noise Pollution & Vibration Impacts• Safe Routes to Schools & Corridor Safety• Construction Impacts• District Budget Impacts
Officially Participate in Environmental Process• Ensure your districts unique characteristics and concerns
are part of the planning• Consider mitigations needed and costs to District
Start planning now for how to accommodate the project• Independent analysis and experts where needed
Deadlines
Program Level EIR• 45 days to respond starting today!
Project level• Expected release April 11• 45 days to respond
Noise Pollution - Impacts on Learning
Excessive Noise negatively impacts learning
Children are more sensitive to noise than adults
Documented Critical effects• Speech Interference• Disturbance of information extraction
o e.g. comprehension & reading acquisition• Message communication• Annoyance• Other health issues (high blood pressure) - weaker
correlation
Noise Pollution & HSR
Benefit: Grade separation should eliminate/reduce horn noise
Benefit: Engine noise reduced by electrificationPotential negative changes• Air frame noise increased• Rapid onset of noise with higher speeds more disruptive
Number of trains/hour (tph) will increase • 2035 Peak: 12 Caltrain + 18 HSR tph = 30 tph
Elevated alignment = noise propagates twice as far as at grade
Noise Pollution - Resources
Quite Classrooms: www.quiteclassrooms.org
ANSI - Classroom Acoustic Standards
WHO - Guidelines for Community Noise• Inside Classroom: 35 dB LAeq• Outside playgrounds: 55 dB LAeq
FRA, FTA, OSHA, EPA all have guidelines, mitigations, etc
Vibration Impacts
Generally considered together with noise, but• more complex and harder to measure• less research has been conducted
Characteristics• Physical rattling, shaking, rumbling noises• Critical Effect on Humans = Annoyance• Typically only perceptible indoors • Scientific instruments are more sensitive than people
Vertical alignment may reduce/increase vibration
Safe Routes to School & Corridor SafetyBenefit: Grade Separations dramatically increase safety!
Benefit: Improved access control of corridor
Consider implications of different vertical design alternatives• road underpass tunnels may have an isolation effect• road overpasses may result in loss of turning movement• changes in bike lanes, sidewalk availability
Traffic volumes and flow analysis should consider all modes• Vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian • Special concern if mode shift occurs due to changes
Construction Impacts
Average 3-7 Years of construction
Caltrain & Freight Service will continue to operate• possible temporary "Shoofly" tracks adjacent to corridor • example: San Carlos grade separation at Holly Street
Traffic flow and heavy equipment
Noise, vibration, dust, debris from construction• air quality
Soil safety
Engagement
With HSRA• Officially via comments to the Environmental Review
process• As a CSS Stakeholder
With your community• PTA, student body• each City has liaisons for HSR • Peninsula Cities Consortium www.peninsularail.com
Backup Slides
Noise Pollution - Measurement
Intensity of sound - decibels (dB) • Logarithmic scale = NOT linear• 30 dB to 40 dB is TWICE the perceived loudness
Proximity to sourceFrequency (Hz)Noise level over time (LAeq)
Mitigating Noise Pollution
Source Treatments• Vehicle Design• Track design & maintenance• Operational Restrictions (eg limiting nighttime operations)
Path Treatments• Sound Walls
Receiver Treatments• Building insulation• Windows, but requires A/C
Noise Pollution in EIR
Submit comments to the Program and Project EIR processProvide inventory of all your schools near the corridor• assume elevate structure• 900 feet on either side of tracks• 1/4 mile radius from Stations
Be Specific• document location, student population, hours, layout• reference standards (ANSI, WHO, etc)• request specific analyses and mitigations
Consider independent assessment
Safe Routes to School EIR
Submit comments to the Program and Project EIR processIdentify schools that include the corridor w/in their boundaries• traffic flow at schools can be impacted by changes upstream• describe all corridor crossings, including bike/ped
Be Specific• how many students cross the corridor to get to school• provide maps if available• identify schools where on site flow is at capacity• request impact study - construction and final
Side-Bar: Program Level EIR
Revised Draft of Program Level EIR released March 11• www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/library.asp?p=9274• CHSRA requested comments focus only on revised material• CARRD encourages stakeholders to submit comments on
the *full* record to provide up-to-date informationHow to Comment - Anyone can comment!• Subject: “Bay Area to Central Valley Revised Draft Program
EIR Material Comments” • Attn: Dan Levitt, California High Speed Rail Authority
o 925 L Street, Suite 1425 Sacramento, CA 95814o [email protected] fax to (916) 322-0827
HSR Overview
November 2008 - Prop 1A authorized State Bond Funds• plan, construct and operate a High Speed Train system from San
Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim
High Speed Rail Authority• 9 appointed Board members• less than dozen state employees• 4 tiered web of consultants / contractors do the bulk of the work
Funding• Estimated cost of backbone system (SF-LA/Anaheim): $42.6 B • State bonds: $9 B• Federal ARRA funds: $2.25B • additional funds from Federal, local cities, and private companies
are anticipated
Local Implementation• Caltrain Corridor – top speed 125 mph• Requires 2 additional dedicated tracks on right-of-way• Freight is expected to run only at night• All intersections with rail must be grade separated
o Elevatedo At-grade (road goes over or under)o Trencho Tunnel
• Continuous Operations
SF-SJ Segment• Program Level Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
o Bay Area - Central Valley - initially certified Jun 08
o Decertified Dec 09 – must be re-circulatedo Potential route change
• Project Level EIRo Upcoming “Alternatives Analysis”o Committed to Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)
as preferred process
Funding PlanFederal Grants $17 - $19 billionState Grants $9 billionLocal Grants $4 - $5 billionPrivate Investors $10 - $12 billionTotal: $42.6 billion• Awarded $2.25 billion stimulus funds
Plan calls for $3 Billion in Federal funding every yr for 6 yrs
What is Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)?
• Collaborative approach• Involves all stakeholders • Works by consensus • Balance transportation needs and
community values• Proven Process