Palo Alto: Don't Kill High Speed Rail

In 2008 the Palo Alto City Council unanimously endorsed Proposition 1A and the California High Speed Rail project. They did so in full knowledge that the route chosen included the existing Caltrain right of way from San Francisco to San Jose. Palo Alto has also repeatedly indicated its support for passenger rail, sustainable transportation, energy independence, and a cleaner environment.

We the undersigned ask the Palo Alto City Council to reiterate this support by endorsing the plan to construct high speed tracks through their city.

We ask that Palo Alto understand its obligations to the region, to the state, and to the nation by not allowing a small and uninformed group to derail the high speed rail project by convincing Palo Alto to oppose construction of the HSR tracks.

We ask that the Palo Alto City Council reject as inappropriate the staff recommendation that asked for the Altamont Pass routing issue be reopened, as California voters already approved the Pacheco Pass routing at the November election.

We ask that the Palo Alto City Council reject as inappropriate the staff recommendation that the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) reopen the issue of routing HSR trains down Highway 101 or Interstate 280, as that violates most accepted principles of transportation planning, and would hurt the Caltrain 2025 plan by reinforcing the notion that grade separations on the Caltrain ROW are not desirable.

We ask that the Palo Alto City Council reject as an especially inappropriate and mortal threat to the survival of the HSR project the staff recommendation that the CHSRA explore terminating the HSR route at San Jose instead of San Francisco, as this would cause ridership to plummet to the point where the system will no longer be financially viable.

We finally ask the Palo Alto City Council to embrace President Barack Obama's vision for a high speed rail system in the United States of America, and demonstrate support for that vision by submitting comments to the CHSRA that indicate support for the HSR route as planned and rejecting proposed comments that indicate opposition to the HSR route as planned.

Palo Alto has the opportunity to either help lead the USA into a new era, or reinforce the failed status quo by giving in to uninformed project opponents. We ask that Palo Alto express its enthusiastic support for high speed rail as planned.