The $68-billion high-speed rail project that would link L.A. to San Francisco in a 2.5 hour trip recently drew protests in Southern California over the planned segment between Palmdale and Burbank. But that doesn't mean that California isn't ready for a railway rather than a roadway for the growing traffic up and down the state.
Here's what Sierra Club has to say about the rail project:
The Sierra Club strongly supports California High Speed Rail as an alternative to fossil fuel use by intrastate jet flights and long car drives, plus highway and airport expansion.
With the recent release of a Supplemental Alternatives Analysis Report for the Palmdale to Burbank Section of the High Speed Rail Project, four alternative routes have been proposed for additional evaluation.
The Sierra Club has taken no position on these alternatives and will await a thorough draft environmental study to be completed in late 2016.
The ultimate decision should follow national and state Sierra Club policies on high speed rail and National Forests and Monuments.
In the meantime, the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club will continue to host discussions of the project with its Water and Transportation Committees and its regional groups along the alternative routes.
The Chapter invites input on selecting a route that minimizes environmental impact and maximizes the likelihood of successful completion of the project.