Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations:

Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service

Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers - Regulatory

California

Description:

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is responsible for planning, designing, building and operation of the first high-speed rail (HSR) system in the nation. California high-speed rail will connect the mega-regions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs, and preserve agricultural and protected lands. The system will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles Basin in under three hours at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations. In addition, the Authority is working with regional partners to implement a state-wide rail modernization plan that will invest billions of dollars in local and regional rail lines to meet the state’s 21st century transportation needs.

The San Francisco to San Jose Project Section is part of the first phase of the California HSR System connecting the communities from San Francisco and Silicon Valley to the rest of the state. The approximately 51-mile project section will travel between stations at the at the 4th and King Street Station in San Francisco, a Millbrae station near the San Francisco International Airport, and the San Jose Diridon Station. The San Francisco to San Jose Project Section differs from others because the alignment has been defined by state legislation, Senate Bill 1029 (SB1029) and regional, multi-agency agreements. Per the requirements of SB 1029 high-speed rail service along the San Francisco to San Jose corridor will be a blended service with Caltrain and high-speed rail service sharing tracks. Working together, Caltrain and the Authority are in the process of electrifying the corridor, which will allow for both operators to share tracks in a blended system. The service will ultimately run to the Salesforce Transit Center once it is connected to the existing rail corridor, replacing Caltrain's 4th and King Street Station as the ultimate northern terminus for the high-speed rail trains.

Due to the potential significant environmental impacts of the project section, a NEPA environmental impact statement is being prepared.  The Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2008, to begin the Tier 2 project-level environmental review process. The NOI stated the purpose of the project section, the project limits, a description of alternatives to be considered, the need for public and agency input, potential environmental impacts of the project, points of contact for additional information, and the dates and locations of the scoping meetings.

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by the State of California, working through the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority), pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated July 23, 2019, and executed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the State of California. As specified in the MOU, under the NEPA Assignment Program the FRA has assigned its federal environmental review responsibilities to the Authority. However, the FRA retains responsibility for certain activities including performing Clean Air Act conformity determinations and conducting formal government-to-government tribal consultations. Otherwise, the Authority is the federal lead agency for the San Francisco to San Jose Project Section, in addition to being the project sponsor.

Two cooperating agencies are included in the NEPA review process: the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) agreed by letter, dated December 30, 2009, to act as a cooperating agency under NEPA; and the Surface Transportation Board (STB), per their letter dated May 2, 2013, also is a cooperating agency based on its role in approving rail line construction. Multiple other federal agencies have been involved and have contributed to the environmental review including the following: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Park Service (NPS), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The Authority is also the state lead agency under CEQA and more information about the project section and required federal, state, and regional approvals can be found on our website at www.hsr.ca.gov.