by Winston Chua

ALHAMBRA – Representatives from the City of Alhambra hope in the coming weeks to continue to push the California High Speed Rail Authority, on behalf of their residents to look outside Alhambra city limits in its attempt to complete its 800-mile high-speed rail project, a project that aims to shorten travel time from San Francisco to San Diego to just four hours as it travels through speeds of up to 220 miles per hour.

Jessica Keating, assistant to Alhambra’s city manager, said it would be “ideal” for the CHSRA to look outside of the portions near the I-10 involving Alhambra because the project’s potential alignment through this area would severely impact the quality of life for those who live north or south or along the I-10.

Property values may decline and residents could be displaced if the CHSRA does not rule out the I-10 partially or completely. The four alternatives that the CHSRA is considering are the I-10, the SR-60, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Row.

Rachel Wall, of the CHSRA, said that engineers and consultants on the project will present their findings before the CHSRA board in the winter to find out which alternative routes are most feasible, and require further study, and which should be dropped. She said that the CHSRA intends to comply with the standards of the California Environmental Quality Act.

Alhambra will make its case before the CHSRA on either October 7 or in February, said Keating, at which time the CHSRA may shortlist various options, including eliminating the Union Pacific Railroad and the I-10. The San Gabriel Council of Governments Transportation Committee asked the CHSRA for more time to deliberate.

The CHSRA is considering four alignments for the rail: the I-10, the I-60, the Union Pacific Rail and the Corridor just south of the I-60. The UPRR may not be a viable option at this point because of complications that may arise in dealing with Whittier Narrows and nearby Superfund sites.

The CHSRA board and the representatives from Alhambra may meet in Los Angeles, but Wall said that that depends on California’s budget situation; the city of Alhambra will know more in the next two weeks.