Date: April 2, 2012

Contact: Jo Linda Thompson, (916) 492-2871

SACRAMENTO — “The updated business plan demonstrates that the High-Speed Rail Authority listened to the public, legislative representatives, and peer review groups in the months since the November release of the previous plan. The plan released today is credible, realistic, $30 billion less expensive than before, and will result in a usable segment of high speed rail from the Central Valley to Los Angeles in just 10 years.

“California’s high speed rail project is the single largest infrastructure development project in the nation. It will create thousands of jobs both immediately and long-term. It will connect the Central Valley to urban areas to the north and south, opening up jobs and economic opportunity in the fastest growing area of our state.

“Our members have built high speed rail systems in other countries and know firsthand that they take decades from inception to operation. They have all been subject to significant debate, challenges, and critics, but have overcome these similar obstacles. These high speed rail systems have helped transform these nation’s quality of life, economic potential, and competiveness — much like our interstate highway, aviation, and freight rail systems have done so in this country. California’s high speed rail project is no different.

“It’s time now for the Legislature to vote to move forward on high-speed rail. Bond funding must be approved this year. State leaders must invest in the future of our transportation system, our economic competitiveness and the future of our state.”

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The Association for California High Speed Trains (ACHST) seeks to enhance California’s transportation system by securing funding from federal, state, local, and private sources to design and build a network of high-speed trains under the direction of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Our goal is to fund, plan, engineer, construct, and operate a modern and cost efficient high-speed rail system for California. For more information on the Association visit http://www.achst.com/.

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CHSRA will hold two additional meetings: one in the Central Valley and one in Southern California to be announced at a later date.

Following are the details for the Bay Area meeting:

WHEN

Thursday, December 1, 2011

WHERE

Milton Marks Conference Center, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 (Located on the lower level of the Hiram W. Johnson State Office Building)

MEETING FORMAT & TIME

The format will be an open house. Small business experts will be on hand to answer questions and receive written comments.

10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

PARKING

No parking is available in the building. Directly across the street from the Earl Warren Building is the Civic Center Plaza Garage at 355 McAllister Street. Please call 415-863-1537 for current rates. Other public lots and limited street parking is available in the Civic Center area. We also encourage you to take public transit to this meeting.

SUBMITTING COMMENTS

In addition, the public is encouraged to visit the website where they can review and leave comments on the Small Business Program http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/sb-resources.aspx. For questions or to submit comments via email, please contact us at SBProgram@hsr.ca.gov. All comments must be received by Monday, January 16, 2012.

Governor Jerry Brown

“California’s high-speed rail project will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, linking California’s population centers and avoiding the huge problems of massive airport and highway expansion. The High-Speed Rail Authority’s business plan is solid and lays the foundation for a 21st century transportation system.”

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State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg

“The revised business plan may bring some sticker shock, but it is a tough and honest assessment of the challenges ahead if we are to build a functioning high speed rail system in California. While we have to assess the plan carefully, I remain supportive of a project which could be the single biggest job creator California has seen in decades with some 100,000 jobs in the immediate future.

“Whether or not we choose to build out this system, our state will need to invest billions of dollars in infrastructure to accommodate our growth. Beginning in 2012, we must decide whether we make these investments with an eye toward the past (more highways, bigger airports, more traffic congestion) or with an eye toward the future (a clean 21st century transportation system). While the projected price tag to build out the high speed rail system is high, reaching the same mobility goals through business-as-usual approaches will cost us much more.

“With this draft proposal, the public, the legislature, and local agencies will all have opportunities to assess the costs and benefits of high speed rail. The Senate will convene hearings in the coming weeks to review this plan and to help us determine the best path for California’s future transportation needs. I commend the High Speed Rail Authority for providing a frank and thoughtful proposal.”

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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

“California plans for new jobs and a bright future”

Congratulations to California Governor Jerry Brown, the California High-Speed Rail Authority and its board members. The business plan they released today maps out a sound, step-by-step strategy for building a world-class high-speed rail network.

In 2008, Californians voted to develop a state high-speed rail program. Today’s plan—with its phased implementation, ridership and revenue assessments, and public-private funding model—brings that vision one step closer to reality.

This project will create one million construction jobs, put Americans to work at suppliers and assembly plants all over the country, reduce time stuck in traffic or on the tarmac, and save small businesses and families from pain at the pump.

California will also become a better place to start or grow a business. By moving shorter trips to rail, California’s airports will have more room for international flights. A several-hour drive between cities can be reduced to an hour on the train. Businesses will get better access to customers, workers, parts, and products.

Today’s report also offers us a glimpse into what California could look like without high-speed rail.

The state’s current transportation network was built for 25 million people, but California’s population has quite simply grown out of it. In fact, by 2050, California will be home to 60 million people, roughly equivalent to California absorbing the entire population of Texas. Fortunately, high-speed rail will allow California to manage the challenges of accommodating more people and growing its economy.

That’s because California’s leaders know the state cannot afford to do nothing. Traffic already costs Californians $18.7 billion annually in lost time and wasted fuel; adding 50 percent more drivers will choke the state’s economy. Doing nothing will also choke two of America’s busiest and most important international airports—San Francisco and Los Angeles—with short-hop travel that would be more efficient on high-speed rail.

Instead, California has a plan to turn their transportation challenges into opportunities for job creation and economic growth. Construction workers will not only go back to work building high-speed rail; American manufacturers and suppliers will see new orders and business. And as these high-speed rail corridors are built out, other businesses and economic development will follow.

High-speed rail is also far less expensive than paying for the highway, road and airport expansions that would be necessary to accommodate California’s projected population boom. To cope with its growth, the state would have to spend $171 billion, adding 2,300 new highway miles, 115 new airport gates and 4 new airport runways. And even so, in some parts of the state there is simply no room left to expand highways or runways any further.

However, for less than half the cost of that approach, and with a range of economic and environmental benefits to offer, California is getting into the high-speed rail business.

I want to commend the state’s leadership for seeing their high-speed rail vision through. They are doing exactly what California’s voters asked for: connecting the Golden State with a reliable, 21st century transportation system.

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November 1, 2011 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       Contact: Jo Linda Thompson

Date: November 1, 2011                                                                                             (916) 492-2871

Statement from the Association for California High Speed Trains (ACHST) regarding the California High Speed Rail Authority’s Business Plan:

“The new business plan represents a step in the right direction and includes a new vision for how the system will upgrade and interlink with California’s existing regional rail systems. 

 “California’s high speed rail project is the single largest infrastructure development project in the nation and it is only realistic to assume it will face challenges, doubts and critics.  However, the merits of the program have and will continue to emerge as we engage in meaningful, robust and thoughtful discussion about how this is an investment for future generations. 

 “Our members have built high speed rail systems in other countries and know firsthand that they take decades from inception to operation. They have all been subject to significant debate, challenges, and critics, but have overcome these similar obstacles.  These high speed rail systems have helped transform these nation’s quality of life, economic potential, and competiveness — much like our interstate highway, aviation, and freight rail systems have done so in this country. California’s high speed rail project is no different.

 “Now is not the time for the state’s leaders to turn their back on this project.  It is time to invest in the future of our transportation system, our economic competitiveness and the future of our state.”

# # #

The Association for California High Speed Trains (ACHST) seeks to enhance California’s transportation system by securing funding from federal, state, local, and private sources to design and build a network of high-speed trains under the direction of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Our goal is to fund, plan, engineer, construct, and operate a modern and cost efficient high-speed rail system for California. For more information on the Association visit http://www.achst.com/.

Request for qualifications (RFQ) will be sent out by November and request for proposals (RFP) will then be issued in early 2012.

See the email below for full details:

Dear Prospective Team Member,

Thank you for your interest in California’s high-speed rail project.

As part of the commitment to keep you informed of the planning for the statewide high-speed rail network we have included below the latest planning details about the first construction contract packages. These packages represent the start of construction on the backbone of the system, more than 100 miles long, in the Central Valley and are based on the approximately $6 billion in funding available at this time.

As a reminder we anticipate releasing the first request for qualifications (RFQ) within the next 90 days and then a request for proposals (RFP) in early 2012.

Additionally, we are eager to continue engaging the small business community and are planning a small business focused event in Fresno on September 8th. Please check our calendar for more details.

If you have any questions about the information below please contact Ted R. Blunck, Commercial Manager – California High-Speed Rail Project at 916-431-2932 or BlunckT@pbworld.com.

Initial construction will be divided into five (5) packages as follows:

• A large design-build contract for a section of construction running from the San Joaquin River north of Fresno south through the city of Fresno to approximately East American Way. It will be 26 to 37 miles in length depending on the final alignment selected through the environmental process, including 12 grade separations, 2 viaducts, 1 tunnel and a major river crossing over the San Joaquin River. This package will be in the $1-2 billion range. (see graphic below)
• Smaller design-build construction packages in the $500 million – $1 billion range will be divided regionally as follows (see graphic below):
  • Approximately 28 miles from approximately East American Way in South Fresno south to approximately Hanford Aroma Road, including 20 grade separations and 3 viaducts.
  • Approximately 55 miles in length from approximately Hanford Aroma Road south to approximately Dresser Avenue, including 21 grade separations, one viaduct and 4 river crossings.
  • Approximately 14 miles from approximately Dresser Avenue south to approximately Allen Road, including 2 grade separations and 1 major viaduct.
• A fifth package will follow to include all of the track work for the entire length of the initial construction section.

Possible additional early initial construction contract packages:

• Early procurement of up to four architectural/engineer contracts
• Early procurement of up to six construction management contracts
• An early procurement of a design-bid-build contract for the reconstruction of Fresno Street underpass in Fresno, California
• An early procurement of a design-bid-build contract for the construction of an aerial structure over the Union Pacific Railroad in Fresno

View the email in a separate window,  here.

CONTACT: Jo Linda Thompson, 916.492.2871
jlthompson@thompsonpublicaffairs.com

February 10, 2011

Association for California High Speed Trains Announces New Website
Tool for companies interested in building California’s High Speed Train

Sacramento, CA— The Association for California High Speed Trains (ACHST), an association dedicated to educating and informing the public, business community, and government officials about the benefits of high-speed rail for all Californians, announced today the launch of their new website, http://www.achst.com.

“Our goal is to promote funding, planning, engineering, construction, and operation of a modern and cost efficient high-speed rail system for California,” says Jo Linda Thompson, ACHST executive director.

The new site reflects the Association’s commitment to a California High-Speed Rail System and greatly enhances information available to construction companies, engineers and the general public. The new website features a resources and news section, providing access to information regarding high-speed rail.  The new site also features a membership section, where engineers and the construction community are able to take advantage of ACHST resources. These resources include: high-speed rail government relations, trained professional staff, education materials and presentations, and partnerships with groups that support high-speed rail.

High-speed trains will carry Californians and visitors from around the world at more than 200 miles an hour – safer, cleaner and more efficiently than flying or driving – creating jobs and new opportunity all along the way. Under the direction of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Association for California High Speed Trains seeks to enhance California’s transportation system by securing funding from federal, state, local, and private sources to design and build a network of high-speed trains.

In early 2010, the federal government awarded California $2.34 billion — the largest amount for  any state — to develop a high-speed rail line connecting the state’s major cities, from Sacramento, San  Francisco and San Jose through the Central Valley to Los Angeles, Anaheim, and south to San Diego.

To become a member and help improve the quality of life and economic vitality for all Californians through advocacy for environmentally friendly, cost efficient high-speed rail, please visit http://www.achst.com/membership.

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ACHST Mission— ACHST seeks to enhance California’s transportation system by securing funding from federal, state, local, and private sources to design and build a network of high-speed trains under the direction of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Our goal is to fund, plan, engineer, construct, and operate a modern and cost efficient high-speed rail system for California. To become a member, please visit http://www.achst.com/membership.