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California High Speed Rail
And how to get the best rail for the best price!

Fredrick Schermer
Penta Publishing Production 
 California High
Speed Rail

What would aliens conclude

when looking from outer space
at the California high-speed
rail system?
Aliens could conclude that
California has central command,
is living in a 19th/20th Century
setting,
and that Fresno is its Capital !
Aliens know that the fastest
line is a straight line, and
wonder about big bends.

There
First are no connections
to notice are
between the 5 terminals; an
five terminals;
indication that these
some in close locations
proximity.
are not of most importance.
Aliens
Theyknow that the
conclude thatfastest
the
linegeographical
is a straight line, and
situation
wonder
must about big result.
force the bends.
 What are the locations
where the most important
humans reside?

This well connected location is

moreThis
impor-locationtant
must be either
than
important
location too, but less so than:
in the south.

This location must be important.

More so than the two
This location is important but ranks
nearby un-connected
below the other because it is not
terminal
connectedlocations.
to the San Diego terminal.
FRESNO ! ! !

Fresno is connected to all terminals

and to all important locations.
No doubt about it! It’s the Capital.
California has central command
over large population centers -
themselves not interconnected!
California must be in a 19th/20th C.
time frame based on it not making
optimal use of transit system
knowledge of the 20th/21st Century
(more about this later).
Let’s start from what we’ve got!
Let’s first look at population distribution.
 3,000,000 people

7,300,000 people

15,600,000 people
Source:
3,300,000 people Rand 2007
 3,000,000 people

7,300,000 people
+

29,200,000 people

77.5% of the entire

California population
15,600,000
More than 3 out of
people
every 4 Californians
3,300,000 people
 3,000,000 people

7,300,000 people Medium

Small but
sized
still
cities
with
important
growth cities
forecasts

15,600,000 people
Source:
3,300,000 people Rand 2007
 Making side trips to smaller
Theon
cities next
thestep is toright
left and
The two largest
connect
diminishes the high
the remaining
speed
Population population centers must
largest population
product.
receive prime
centers, position
while keeping
15,600,000 and
The connect
a number
close ofon
eye on adirection
stopsstraight
needs
7,300,000 3,000,000 toline
and
be to maximize
asspeed. speed to
few as possible
3,300,000 and attraction
maximize speedforandtheuse.
3,000,000 largest populations.
7,300,000
800,000 people
--------------
Only one place lies close by
30,000,000 enough to change this
alignment without
negative impact.
800,000 people

15,600,000 people
3,300,000 people
 This is the F3MA
Population Fastest
15,600,000 Maximum
7,300,000 Money
3,300,000
3,000,000 Making
800,000
--------------
Alignment
30,000,000
 Let’s look at the rail
Population transit systems already
15,600,000
in place, ‘easy’ to put
7,300,000 in place, or easy to
3,300,000 adjust, that could
3,000,000
800,000
deliver further support
-------------- for this alignment.
30,000,000
550,000
2,850,000
1,700,000
1,900,000
--------------
37,000,000
98% Population
Having Areas
local rail
withtransit
local in
rail
place
transit
improves the number of people
using High Speed Rail.
Areas without it
 Fewest Stops of F3MA High Speed Rail

Sacramento Station
San Francisco Bay
Station (Oakland)

San Jose Station

Avenal Station

Bakersfield Station

Los Angeles Station

Burbank Station
Orange County Station

San Diego Station

What
Areaswould the result be
with accelerated
for California
growth due toinversion
2050? A:
Version B shows a
further concentration of
Growth acceleration
the existing urban areas;
due to version B:
as desired in the plans
for California (SB375).
 Operational Differences

San Francisco Bay Station

San Diego Station

 For the same operational level of service, one needs to
go faster
Either way is more expensive or lead to the
or use
California more trainsRail perform slower.
High-Speed

SFB Station SD Station

Are others making the same decisions as California?

Let’s view the High-Speed Rail decisions made in

the Netherlands, where The Hague and Rotterdam
are found along the best alignment.

Yet having a stop in both cities diminishes

the High-Speed Rail product.

The Hague is where the decision makers reside;

12 miles away from Rotterdam.
High-Speed Rail
Decisions in Holland

Which city
should have a
station?
Rotterdam?
The Hague?
The government
decides and is
seated in
The Hague.
Source: Mapping Netherlands B.V.
 Amsterdam

Source: GVB
Rotterdam

Source: High Speed Rail Netherlands

Source: RET
 In Europe all
High-Speed Notlinesonly did the decision makers decide against themselves
are designed along in The Hague, not getting the best connection
straight lines from with the European Capital of Brussels
important city to nor with Paris and London,
important city. but the stations In Amsterdam and Rotterdam
are not perse in the hearts of the cities, but at the hearts of transit:
the well-connected Central Stations.

The High-Speed Rail alignment is a straight line from A to B,

and the reason is simply, because not making
the top performer in transit perform at its best, trickles down and
diminishes all forms of transit hooking up with that High-Speed Rail.

That would be a waste of money.

Version A Version B

Fast Faster

Expensive to build Expensive to build

Expensive to Less expensive to

operate operate

Politicians’ decision Product-based decision

Future adjustments possible Future adjustments easier

Urban California spreading Urban California spreading less

Politicians’ dream Users’ dream

Requires more investing in Requires less investing in

regular infrastructure (roads) regular infrastructure (roads)
Literature Review
 California High-Speed Rail Authority
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
Pushkarev, B., J. Zupan
 Metropolitan Transportation Commission
http://www.mtc.ca.gov/  Urban Rail in America, An
 California Department of Transportation Exploration of Criteria for Fixed-
Guideway Transit (1982) Indiana
http://www.dot.ca.gov/ University Press, Bloomington
 San Francisco City Scape
Vuchic, Vukan R.
http://www.sfcityscape.com/
 Bay Area Council  Urban Transportation Systems
and Technology (1982) Prentice-
http://www.bayareacouncil.org/ Hall, Englewood Cliffs
 SPUR
http://www.spur.org
 California Light Rail
http://www.lightrail.com/usstates/california.htm
California High Speed Rail
And how to get the best rail for the best price!

Fredrick Schermer
Penta Publishing Production

Email: fredrick@pentapublishing.com