Transcript Document

High Speed Rail
San Mateo Union High School District
March 11, 2009
CARRD Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design
Grassroots volunteer organization
• Process focus
• Engage community and encourage participation
• Watchdog for transparency
• Do NOT advocate for a particular implementation or route
Founders
• Nadia Naik, Elizabeth Alexis, Rita Wespi, Sara Armstrong
• We are not train experts, we are not lawyers
• Contact info
o website: www.carrdnet.org
o email: [email protected]
Considerations for School Districts
Focus areas for schools
• Noise Pollution & Vibration Impacts
• Safe Routes to Schools & Corridor Safety
• Construction Impacts
• District Budget Impacts
Officially Participate in Environmental Process
• Ensure your districts unique characteristics and concerns
are part of the planning
• Consider mitigations needed and costs to District
Start planning now for how to accommodate the project
• Independent analysis and experts where needed
Deadlines
Program Level EIR
• 45 days to respond starting today!
Project level
• Expected release April 11
• 45 days to respond
Noise Pollution - Impacts on Learning
Excessive Noise negatively impacts learning
Children are more sensitive to noise than adults
Documented Critical effects
• Speech Interference
• Disturbance of information extraction
o e.g. comprehension & reading acquisition
• Message communication
• Annoyance
• Other health issues (high blood pressure) - weaker
correlation
Noise Pollution & HSR
Benefit: Grade separation should eliminate/reduce horn noise
Benefit: Engine noise reduced by electrification
Potential negative changes
• Air frame noise increased
• Rapid onset of noise with higher speeds more disruptive
Number of trains/hour (tph) will increase
• 2035 Peak: 12 Caltrain + 18 HSR tph = 30 tph
Elevated alignment = noise propagates twice as far as at
grade
Noise Pollution - Resources
Quite Classrooms: www.quiteclassrooms.org
ANSI - Classroom Acoustic Standards
WHO - Guidelines for Community Noise
• Inside Classroom: 35 dB LAeq
• Outside playgrounds: 55 dB LAeq
FRA, FTA, OSHA, EPA all have guidelines, mitigations, etc
Vibration Impacts
Generally considered together with noise, but
• more complex and harder to measure
• less research has been conducted
Characteristics
• Physical rattling, shaking, rumbling noises
• Critical Effect on Humans = Annoyance
• Typically only perceptible indoors
• Scientific instruments are more sensitive than people
Vertical alignment may reduce/increase vibration
Safe Routes to School & Corridor
Safety
Benefit: Grade Separations dramatically increase safety!
Benefit: Improved access control of corridor
Consider implications of different vertical design alternatives
• road underpass tunnels may have an isolation effect
• road overpasses may result in loss of turning movement
• changes in bike lanes, sidewalk availability
Traffic volumes and flow analysis should consider all modes
• Vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian
• Special concern if mode shift occurs due to changes
Construction Impacts
Average 3-7 Years of construction
Caltrain & Freight Service will continue to operate
• possible temporary "Shoofly" tracks adjacent to corridor
• example: San Carlos grade separation at Holly Street
Traffic flow and heavy equipment
Noise, vibration, dust, debris from construction
• air quality
Soil safety
Engagement
With HSRA
• Officially via comments to the Environmental Review
process
• As a CSS Stakeholder
With your community
• PTA, student body
• each City has liaisons for HSR
• Peninsula Cities Consortium www.peninsularail.com
Thank You!
www.carrdnet.org
[email protected]
Backup Slides
Noise Pollution - Measurement
Intensity of sound - decibels (dB)
• Logarithmic scale = NOT linear
• 30 dB to 40 dB is TWICE the perceived loudness
Proximity to source
Frequency (Hz)
Noise level over time (LAeq)
Mitigating Noise Pollution
Source Treatments
• Vehicle Design
• Track design & maintenance
• Operational Restrictions (eg limiting nighttime operations)
Path Treatments
• Sound Walls
Receiver Treatments
• Building insulation
• Windows, but requires A/C
Noise Pollution in EIR
Submit comments to the Program and Project EIR process
Provide inventory of all your schools near the corridor
• assume elevate structure
• 900 feet on either side of tracks
• 1/4 mile radius from Stations
Be Specific
• document location, student population, hours, layout
• reference standards (ANSI, WHO, etc)
• request specific analyses and mitigations
Consider independent assessment
Safe Routes to School EIR
Submit comments to the Program and Project EIR process
Identify schools that include the corridor w/in their boundaries
• traffic flow at schools can be impacted by changes upstream
• describe all corridor crossings, including bike/ped
Be Specific
• how many students cross the corridor to get to school
• provide maps if available
• identify schools where on site flow is at capacity
• request impact study - construction and final
Side-Bar: Program Level EIR
Revised Draft of Program Level EIR released March 11
• www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/library.asp?p=9274
• CHSRA requested comments focus only on revised material
• CARRD encourages stakeholders to submit comments on
the *full* record to provide up-to-date information
How to Comment - Anyone can comment!
• Subject: “Bay Area to Central Valley Revised Draft Program
EIR Material Comments”
• Attn: Dan Levitt, California High Speed Rail Authority
o 925 L Street, Suite 1425 Sacramento, CA 95814
o [email protected]
o fax to (916) 322-0827
HSR Overview
November 2008 - Prop 1A authorized State Bond Funds
• plan, construct and operate a High Speed Train system from San
Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim
High Speed Rail Authority
• 9 appointed Board members
• less than dozen state employees
• 4 tiered web of consultants / contractors do the bulk of the work
Funding
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Estimated cost of backbone system (SF-LA/Anaheim): $42.6 B
State bonds: $9 B
Federal ARRA funds: $2.25B
additional funds from Federal, local cities, and private companies
are anticipated
Local Implementation
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Caltrain Corridor – top speed 125 mph
Requires 2 additional dedicated tracks on right-of-way
Freight is expected to run only at night
All intersections with rail must be grade separated
o Elevated
o At-grade (road goes over or under)
o Trench
o Tunnel
• Continuous Operations
SF-SJ Segment
• Program Level Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
o Bay Area - Central Valley - initially certified Jun 08
o Decertified Dec 09 – must be re-circulated
o Potential route change
• Project Level EIR
o Upcoming “Alternatives Analysis”
o Committed to Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)
as preferred process
Funding Plan
Federal Grants $17 - $19 billion
State Grants $9 billion
Local Grants $4 - $5 billion
Private Investors $10 - $12 billion
Total: $42.6 billion
• Awarded $2.25 billion stimulus funds
Plan calls for $3 Billion in Federal funding every yr for 6
yrs
What is Context Sensitive Solutions
(CSS)?
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Collaborative approach
Involves all stakeholders
Works by consensus
Balance transportation needs and
community values
• Proven Process