Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JULY 15, 2015
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: HIGH DESERT CORRIDOR (HDC) UPDATE
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE this update on the status of the HDC Project Approval/ Environmental Document.
Issue
ISSUE
The HDC PA/ED is being prepared in partnership with California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The purpose of this report is to update the Board on the current schedule and the selection of the Preferred Alternative (PA) for HDC.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
In March 2011, Metro and Caltrans entered into a Measure R Program Funding Agreement for the development of the HDC PA/ED. The Project is a proposed 63-mile, east-west corridor linking State Route (SR) 14 in Los Angeles County and SR-18 in San Bernardino County. In March 2012 the HDC was identified by the Board as a strategic multi-purpose corridor. The project components include highway, bikeway, an energy production and/or transmission corridor along the freeway, and a high speed rail (HSR) feeder/connector service connecting a branch of the California High Speed Rail (CHSR) in north Los Angeles County to the proposed XpressWest high speed rail service to be constructed between the cities of Victorville in San Bernardino County and Las Vegas, Nevada. In October 2009 the HDC was also identified by the Board as a candidate project for Public-Private Partnership delivery method.
Caltrans serves as the lead agency responsible for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Caltrans, under delegated authority by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will also ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The purpose of the PA/ED is to identify possible alignments for the project and evaluate the benefits, costs, and impacts ...
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