Bakersfield station (California High-Speed Rail)
Bakersfield F Street Station | ||||||
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| General information | ||||||
| Location | Golden State Avenue Bakersfield, California | |||||
| Owned by | California High-Speed Rail Authority | |||||
| History | ||||||
| Opening | 2018 (Amtrak service) 2022 (High-Speed Rail service) | |||||
| Services | ||||||
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Bakersfield is a proposed California High-Speed Rail station in Bakersfield, California. The station is part of the Initial Construction Segment expected to be completed by 2017.[1]
History
The initial 2005 Environmental Impact Report for the system considered two general alignments for the Fresno to Bakersfield segment: one following the BNSF Railway right-of-way down the center of the Central Valley, and another following the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way farther to the east. The BNSF alignment was chosen because it avoided urban areas, making it less expensive and having fewer constructibility concerns. The preferred Bakersfield station option co-located it with the existing Bakersfield station at Truxtun Avenue due to its central location and connectivity with existing transportation.[2] The city of Bakersfield had endorsed the Truxtun Avenue station location in 2003, but reversed its position in 2011 to oppose the High-Speed Rail project[3] due to concerns on the impact to new facilities and revitalization to the downtown area that had occurred in the interim.[4]
The Environmental Impact Report for the Fresno to Bakersfield segment was approved in May 2014 by the California High-Speed Rail Authority,[5] preserving the BNSF Railway alignment and Truxtun Avenue station location. Construction of this alignment would have impacted 526 structures, including 231 residences.[6] The City of Bakersfield filed a lawsuit in June 2014 opposing this alignment. The lawsuit was settled in December 2014 with an agreement to instead adopt a "locally generated alignment" that uses the alignment of the slightly-farther-north Union Pacific Railroad, stopping at a new station near the intersection of F Street and Golden State Avenue.[5] The new alignment is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) shorter, and its construction would be much less disruptive, impacting only 150 buildings, almost all of which are non-residential.[6]
This change, along with an ongoing lawsuit with the nearby city of Shafter, California, caused the southernmost 8 miles (13 km) of the Initial Construction Segment to be delayed and not included as part of the first package of construction bids.[1] A station planning agreement with the city was announced on September 15, 2015.[7]
References
- ^ a b Weikel, Dan; Vartabedian, Ralph (2015-06-08). "First phase of bullet train is cut due to Bakersfield, Shafter disputes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
- ^ "California High-Speed Train Final Program EIR/EIS: Preferred HST Alignment & Station Locations" (PDF). California High-Speed Rail Authority. August 2005. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
- ^ "California High-Speed Train Project Final EIR/EIS, Fresno to Bakersfield Section: Alternatives" (PDF). California High-Speed Rail Authority. May 2011. p. 30. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
- ^ Douglas, Theo (2014-05-26). "How the council changed course on bullet train". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
- ^ a b "Bakersfield F Street Station Alignment (BFSSA) Fact Sheet" (PDF). California High-Speed Rail Authority. Summer 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ^ a b Cox, John (2015-08-04). "Alternate high-speed rail route through Bakersfield ready for public inspection". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ^ "California High-Speed Rail Authority Enters into Station Planning Agreement with City of Bakersfield". ABC 23. 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2015-10-27.