ANAHEIM, CA-Despite its perceived hurdles, high-speed rail in California is possible, and its arrival will begin bridging the transportation efficiency gap between the US and Europe and China, according to a panel of urban design and development experts at last week’s California High-Speed Rail TOD Marketplace. The seminar—presented from the Anaheim Convention Center by the California chapters of the Urban Land Institute—offered glimpses of blossoming TOD successes at home, as well as case studies of successful high-speed rail infrastructure abroad.
Individual panels included breakout reports on impactful, emerging TODs in San Diego, San Jose, CA and Temecula, CA. Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, who chairs the California High Speed Rail Authority, offered introductory remarks that shed cautious optimism on California’s role as a leader in a national effort to bring more efficient rail transportation to the masses.
“If high-speed rail is going to happen in the US, it’s going to start here in California,” said Pringle. “It is our responsibility to not be bogged down by lawsuits or other roadblocks, but to focus on the positive implications and possibilities of high-speed rail.”
Alan Talanksy, senior vice president for real estate development and investment firm EBL&S Development, was part of the Diridon Redevelopment Plan panel, which offered encouraging reports on San Jose’s successful, long-range transportation planning. “TOD is transforming our region, and the San Jose Diridon station has an opportunity to borrow best lessons from other major stations—like New York’s Central Station and the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco—and exemplify the next generation of TOD,” he said.
Clearly, these TOD successes are trending California toward attainable high-speed rail solutions. But in order to execute meaningful transportation strategies like in Europe and China, California will need to identify thoughtful public/private partnerships that incentivize financing, say Andreas Heyn of AREP—which has helped plan and execute TODs around the world—and Jeff Heller of international architect Heller Manus. Both agree that California’s current financial condition and the absence of private incentives are perhaps high-speed rail’s largest barriers to entry. In France, for example, where AREP helped develop the country’s expansive TGV rail line, the Marseille St. Charles high-speed rail station was financed by six partners, including the operating rail company (26%), the City (21%) and the European Union (11%). And China’s rail authority employs more than 6 million people and its government is investing $95 billion per year until the country’s re-urbanization plan in complete around 2030. In comparison, the US this year reduced its federal spending on high-speed rail development from $8 billion to $2 billion.
“The implications of high-speed rail are transformative,” said Heller. “The change in flow of people will cause an immediate shift in land use.”
For those that claim high-speed rail is out of reach for the California and the US, Heyn offers contrarian hope. Europe’s comprehensive, connective rail plan began in 1981 and is scheduled for completion around 2020. Seemingly, if started next year, a comparable network of US rail lines from west coast to east coast could be completed by 2050.
“It’s totally possible,” added Heyn. “It just needs to start.”
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