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HomeMy WebLinkAbout96-148 CC Resolution RESOLUTION NO. 96-148 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA IN SUPPORT OF AN INLAND EMPI[RE ROUTING OF HIGH SPEED RAIL BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND SAN DIEGO WHEREAS, the California Intercity High Speed Rail Commission is completing its study of the feasibility of establishing a high speed rail line between Los Angeles and the Bay Area; and, WHEREAS, the California Intercity High Speed Rail Commission has concluded that an extension from Los Angeles to San Diego would significantly increase total State ridership and would generate four million passengers yearly just on the segment between Los Angeles and San Diego; and, WHEREAS, the California Intercity High Speed Rail Commission has selected two alternate routes between Los Angeles and San Diego: one parallel to Interstate 5 and one parallel to Interstates 10 and 15/215; and, WHEREAS, the 1-5 coastal corridor currently has numerous Amtrak and commuter trains in its limited right-of-way and most communities along that corridor have previously expressed opposition to high speed rail; and, WHEREAS, an unconstrained high speed rail route via the Inland Empire would have shorter travel times between San Diego and Los Angeles compared to a reduced speed alternative using the environmental sensitive costal corridor and would, thus, likely generate greater ridership and revenue; and, WHEREAS, an Inland Empire routing for the high speed rail system would establish new economic links to northern San Diego county cities such as Escondido; and, WHEREAS, the 1-15/215 corridor currently provides no rail service options between the Inland Empire and San Diego while the costal corridor already provides a full range of commuter and intercity services; and, WHEREAS, the Inland Empire is a major hub of an expanding regional economy and both to recognize the need for and support the development of transportation improvements to strengthen the region's economy; and WHEREAS, the United States Department of Commerce forecasts that the two counties of Riverside and San Bernardino will have the largest population growth of any of the Resos\96-148 nation's metropolitan areas over the next ten years creating over 415,000 new jobs and the Southern California Association of Governments estimates that the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino will have a population of approximately 4.2 million by the year 2005; and, "EREAS, the Inland Empire high speed rail alignment between San Diego and Los Angeles could connect with other proposed high speed rail projects between Los Angeles and Las Vegas; and, VMEREAS, the Inland Empire transportation agencies own many miles of rail rights- of-way which could be used for portions of an alignment to San Diego, including twenty miles immediately parallel to I-215 and additional rights-of-way in the Inland Empire could be purchased at values less than along a coastal route; and, WHEREAS, there is little or no air service between the Inland Empire and either San Diego or Los Angeles, thus, minimizing competition between air and rail modes; and, WHEREAS, public support for rail development is strong within the Inland Empire; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Temecula supports the development and construction of a high speed rail link between Los Angeles and San Diego serving the Inland Empire, as part of an overall high speed rail system between San Diego and San Francisco. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Temecula on the 10th day of December, 1996. Kar6i Lindemans, Mayor ATTEST: June S. Greek, CMC, City Clerk [SEAL] Resos\96-148 2 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE SS CITY OF TEMECULA 1, June S. Greek, City Clerk of the City of Temecula, do hereby certify that the Resolution No. 96-148 was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of Temecula at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 10th day of December, 1996, by the following vote: AYES: 3 COUNCILMEMBERS: Ford, Stone, Lindemans NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: 2 COUNCILMEMBERS: Birdsall, Roberts June S. Greek, CMC, City Clerk Resos\96-148 3