High Speed Rail

By Ann Keighran

The City of Burlingame an I have significant concerns regarding the California High Speed Rail project and its impacts to our community. As your Mayor, I believe it is essential that this project does not create a visual and/or physical barrier to this community.

Placing High Speed Rail (HSR) underground could potentially alleviate many of these problems. Some other issues to consider when discussing HSR are our historic resources such as the Burlingame and Broadway train stations, preserving our downtown business districts and safety issues; especially around Burlingame High School. Property values, land acquisition, community character, noise and vibration, safety and quality of life issues are of the utmost importance to address.

Public outreach plays an important factor throughout this process. I encourage you to voice your concerns to the Council. The Council has been involved in a variety of ways in addressing HSR issues. The following is a timeline of activities that the Council and Burlingame staff have been involved with:

November 2008: California voters approved project

January 22, 2009: City of Burlingame members and staff attended High
Speed Rail meeting regarding scoping issues

February 17, 2009: City Council invited High Speed Authority to present

the project scoping and raised community concerns

Feb-April 2009: Three meetings were held between myself and Councilmembers and staff with our counterparts in San Mateo and Millbrae including High Speed Rail staff to discuss concerns and to advocate for public input and a public engagement process in addition to coordinating issues with our bordering cities

April 3, 2009: As Mayor, I sent a letter to High Speed Rail Authority with the City's concerns and revised comments. Please see link: http://www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page=1334

May 4, 2009: The City Council invited High Speed Rail Authority to provide a project update and obtain community input

June 2, 2009: Burlingame City Staff met with High Speed Rail to advocate the city's concerns and to comment on the Public Outreach Program by the Authority.

June 15, 2009: The City Council formally joined the Peninsula Cities Consortium and appointed two Councilmembers and alternates to keep apprised of HSR issues and advocated City's concerns. The five cities that have become involved are: Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park

June 23, 2009: City Staff attended the first High Speed Rail Technical Working Group meeting in Oakland

June-present A Burlingame City Councilmember continues to attend the Peninsula City Consortium on a regular basis

At the July City Council Meeting, as Mayor, I asked for a town hall meeting to be scheduled at City Hall with Assemblyman Jerry Hill and High Speed Rail Representatives. This is scheduled for September 26, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Burlingame Recreation Center

There are continual web site updates on this issue on the Burlingame City Website: http://www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page=1334