Some of the facts surrounding the proposed bullet train stop in
Gilroy
– now matter how far in the future it may be – are
unnerving.
1. Getting facts is like panning for gold on a 5th grade field trip
Some of the facts surrounding the proposed bullet train stop in Gilroy – now matter how far in the future it may be – are unnerving.
But as Councilman Bob Dillon says, “I don’t like it, I didn’t vote for it, but the voters said yes so we’d better prepare for it.”
How you prepare for something that’s so unclear at this stage is befuddling. Getting facts to help pave a strategy is like panning for gold on a 5th grade field trip to Sutter’s Mill – there’s a nugget here and there, but it’s not worth much.
What do we know?
-The preferred route for the bullet train is right through downtown Gilroy to the east side of the existing railroad tracks.
-The space needed to accommodate four tracks is 135 feet wide.
2. High-speed rail authority can take land with eminent domain power
-Express trains, those which do not stop in Gilroy, could be traveling at 200 mph.
-The tracks would either be trenched or elevated 38 feet, but not tunneled. Tunneling, Gilroy city officials have been told, is too expensive.
-The California High Speed Rail Authority has the power of eminent domain, so it can take land, if necessary, to build the project.
-There’s no timeline for the planning process.
-There’s no money for basic city improvements, like a parking garage or an enhanced train station.
All that city officials and Gilroyans can do at this point is to keep a watchful eye, become informed and stay in official contact with our legislators while posing question after question until the answers are clear.
3. Gilroy Rotary Club members should be prepared with good questions
Gilroy Rotary Club members, hopefully, will be prepared when California High Speed Rail Authority Board member Rod Diridon rolls into town to give a talk at the club Tuesday. Gilroy’s business and government leaders should take a keen interest in the potential impacts – positive and negative – this project could have on our downtown.
It could be an economic boon or a death knell to the downtown area. How noisy and disruptive will it be? What are the safety issues and how will those be mitigated? Can Gilroy charge for parking and retain the proceeds? Are there grants available for civic improvements associated with rail transit projects?
The list goes on and on. And maybe that’s where the City Council should start – with an active list of questions that’s maintained by staff at City Hall. As questions become answered, the list can be shared and made available to the public. Meanwhile, let’s get the questions on track.
