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By Flynn Nicholls
US News Reporter
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The high-speed rail project from Los Angeles to the Bay Area has received complete environmental approval, overcoming the last regulatory sign off.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority's board of directors approved the final environmental impact report last Thursday and selected a route for the Palmdale to Burbank section of the project. It was the last step needed for the route connecting downtown San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles, with only the Los Angeles to Anaheim section awaiting environmental approval in "Phase 1" of the project.
Phase 1 plans to connect the Antelope Valley to the San Fernando Valley with a high-speed rail service to the urban Los Angeles area with a new modern rail line that reduces travel time between the Antelope Valley and the Los Angeles Basin.
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This approximately 38-mile project section will connect two key population centers in Los Angeles County with multi-modal transportation hubs in Palmdale and Burbank. Los Angeles to Palmdale by car is a 60-mile and 60-minute journey – the same trip will take just 17 minutes in trains that will travel at up to 220 mph.
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The route will run parallel to State Route 14 and will pass underground through the town of Acton, as well as through sections of the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
The Authority eventually intends to build a high-speed rail line that will run through northern, central and southern California at a projected cost of $135 billion.
In a statement, Chief Executive Officer Brian Kelly described the project as "transformative" for California.
"Today's approval is a major milestone for connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours," he said. "It's also transformational for Los Angeles County, connecting Palmdale to Burbank in a way that's never been possible before."
Phase 2 of the project will extend the railway north from Merced to Sacramento and in the southern direction from Los Angeles to San Diego, according to the Authority's website.
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A spokesperson for the Authority previously told Newsweek that the team "feels confident" about opening a service for the Central Valley—which includes Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties—from 2030 to 2033.
The project has been delayed and increased in budget several times since California first voted for its construction in 2008. Republican congressmen have recently called into question whether it will ever be completed.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority was contacted by email for further comment outside of normal business hours.
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