OKAY HELLO, EVERYBODY AND GOOD
MORNING WELCOME OR OFFICIALLY
CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL OF YOU
HERE IN SAN CLEMENTE. THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
THIS IS THE SENATE
TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE ON
LOW SAND RAIL CORRIDOR
RESILIENCY. AND UM, I'M GOING TO
GIVE A FEW OPENING REMARKS AND
THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE
AGENDA ITEMS WE HAVE. SO FIRST,
THE SENATE CONTINUES TO WELCOME
THE PUBLIC AND WE HAVE PROVIDED
ACCESS TO IN PERSON
PARTICIPATION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
FOR TODAY'S HEARING. WE'LL BE
HEARING ALL OF THE PANELS OF
WITNESSES ON THE AGENDA PRIOR TO
TAKING ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, AND
ONCE WE'VE HEARD ALL THE
WITNESSES, WE WILL HAVE A PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD FOR THOSE WHO
WISH TO COMMENT ON THE AGENDA.
SO AGAIN. WELCOME TO OUR
SUBCOMMITTEES INFORMATIONAL
HEARING. THIS IS THE THIRD
HEARING OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE RIGHT
HERE IN SAN CLEMENTE, RIGHT NEXT
TO THE RAIL LINE, AND I WANT TO
PARTICULARLY THANK SENATOR
SENATOR WIN HERE TO MY RIGHT FOR
HOSTING US IN YOUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
DURING OUR FIRST TWO MEETINGS IN
MAY AND AUGUST, WE HEARD FROM
THE STATE AND RAIL OPERATORS AND
STAKEHOLDERS ON THE RISKS,
THREATS AND BENEFITS OF THE 351
MILE COASTAL RAIL CORRIDOR. WE
ALSO HEARD ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS
IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF THIS
RAIL CORRIDOR FOR PASSENGER
TRAVEL FOR MOVING GOODS
THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
FOR THE MILITARY AND ULTIMATELY
FOR THE OVERALL ECONOMIC HEALTH
OF THE REGION AND STATE. WE ALSO
LEARNED ABOUT THE HAVOC THAT
CLIMATE CHANGE IS REALLY WRECK
IS WREAKING ON US, ACCELERATING
COASTAL EROSION AND
DESTABILIZING HILLSIDES AND
BLUFFS. THIS IS HAPPENING ACROSS
THE CORRIDOR FROM SANTA BARBARA
TO SAN DIEGO COUNTY'S SINCE OUR
LAST HEARING, THE SENATORS HAVE
BEEN BACK IN THE DISTRICT FOR
3.5 MONTHS IN BETWEEN THE END OF
THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND THE
BEGINNING OF JANUARY. AND IN
THAT TIME I HAVE VISITED WILL
HAVE VISITED FIVE SECTIONS OF
THE RAIL CORRIDOR. SO MY FIRST
VISIT I WAS EXCITED TO JOIN
SENATOR LIMONE IN SANTA BARBARA.
UM AND I ALSO VISITED BURBANK,
LOS ANGELES AND FULLERTON AND
MET WITH THE OTHER SUBCOMMITTEE
MEMBERS AS WELL AS LOCAL ELECTED
OFFICIALS WHO REPRESENT THAT
AREA AND THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS
WHO REPRESENT THAT AREA. UM AND
EVERYWHERE THAT WE VISITED, WE
COULD SEE THAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE
NEEDED, AND THESE IMPROVEMENTS
ARE NEEDED TO SAFEGUARD AND
TRANSFORM THIS ESSENTIAL RAIL
CORRIDOR. WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA
TODAY OF SUBJECT SUBJECT MATTER,
EXPERTS TO HELP INFORM US WHERE
WE SHOULD GO NEXT AND HOW TO
BEST SET THE RAIL CORRIDOR UP
FOR SUCCESS, AND THERE'S MUCH TO
BE OPTIMISTIC FOR, BUT THERE'S
MUCH THAT REMAINS TO BE DONE, SO
WE KNOW HOW EFFICIENT EFFECTIVE
AND IMPACTFUL A WELL RUN RAIL
SYSTEM CAN BE. AND WE KNOW THIS
BECAUSE WE CAN SEE IT OPERATING
IN OTHER PLACES AROUND THE
WORLD. FROM THE NORTHEAST
CORRIDOR HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES TO EUROPE AND JAPAN. WE
ALSO SEE THE POTENTIAL TO
TRANSFORM OUR REGION AND THAT IS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A
BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR CALIFORNIA
THAT CAPITALIZES ON RAIL TO TAKE
CARS OFF OF THE ROAD TO REDUCE
CONGESTION TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS AND TO MOVE PEOPLE
AND GOODS MORE EFFICIENTLY. THIS
SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE
COLLABORATION WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, OUR STATE GOVERNMENT
AND OUR AGENCY PARTNERS,
TOGETHER WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS
WILL BE CENTRAL TO CREATING THE
SHARED VISION AND SUCCESS FOR
THIS CORRIDOR. I WANT TO THANK
MIKE SENATE COLLEAGUES,
PARTICULARLY SENATOR LIMON, TO
MY LEFT SENATOR WENT TO MY RIGHT
AND ALSO SENATOR ALLEN AND
LUNDBERG, WHO WILL BE HERE
SHORTLY. UM AS WELL AS SENATOR
NEWMAN, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE
IT TODAY, BUT EVERYBODY WAS SO
GRACIOUS TO WELCOME ME AND MY
OFFICE TO THEIR DISTRICTS AND TO
SEE THEIR SECTION OF THE RAIL
CORRIDOR. AND I ALSO WANT TO
THANK THE LOCAL ELECTED
OFFICIALS THERE AT LEAST THREE
MEMBERS OF THE SAN CLEMENTE CITY
COUNCIL WHO ARE HERE TODAY, AND
I WANT TO THANK THE PANELISTS
AND MEMBERS WHO HAVE COME IN
FROM THE PUBLIC AND FLOWN IN
FROM SACRAMENTO TO BOTH TESTIFY
AND TO BE WITH US TO HEAR THE
REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
THAT WILL BE PRESENTED. SO
BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS FROM THE
MAYOR OF SAN CLEMENTE, AND ALSO
FROM A SUPERVISOR FULLY I WANTED
TO JUST ASK MY TWO COLLEAGUES IF
YOU WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING HERE
AT THE BEGINNING. SENATOR WIN.
THANK THANK THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO AGAIN
THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF. UM AND
THE CAUCUS STAFF. I MEAN, THE
COMMITTEE STAFF FOR BEING HERE
AND COMING, YOU KNOW, FOR ME TO
SAN DIEGO OR SACRAMENTO REALLY
APPRECIATE IT REALLY APPRECIATE
YOUR TIME AND YOUR DILIGENT AND
FULLY CONCENTRATING ON THIS
SITUATION THAT WE'RE GOING
THROUGH AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR
RAIL SYSTEM WILL WORK FOR
EVERYBODY AND THAT IT'S
EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT. UM, AND
THAT CONTINUES TO MOVE. AND SO
WE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU
FOR ALLOWING US TO HOST YOU HERE
TODAY IN SACRAMENTO. UM AND I
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ALL THE
OTHER OTHER PANELS. THANK YOU,
SENATOR. LIMO THANK YOU. THANK
YOU TO OUR CHAIR. I THIS
CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR RAIL
SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY LOW SAND IN
, UH, IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN AN
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. BUT I
ACTUALLY HAVE TO COMMEND OUR
CHAIR BECAUSE I'VE NEVER IN THE
SEVEN YEARS I'VE BEEN IN THE
LEGISLATURE SEEN IT ELEVATED IN
THIS WAY WITH REAL PURPOSE AND
INTENTIONALITY IN TERMS OF THE
CONVERSATIONS AND VISITS WERE
HAVING SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT THAT IS ON RECORD. THIS IS
VERY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK YOU
HAVE A COALITION OF MEMBERS WHO
ARE IMPACTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM YOU KNOW, WITH WITH OUR
CORRIDOR, UM AND WHO ARE LOOKING
AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN SOME
AREAS AND KNOW THAT THE REALITY
IS THAT IT MAY HAPPEN IN OTHER
AREAS ALONG OUR COAST. AND SO
JUST I WANT TO COMMEND YOU CHAIR
FOR REALLY CONVENING US, BUT
ALSO HELPING US UNDERSTAND HOW
TO TROUBLESHOOT THE MANY
COMPLICATIONS THAT HAVE COME UP
THROUGH OUR VISITS AND THROUGH
OUR HEARINGS. LOOK FORWARD TO
ONGOING CONVERSATION AS A MEMBER
WHO REPRESENTS THE NORTHERN
PORTION. OF LOW SENT. I THINK
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SEE HOW
THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS CONNECTED.
AND PARTICULARLY IN THIS AREA
WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME OF
OUR GREATER CHALLENGES. THOSE
CHALLENGES WILL APPEAR IN OTHER
PARTS. UM AND OTHER COUNTIES AS
WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. NOW WE WILL HEAR FROM
THE MAYOR OF SAN CLEMENTE,
VICTOR CABRAL. THANK YOU FOR
WELCOMING US TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL
CITY AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL CITY
COUNCIL CHAMBERS. ABSOLUTELY SO
ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF
SACRAMENTO, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME
YOU. THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE
TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE. LOW
STAND RAIL CORRIDOR. AH IT'S
NICE OF YOU TO BE HERE. LIKE TO
PARTICULARLY. THANK YOU, SENATOR
CATHERINE BLAKE SPEAR FOR
BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE TO
OUR CITY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALL
OF US, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED
WE HAVE I HAVE TWO OF MY
COLLEAGUES CHRIS DUNCAN AND
STEVE NO BLOCK WHO ARE ALSO HERE
ATTENDING. IT'S THAT PORTANTINO
ISSUE THAT THAT THAT THAT WE'RE
HERE TO LISTEN TO WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT KINDS OF SOLUTIONS, UH, CAN
BE CREATED. UH I'D ALSO AS YOU
KNOW, SAN CLEMENTE IS AND I
ICONIC BEACH TOWN HOME TO THE
WORLD SURF LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
AND APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MILES OF
BEACHFRONT ACCESS. THOSE EIGHT
MILES ALSO INCLUDE EIGHT MILES
OF RAIL ACCESS BETWEEN OUR
BLUFFS AND OUR OCEAN, SO WE ARE
PARTICULAR VULNERABLE,
VULNERABLE CITY TO WHAT'S
HAPPENING ON THE RAILS. THIS
YEAR. WE SUFFERED TOO
CATASTROPHIC FAILURES ALONG THE
RAIL LINES. THE CYPRUS SHORE'S
FAILURE OF THE RAIL TRACKS AND
SACRAMENTO WAS DEVASTATING AND
CONTINUES TO HAVE A DEVASTATING
IMPACT ON OUR BEACHES IN THAT
AREA. THE CASTLEREAGH MONICA
SLOPE FAILURE ALONG THE RAILROAD
TRACKS IS STILL COSTING OUR CITY
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AH EVERY
MONTH TO PROTECT OUR BLUFFS AND
OUR AND PROTECT OUR TRACKS. SAN
CLEMENTE. OUR CITY IS COMMITTED
TO WORKING WITH YOU, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND OTHER ENTITIES TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE SOLVE THIS
IMPORTANT ISSUE AND WE THANK YOU
FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. AND NEXT WE HAVE
SUPERVISOR KATRINA FOLEY. THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US SUPERVISOR.
YES. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. HOW
ARE YOU? WELCOME THOSE OF YOU
WHO ARE NOT FROM ORANGE COUNTY.
WELCOME TO ORANGE COUNTY.
WELCOME TO DISTRICT FIVE. I'M
CATERING FULLY COUNTY SUPERVISOR
REPRESENTING DISTRICT FIVE,
WHICH SPANS FROM COSTA MESA ALL
THE WAY TO SAN CLEMENTE AND IS
REALLY THE HOME OF WHERE WE SHUT
DOWN THE TRACKS OVER THIS LAST
YEAR. SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING
SUCH I THINK SERIOUS ATTENTION
ON THIS ISSUE AS SENATOR BLAKE'S
WHERE I REALLY APPRECIATE THE
LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT YOU ARE
ENGAGING IN AND REALLY TAKING
THE TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY
SCHEDULE TO DIG DEEP INTO THESE
ISSUES AND FIND SOLUTIONS IN
ADDITION TO SERVING ON THE
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I
ALSO SERVE ON THE ORANGE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY BOARD,
AND, UM I'M ALSO LEADING THE
COUNTY'S EFFORT. TO CREATE A
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN FOR ORANGE
COUNTY AND WE INTEND TO FILE OUR
PLAN IN MARCH OF 2024. SO THIS
IS GREAT NEWS FOR ORANGE COUNTY,
THE PRIORITIZATION OF KEY
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IS A BIG
PIECE OF THAT. SO WE REALLY
UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE OF, UH, THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE RAIL CORRIDOR
ALL ACROSS THE RAIL. YOU KNOW, I
GREW UP IN SANTA BARBARA. MY DAD
LIVED THERE, SO I APPRECIATE THE
RAIL THERE. MY SON WENT TO U. C
S B AND IT WAS AN IMPORTANT
TRANSPORTATION OPTION FOR US AS
HE TRAVELED FROM ORANGE COUNTY
TO UCSB FOR COLLEGE. SO FROM SAN
DIEGO TO SANTA BARBARA. WE
REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE A PLAN FOR A SUSTAINABLE
FUTURE FOR A RAIL CORRIDOR. SO I
APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE
INTEREST. I WANTED TO SHARE
ORANGE COUNTY'S INVESTMENT.
ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION
AUTHORITY HAS INVESTED NEARLY $2
BILLION OVER THE COURSE OF THE
LAST 30 YEARS ON THE TRACKS JUST
BETWEEN SAN CLEMENTE. UM AND
HERE WHERE WHAT WE OWN IN
FULLERTON AS WELL. WE ALSO
UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR A STATE
LED EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THIS RAIL SYSTEM IS IN PLACE AND
IS WORKING FOR THE FUTURE. WE
ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT HAVING A
FRAMEWORK THAT INCLUDES THE
LOCALS, THE REGIONAL AND THE
STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS IS
REALLY KEY. SO TO THAT END IN
AUGUST, ORANGE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES
SELECTED HDR ENGINEERING AS THE
FIRM TO LEAD OUR COASTAL RAIL
RESILIENCY STUDY. SINCE THE
AWARD WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO
DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE AND WIDE
RANGING STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
PLAN. WE UNDERSTAND THERE IS
SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS STUDY, AND
IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE
ENGAGE ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND THAT
WE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY THAT
WE LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS AND WE
LEAD WITH SCIENCE AS ONE OF THE
FIRST STEPS. WE'RE LOOKING AT A
90 DAY HOT SPOT ANALYSIS AND
THIS IS INTENDED TO BE IN
ADVANCE OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE
A VERY RAINY SEASON. SO WE
INITIATED THE TO IDENTIFY THE
MOST VULNERABLE AREAS ALONG THE
SEVEN MILE COASTAL STRETCH OF
RAIL BETWEEN SAN CLEMENTE AND
DANA POINT. SO THIS ANALYSIS AND
SOME POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS WILL BE
AVAILABLE IN JANUARY. WE THINK
THIS WILL BE GOOD INFORMATION
FOR YOUR COMMITTEE, AND WE'LL BE
HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU, UM
AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE
LAUNCHING A GROUP OF LISTENING
SESSIONS IN THE WINTER AND THIS
WILL SHAPE OUR OVERALL STUDY.
FOR OUR LONG TERM. WE WANT TO
THANK THE CALIFORNIA
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WHICH
LAST WEEK AWARDED ORANGE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY $12
MILLION IN COMPETITIVE FUNDING
THROUGH OUR LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
CLIMATE ADAPTION PROGRAM, AND I
KNOW SENATOR BLAKE'S WHERE WE
TALKED ABOUT HOW THE GOVERNOR
EVEN HIGHLIGHTED THIS IN HIS
RECENT PRESS ANNOUNCED. SO IT'S
GOOD NEWS FOR ORANGE COUNTY
THAT, UM, THE STATE IS PAYING
ATTENTION. AND I KNOW YOUR
EFFORT IS FOR THE WHOLE
CORRIDOR. BUT OF COURSE WE ARE
FOCUSED HERE IN ORANGE COUNTY ON
OUR LINK. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M
FOCUSING MY COMMENTS ON THAT.
BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK
THAT YOU'RE DOING. WE DO
APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO BRING
EVERYONE TOGETHER. WE'VE GOT OC
TA SCAG SANDBAG L A METRO N C T
D SAN DIEGO R C T A C. YOU KNOW,
IT'S SO MANY GROUPS, UM, AND TO
HAVE SOMEBODY TO CONSOLIDATE
THEM AND LEAD THEM TOGETHER IS
VERY CRITICAL. I THINK TO THE
FUTURE OF THE RAIL CORRIDOR, THE
COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUES. AND
REALLY LISTENING AND HEARING
WHAT OUR POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS SO
THANK YOU, FOR INCLUDING US AND
THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS
HEARING RIGHT HERE IN SAN
CLEMENTE IN DISTRICT FIVE, AND,
UH, WELCOME HOME TO SENATOR WIN,
WHO IS A GETS TO BE AT HOME FOR
THE FOR THE OCCASION TODAY, SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH SUPERVISOR. SO
NEXT, WE WILL JUMP RIGHT INTO
OUR PRESENTERS. SO OUR FIRST
PRESENTER IS CHAD EDISON WITH
CALIFORNIA STATE TRANSPORTATION
AGENCY. HE'S THE CHIEF DEPUTY
SECRETARY FOR RAIL AND TRANSIT,
AND I'LL JUST SAY FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE STILL GETTING ORIENTED TO
THIS. THE QUESTION OF WHO WITHIN
THE BOWELS OF THE STATE
GOVERNMENT KNOWS THE MOST ABOUT
THIS 351 MILES OF RAIL, WHICH
HAS SEVEN RIGHT OF WHITE OWNERS
AND FIVE DIFFERENT OPERATORS. IT
IS CHAT, SO WE ARE EXCITED TO
HAVE HIM COME IN FROM SACRAMENTO
TO TALK TODAY AT THIS
SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING. THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, SENATOR. AND IT'S AN HONOR
TO BE HERE TODAY. UM I'D LIKE TO
FIRST START OUT SAYING HOW GOOD
IT IS TO HAVE THE ENTIRE QUARTER
UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. THE
RIDERSHIP AND REVENUE THAT COMES
WITH THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
SERVICE BEING THERE FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO NEED TO USE IT FOR
THEIR DAILY LIVES. IT'S REALLY
SIGNIFICANT THAT THIS IS ALL
GOTTEN REOPENED, AND WE'RE
THANKFUL TO ALL ALL THE
DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT WORK
TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. UM,
THAT THAT THAT PUTS THIS IN THE
CONTEXT OF YOU KNOW HOW HIGHER
LEVELS OF RIDERSHIP AND REVENUE
ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE ONGOING
INVESTMENT IN THE CORRIDOR, AND
IT'S ALL REINFORCING CYCLE HERE
AS AS WE CONTINUE TO GET MORE
WRITERS BACK ON THE SERVICE. THE
CURRENT SERVICES ARE FUNDED BOTH
BY THE ADVOCATE IN THE CASE OF
THE SURFLINER BY STATE RESOURCES
AND THEN IN THE CASE OF THE
COMMUTER, RAIL SERVICES, STATE
AND LOCAL RESOURCES, AND WE
APPRECIATE ALL THAT IT TAKES TO
KEEP THIS CORRIDOR RUNNING AND
BEING IMPROVED. UM THE SERVICE
LEVELS THAT WE HAVE THERE TODAY
ON THE PACIFIC SURFLINER ARE NOT
BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE PRE
PANDEMIC AND IT IS. IT IS OUR
GOAL IN THE IN THE COMING IN THE
COMING FISCAL YEAR TO RETURN TO
PRE PANDEMIC SERVICE LEVELS, AND
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET
BACK TO THAT FULL SERVICE IN THE
CORRIDOR RIGHT NOW ON THE NORTH
END, SENATOR LEMON, WE HAVE THE
FULL SERVICE BACK AND WE HAVE
FIVE OF THE WE HAVE WE HAVE 10
OF THE 13 FREQUENCIES THAT WERE
THERE. ROUND TRIP FREQUENCIES ON
THE SOUTH END. WE LOOK TO
RESTORE THOSE OTHER THREE IN THE
COMING FISCAL YEAR AND THEN TO
CONTINUE PUTTING ADDITIONAL
SERVICES OUT THERE. THE CAPITAL
INVESTMENTS IN THE CORRIDOR. UM
ALLOW FOR US TO PLAN FOR SEVEN
ROUND TRIPS ON THE NORTH END AND
16 ON THE SOUTH END. UM AND SO
AS WE AS WE WORK THROUGH THE
NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WE SEE
ADDING THOSE SERVICES IN TO GET
TO THAT FALL FOR USE OF THE
QUARTER CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE
BUILT THE PROJECTS FOR UM, STATE
INVESTMENT IN THE CORRIDOR AS A
WHOLE, SINCE 2015 IS ABOUT $3.1
BILLION, AND MANY OF THOSE
PROJECTS ARE STILL GETTING INTO
CONSTRUCTION OR OR HAVE READ. A
FEW OF THEM HAVE BEEN RECENTLY
COMPLETED. BUT MOST OF THESE
PROJECTS ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE
THAT ARE GOING TO COME TO
COMPLETION THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
OR SO. UM THE FUNDING BEHIND
THAT COMES FROM A WHOLE MIX OF
SOURCES. IT'S A IT'S TRANSIT
INTERCITY RAIL CAPITAL. IT'S
HIGH SPEED RAIL BOOK AND MONEY.
IT'S PROP 11 A THAT WENT INTO
THE POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL
SYSTEMS. IT'S PROBABLY ONE B
RESOURCES. IT'S THE IT INCLUDES
STATE RAIL ASSISTANCE. SB ONE
COMPETITIVE RESOURCES. THERE'S A
WHOLE VARIETY OF RESOURCES THAT
HAVE ADDED UP TO THAT OVER $3.1
BILLION UM, WE, UH. MOST
RECENTLY PUT OUT A DRAFT I TIP.
AND THE DRAFT INTER REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM CONTAINS AN ADDITIONAL
6200 AND $62 MILLION TOTAL IN
THE IN THE REGION, BUT BUT OF
THAT 62 MILLION IS IN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY WITH THE SANTA GUITEAU,
THE SANTA GATO DOUBLE TRACK AND
SPECIAL EVENTS PLATFORM. DOWN BY
DELMAR. UM SO YOU KNOW, THESE
INVESTMENTS CONTINUE TO BE ADDED
TO WE WILL BE WORKING TOGETHER
WITH WITH WITH THE REGION TO
FURTHER PRIORITIZED FUNDING AND
DEFINITELY RECOGNIZED THE VALUE
OF STATEWIDE, UM, PLANNING AND
EFFORT HERE IN CONJUNCTION WITH
OUR PARTNERS. WHAT ONE OF THE
THINGS I'D I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON
ALSO IS JUST LAST FRIDAY, WE GOT
THE GOOD NEWS OF A CORRIDOR. THE
QUARTER I D PROGRAM, UM,
SELECTING THIS CORRIDOR, THE
LAUSANNE CORRIDOR FROM END TO
END, AS WELL AS ITS EXTENSION
SOUTH TOWARDS THE TOWARDS, SANYA
SAID ROW AS A AS A KEY AREA OF
PLANNING FOR OUR WORK WITH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THAT INITIAL
GRANT IS SMALL. BUT IT BUT IT
BUT IT ALLOWS US TO START THE
PROCESS OF DOING A SERVICE
DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WILL THAT
WILL BE WORKED ON BETWEEN THIS
THE CALTRANS AND CALISTA AND THE
VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE
CORRIDOR. I'M INCLUDING THE
FREIGHT RAILROADS, INCLUDING
INCLUDING OUR LOCAL AGENCIES
THAT OWN THE CORRIDOR. AND IN
THAT EFFORT WILL HELP. ONE OF
ONE OF ITS FIRST PRODUCTS IS TO
REALLY HAVE A PHASED,
PRIORITIZED LIST OF PROJECTS. UM
THAT THAT ARE THAT ARE KIND OF
NEXT FOR NEXT READY FOR
INVESTMENT. AND SO HAVING THIS
MORE FORMAL PROCESS WITH OUR
FEDERAL PARTNER IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. IT'S THE FOUNDATION
ON WHICH THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD
A LOT OF THEIR FUTURE CAPITAL
GRANT COMMITMENTS TO THE REGION
AND WE'RE VERY ENCOURAGED BY
THEIR WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH
US, UM AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL,
WE BRING SOME KEY TOOLS TO THAT
PROCESS. WE HAVE THE NETWORK
PLANNING COMPONENT. WHICH REALLY
LOOKS AT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO
MAKE SURE ALL OF THE SERVICES
CONNECT WELL WITH EACH OTHER AND
WITH LOCAL TRANSIT SO THAT THAT
THAT NETWORK PLANNING INVOLVES
RIDERSHIP. MODELING INCLUDES
SERVICE MODELING IN THAT THAT IS
DONE IN CONJUNCTION AGAIN WITH
OUR LOCAL PARTNERS WITH LOTION
WITH METRO LINK WITH COASTER IN
THE CORRIDOR. BUT THAT BUT THAT
STATEWIDE LOOK MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE GETTING THE CONNECTIONS.
YOU KNOW THE FUTURE CONNECTIONS
TO BRIGHT LINE TO METROLINK
TRAINS TO COASTER TRAINS TO, UM
TO THE BUSSES THAT CONNECT US TO
CENTRAL VALLEY RAIL SERVICES. IF
YOU LEAVE THOSE OUT AND YOU
DON'T YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW
ALL THE SERVICE WORKS TOGETHER.
YOU REALLY LOSE OUT ON THE
RIDERSHIP AND THE SERVICE TO
CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIANS THAT'S
SO CRITICAL. SO WITH THAT, I'LL
GO AHEAD AND LEAVE. THAT IS MY
IS MY INITIAL COMMENTS. HE WOULD
BE GLAD TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND
ALSO I LOOK FORWARD TO JASON'S
TESTIMONY. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU
SO MUCH, JEN. UM NEXT. WE HAVE,
UM JASON JEWEL. HE'S THE
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE LOW
SAND RAIL CORRIDOR AGENCY, AND,
UH, JUST FOR A LITTLE CONTEXT
ABOUT THAT THE LOW SAND RAIL
CORRIDOR AGENCY OVERSEES THE
WHOLE CORRIDOR. UM AND WHEN I'M
WHEN I TRAVELED BACK TO
WASHINGTON, D C AND MET WITH OUR
CALIFORNIA SENATOR PADILLA HIS
BILL WHEN HE WAS A STATE
SENATOR, IS WHAT CREATED THIS
LOW SAND RAIL CORRIDOR AGENCY,
AND I ASKED HIM ABOUT HOW HE
THOUGHT IT WAS GOING AND HE
SAID, WELL, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE,
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS. BASICALLY
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING BAD
COME ABOUT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS
OR SO. SO UM, YOU KNOW,
HOPEFULLY THAT'S A GOOD SIGN.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS
HAVE HAVE GOOD NEWS THAT'S
ACTUALLY UPLIFTING THE CORRIDOR
AND DOING THINGS THAT MAKE TAKE
IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. SO, UM
HERE WITH US TODAY IS THE TOP
PERSON AT THAT AGENCY, THE
MANAGING DIRECTOR, JASON JEWEL,
AND HE'S BEEN ACCOMPANYING ME ON
ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TOURS TO
ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES AND
STICKING CLOSE BY TO MAKE SURE
YOU HEAR OVER YEARS. EVERYTHING
I SAY TO ANYBODY TO MAKE SURE HE
KNOWS WHAT ANYTHING SECRET THAT
MIGHT BE HAPPENING IS AND IN
FACT, THERE IS NOTHING SECRET
HAPPENING. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO
UNCOVER ALL THE LAYERS OF THIS
ONION HERE OF THIS RAIL
CORRIDOR. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED
TO HAVE HIM HERE TODAY TO SPEAK
TO US AND TO PROVIDE SOME
SLIDES. SO WITH THAT, GO AHEAD,
MR JEWEL. GREAT GOOD MORNING
CHAIR BLAKE SPEAR AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE. A JASON JOE
MANCHIN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF
LOS IN REAL QUARTER AGENCY, AND
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING
ME TO SPEAK AND TO HAVE THE LOW
SAND AGENCY THIS MORNING. IT'S
GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN THIS
MORNING. I'M GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT THE LOW SAND AGENCY'S ROLE
IN PLANNING ALONG THE CORRIDOR
AND REALLY FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON
THE LOW SAND AGENCY'S ANNUAL
BUSINESS PLAN PROCESS. AS IT
SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN
THE AGENCY'S PLANNING FOR THE
QUARTER AS A WHOLE. AND UNDER
THE INTERAGENCY TRANSFER
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LOW SAND
AGENCY AND THE STATE AGENCY IS
REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN ANNUAL
BUSINESS PLAN. I'M GOING TO
REFER TO IT AS OUR ABP FOR SHORT
AND WERE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THAT
TO THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION
SECRETARY BY APRIL 1ST OF EVERY
YEAR. THE INTERAGENCY TRANSFER
AGREEMENT PRESCRIBES THE
ELEMENTS OF THE ABP, WHICH IS A
TWO YEAR PLANNING OPERATIONS AND
BUDGET DOCUMENT, AND IT SERVES
AS THE AGENCY'S PLAN FOR
OPERATING THE PACIFIC SURFLINER
INTERCITY RAIL SERVICE. AS WELL
AS IT INCLUDES A REPORT ON
OVERALL PERFORMANCE AND INCLUDES
A MARKETING PLAN CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ALONG THE
CORRIDOR, AND IT INCLUDES THE
AGENCY'S FUNDING REQUEST FOR
ADMINISTRATION OPERATIONS AND
MARKETING AND THE DEVELOPMENT IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE ABP IS
APPROXIMATELY MOVE ON OVER TO
THE NEXT SLIDE HERE IS
APPROXIMATELY A 6 TO 7 MONTH
PROCESS. THAT REALLY STARTS WITH
THE AGENCY DEVELOPING KEY
ASSUMPTIONS, WHICH ARE ADOPTED
BY THE LOW SAND AGENCY BOARD AND
AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THOSE KEY
ASSUMPTIONS, WHICH PRIMARILY
DRIVE THE OPERATING SERVICE
COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN, SOME OF
THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE
PROCESS INCLUDES UPDATES TO THE
QUARTER WIDE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
LIST IN WHICH INFORMATION IS
PROVIDED BY OUR TECHNICAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS FOR MEMBER AGENCY LED
PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE
CORRIDOR. WHILE THE AGENCY ALSO
INCLUDES UPDATES FOR ANY AGENCY
LED PROJECTS ALONG THE QUARTER
AS WELL. ANOTHER MAIN COMPONENT
OF THE PROCESS IS THE AGENCY
COORDINATES CLOSELY WITH BOTH
AMTRAK AND CALTRANS TO DEVELOP
COST AND REVENUE FORECASTING
MODELS THAT REALLY DRIVE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPERATING
FUNDING REQUESTS, WHICH IS
INCLUDED IN THE BUSINESS PLAN.
OF PARTICULAR. UM ACTUALLY, I'M
GOING TO FOCUS ON A LITTLE BIT
MORE OF THE PROCESS. WE JUST TO
LET YOU KNOW WE'RE CURRENTLY IN
THE BEGINNING STAGES OF OUR
ABBEY PROCESS RIGHT NOW WHERE WE
HAVE SOLICITED INFORMATION FROM
OUR TAX MEMBERS OR TECHNICAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND
WE ARE BEGINNING TO UPDATE AND
DRAFT THE CHAPTERS OF OUR PLAN.
AND ONCE ONCE ONCE THOSE
CHAPTERS ARE DRAFTED, AND THAT'S
ABOUT THE JANUARY TIME FRAME. WE
REQUEST THAT THE ATTACK MEMBERS
REVIEW AND PROVIDE INPUT AND
FEEDBACK, WHICH THEN THAT
FEEDBACK GETS INCORPORATED INTO
A DRAFT THAT WE BRING TO BOTH
OUR TAX AND OUR BOARD AND ABOUT
THE FEBRUARY TIME FRAME THEY
PROVIDE THEY REVIEW AND THEY
PROVIDE COMMENT, AND THOSE
COMMENTS AND INPUT IS THEN
INCORPORATED INTO A FINAL DRAFT,
WHICH IS PRESENTED TO THE ATTACK
ON BOARD AGAIN FOR FINAL
APPROVAL ABOUT THE MARCH TIME
FRAME. AND THEN IT SUBMITTED TO
CALISTA BY APRIL 1ST AS
REQUIRED. UM AND I WANTED TO
SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO
LET YOU KNOW IN PARTICULAR
FOCUS. THIS YEAR WE ARE PLANNING
AND COORDINATING FOR FUTURE
SERVICE INCREASES AS CHAD
ALLUDED TO WHICH REALLY DOES
INVOLVE THE PLANNING AND
COORDINATION ON EQUIPMENT
DEPLOYMENT, AS WELL AS FOCUSING
ON COST EFFICIENCIES AND
INCREASING REVENUE IN ORDER TO
GET BACK UP TO PRE COVID SERVICE
LEVELS. WE ALSO ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH OUR
STAKEHOLDERS ON COASTAL
RESILIENCY EFFORTS ALONG THE
CORRIDOR AND THE PLANNING FOR
THE OPERATIONS AND FOR THE
PROJECTS ALONG THE CORRIDOR IS
REALLY AN ONGOING EFFORT
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE HAVE
VARIOUS TOUCH POINTS WITH OUR
STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH WORKING
GROUPS AND COORDINATION CALLS
AND JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THESE,
FOR INSTANCE, WITH CALTRANS WE
HAVE A J P A LEADERSHIP
COORDINATION MEETING ON A
MONTHLY BASIS. WE ALSO HAVE A
BUSINESS OPERATIONS WORKING
GROUP, WHICH PRIMARILY FOCUSES
ON A LOT OF THE FINANCING,
BUDGET AND PERFORMANCE METRICS.
WE ALSO HAVE AN EQUIPMENT
WORKING GROUP. WE HAVE REGULAR
MEETINGS WITH COLLEAGUES FROM
OUR MEMBER AGENCIES. ON A
MONTHLY BASIS. WE HAVE TECHNICAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS,
WHICH IS A BROWN AT COMMITTEE
THAT MEETS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND WE HAVE A LOW SAND CORRIDOR
COASTAL RESILIENCY, TECHNICAL
WORKING GROUP AS WELL AS WE'VE
BEEN INVOLVED IN THE COUNCIL LED
EFFORTS OF THE REGIONAL RAIL
WORKING GROUP THROUGHOUT THE
CORRIDOR. SO THROUGH THOSE
MEETINGS, WE LEARN AND
COORDINATE ON PROJECTS
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND AGAIN.
THIS IS AN ONGOING EFFORTS
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT
PROVIDES REALLY GREAT TOUCH
POINTS WITH ALL OF OUR
STAKEHOLDERS. AND I WANTED TO
GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE ON SB
6677 AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON
HOW WE PLAN TO ADDRESS THE
REQUIREMENTS INCLUDED IN THAT
LEGISLATION. SO THE LEGISLATION
AS YOU MAY BE WELL AWARE,
REQUIRES A DISCUSSION ON THE
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE
LOW SAME CORRIDOR. AND FOR THIS,
WE PLAN ON DESCRIBING THE
EFFECTS AND CHALLENGES WE HAVE
EXPERIENCED ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
BOTH HISTORICALLY BUT ESPECIALLY
OVER THE LAST YEAR WHEN THE RAIL
LINE WAS SHUT DOWN FOR 251 DAYS.
WE WILL ALSO DESCRIBE THE
CHALLENGES THAT ARE BEING FACED
NOT ONLY IN THE SOUTH CORRIDOR
BUT ALSO IN THE NORTHERN SECTION
OF OUR QUARTER ON UNION
PACIFIC'S TERRITORY AND DESCRIBE
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO COMBAT
THOSE EFFECTS, AS WELL AS PLANS
UNDERWAY TO ADDRESS IT FOR THE
FUTURE. WE ALSO PLAN ON,
INCLUDING INFORMATION FROM
STUDIES AND EFFORTS THAT HAVE
BEEN DONE OR CURRENTLY UNDERWAY,
AS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING THE CITY
OF SAN CLEMENTE IS NATURE BASED,
COASTAL RESILIENCY PROJECT
FEASIBILITY STUDY, SANDBAGS,
CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND
RESILIENCY ASSESSMENTS. SAND
REPLENISHMENT EFFORTS IN ORANGE
COUNTY ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY
OF ORANGE. AS WELL AS OC TAS
COASTAL RAIL RESILIENCY STUDY AS
DIRECTOR FULLY HAD MENTIONED,
AND THESE ARE JUST TO NAME A
FEW. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO REALLY
DRAW INFORMATION FROM ALL THESE
DIFFERENT EFFORTS ACROSS THE
COURT OR AND BRING THAT
INFORMATION INTO OUR ABP. AND TO
GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL. SP
677 REQUIRES AND IDENTIFICATION
OF PROJECTS THAT ARE PLANNED TO
INCREASE CLIMATE RESILIENCY ON
THE CORRIDOR. SO WE ARE
CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF
UPDATING THE CAPITAL PROJECTS
LIST THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE ABP
, AND THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE ON
THE SLIDE HERE TO SHOW WHAT WE
ARE PLAYING PLANNING ON,
INCLUDING IN THE ABP, WHICH WILL
IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS THAT ARE
RELATED TO RESILIENCY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
EFFORTS. AND WE PLAN ON,
INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE FUNDING
OPTIONS FOR EACH OF THESE
PROJECTS IDENTIFIED AS REQUIRED
BY THE LEGISLATION, AND FOR THE
DESCRIPTION WE DO PLAN ON,
INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF HOW
THE PROJECTS WILL ADDRESS
INCREASED RESILIENCY ON THE
CORRIDOR. AND IN CLOSING, I JUST
WANTED TO ALSO PIGGYBACK OFF OF
WHAT CHAD HAD MENTIONED ABOUT
THE FEDERAL QUARTER
IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM. WE AT THE LOW SAND
AGENCY ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT
THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE LOW SANK
CORRIDOR INTO THE PROGRAM. THE
LAUSANNE AGENCY COORDINATED
CLOSELY WITH CALTRANS ON THE
APPLICATION FOR THE PROGRAM. AND
THE PURPOSE OF THE QUARTER
IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM HAS CHAT
ALLUDED TO IS TO DEVELOP A
COMPREHENSIVE INTER CITY
PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT WILL
HELP TO GUIDE INTER CITY
PASSENGER RAIL DEVELOPMENT NOT
ONLY FOR CALIFORNIA BUT ALSO
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND IT
WILL CREATE A PIPELINE OF
INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL
PROJECTS THAT ARE READY FOR
IMPLEMENTATION, AND THE PROGRAM
IS INTENDED TO BECOME THE
PRIMARY MEANS FOR DIRECTING
FEDERAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT. SO WE
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
CALTRANS, THE F R A AND R
QUARTER STAKEHOLDERS TO
COORDINATE PLAN AND PRIORITIZE
INTERCITY RAIL PROJECTS FOR THE
ENTIRE CORRIDOR. SO WITH THAT
THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS, AND
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH, MR JEWEL. WE
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. UM
WHEN I BECAME A NEW SENATOR LAST
YEAR, I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO
LEARN THAT THERE IS SOMETHING
CALLED A SENATE OFFICE OF
RESEARCH. AND THIS IS AN ARM OF
THE GOVERNMENT. IT'S A
NONPARTISAN OFFICE THAT PROVIDES
RESEARCH FOR SENATE MEMBERS AND
COMMITTEES, AND ITS MISSION IS
TO PRODUCE COMPREHENSIVE AND
RELIABLE RESEARCH TO INFORM AND
EFFECTIVE PUBLIC POLICY. SO WE
ASKED FOR THE SENATE OFFICE OF
RESEARCH TO LOOK INTO THE LOW
SAND CORRIDOR, AND THEY SPENT
THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS DOING
THAT. AND SO, TODAY WE HAVE THE
AUTHOR OF THE REPORT. TED LINK,
OBERSTAR, WHO IS THE
TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING
CONSULTANT WITH THE SENATE
OFFICE OF RESEARCH. HE'S HERE
TODAY TO OFFER SOME REMARKS. AND
SO WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME HIM NEXT
TO SPEAK.
THERE IT IS, OKAY. MORNING CHAIR
BLAKE SPEAR AND MEMBERS. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME TED
LINK OVER STAR WITH THE SENATE
OFFICE OF RESEARCH. UM AS YOU
MENTIONED EARLIER THIS YEAR,
YOUR OFFICE CONTACTED US AND
ASKED US TO LOOK INTO. UH ISSUES
SURROUNDING THE CORRIDOR,
PARTICULARLY THE CHALLENGES THAT
THE QUARTER HAS EXPERIENCED IN
SECURING FUNDING FOR CRITICAL
CAPITAL INVESTMENT NEEDS. SO WE
PREPARED, UM, REPORT UM, IT'S
BACKGROUND FOR THAT. WE
INTERVIEWED A NUMBER OF MET WITH
A NUMBER OF UH, STAKEHOLDERS,
INCLUDING, UM. EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR JEWEL WITH THE LOW SAND
AGENCY. WE ALSO SPOKE WITH MET
WITH OFFICIALS FROM METRO LINK
WITH THE REGIONAL PLANNING
AGENCIES, SANDBAG AND SCAG, UH
AND AS WELL AS STATE
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS. UM
ALSO LOOKED AT REVIEWED A NUMBER
OF DOCUMENTS, STATE AND REGIONAL
PLANNING DOCUMENTS. UM OPERATOR,
STRATEGIC PLANS, BUDGETS AND
VARIOUS OTHER HISTORICAL
MATERIAL TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE
CORRIDOR AND TO MAKE SOME
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW WE CAN
MOVE FORWARD. UM AND SO THEY
HOPEFULLY, THEY RESULT OF THAT
IN THIS REPORT WILL GIVE US SOME
, UH SOME THOUGHTS FOR MOVING
FORWARD. UM MOVE THROUGH THIS
VERY QUICKLY THE BACKGROUND AND
CONTEXT BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THIS
. I THINK IT'S THE SECOND
BUSIEST RAIL CORRIDOR AND
COUNTRY. UM. SEVEN RIGHT AWAY
OWNERS AND FIVE OPERATORS, THREE
PASSENGER AND TWO FREIGHT. UM
IT'S A KEY ELEMENT OF THE
STATE'S LONG TERM TRANSPORTATION
VISION PROMOTED. COMPREHENSIVE
MOSTLY MODAL SYSTEM. UM AND THE
STATE'S RAIL PLAN IN 2018, AND
THE DRAFT PLAN IN 2023 BUILDS ON
THAT FOR A NETWORK THAT CONNECTS
POPULIST THE MOST POPULOUS
COMMUNITIES IN THE STATES. UM
COMPETITIVE TRAVEL TIMES, UM,
AND RELIABLE INTEGRATION WITH
LOCAL SYSTEM. SO A LOT OF THE
THINGS THAT MR EDISON WAS
TALKING ABOUT. UH ALREADY THIS
MORNING, AND IT'S THE JOB OF THE
REGIONAL AND LOCAL AGENCIES TO
UH, IMPLEMENT THE PLANS TO
PRIORITIZE PROJECTS FOR FUNDING.
UM FINANCIAL NEED. IN THE SECTOR
IS VAST, AS WE KNOW, UH, LIKELY
EXCEEDS $20 BILLION FOR THE
QUARTER. UM AND THESE NUMBERS
ARE ALL VERY, UM, FLUID BECAUSE
A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE NOT
BEEN, UH FULLY DEVELOPED AND
SCOPED. UM, BUT THE AT LEAST $10
BILLION FOR THE SCORE PROGRAM IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ADDITIONAL
MONEY FOR CLIMATE INVESTMENTS,
INCLUDING HERE IN SAN CLEMENTE,
UM, 7.2 BILLION IN SANDBAGS PLAN
AND, UH. PROBABLY A COUPLE 100
MILLION IN THE NORTH PORTION OF
THE CORRIDOR AS WELL. UM
APOLOGIZE, UH, BASED ON ON THE
STRATEGIES, COMMENTS THIS
MORNING 3.1 BILLION. UH, OVER
CREDITED THE STATE I GUESS A
LITTLE BIT ON THAT REPORT, BUT
SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES THAT THE
STATE HAS CONTRIBUTED SO FAR. UH
AND CERTAINLY PLANS TO UH, FUND
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS GOING
FORWARD, BUT THERE IS OUR
LIMITATIONS BASED ON OF
LIMITATIONS ON REVENUE AND THE
NEED FOR GEOGRAPHIC EQUITY TO
ADDRESS THINGS ELSEWHERE IN THE
STATE. UM LOCAL AGENCIES HAVE
ALSO PUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
UH, MONEY, INCLUDING FEDERAL
GRANT APPLICATIONS AND ALSO
LOCAL RESOURCES. THE ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WE DID FIND IS THAT
UM. IN RECENT YEARS. IT SEEMS
THAT MORE OF THE FUNDING AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL HAS BEEN GOING INTO,
UM, OPERATIONS, AT LEAST WITH
SOME OF THE AGENCIES AND WE
EXPLORE SOME SOME SOME IDEAS
AROUND WHAT MAY GOING ON THERE A
LITTLE BIT IN THE REPORT. UM AND
WE DO TALK A LITTLE BIT. I WON'T
GO INTO IT THIS MORNING THAT THE
REPORT DOES TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT, UM MAY BE INVOLVED IN
USING, UM LOCAL TAX MEASURES FOR
LARGE INTERREGIONAL PROJECTS.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE UH, THAT THE
TIE TO, UM LOCAL VOTERS AND
LOCAL NEEDS. UM. GOOD NEWS IS WE
DO HAVE A HISTORIC FEDERAL
OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW. THE
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND
JOBS ACT UM AND THE LAST
FRIDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT,
CALIFORNIA RECEIVES, UH $6
BILLION FOR TWO PROJECTS IS
CERTAINLY UH, GOOD NEWS, AND
THERE IS MORE MONEY AVAILABLE
THROUGH THE IDEA. I J. A AND, UM
IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO BE
THINKING ABOUT 2026
REAUTHORIZATION AND HOW WE MIGHT
BE DOING TO POSITION OURSELVES
FOR SUCCESS GOING FORWARD. UM
SO, UH, POSITIONING THE LAUSANNE
CORRIDOR FOR SUCCESS, AND THIS
IS SORT OF WHAT WE REALLY TRY TO
LOOK AT IN THE REPORT. IS, UM A
COUPLE OF THINGS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT AND ONE TO BE ABLE TO
BE SUCCESSFUL IN COMPETING FOR
THESE, UH VERY COMPETITIVE
FEDERAL FUNDS IS IT'S IMPORTANT
TO HAVE A COMMON SHARED QUARTER
VISION, UM, AND TO PRIORITIZE
PROJECTS THAT DO A COUPLE OF
THINGS. I THINK THIS IS
IMPORTANT YOU NEED TO HAVE AND
SEVERAL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WE
MET WITH, SORT OF STRESSED THIS
IS THAT UH UM. HAVING PROJECTS
THAT SHOW MEASURABLE,
INCREMENTAL BENEFITS. SO YOU
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING FROM
THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECT AND ALSO
SHOWING THAT IT'S PART OF, UH
IMPROVED CORRIDOR WIDE
PERFORMANCE SO LONG TERM
PERFORMANCE, SO IT'S IMPORTANT
TO BRING THAT TOGETHER. WE
LOOKED A LITTLE BIT AT REGIONAL
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR MORE
THAN A LITTLE BIT. WE LOOKED AT
REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO TRY
AND UNDERSTAND HOW, UM THE
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE MIGHT BE
GETTING IN THE WAY OF COMING
TOGETHER WITH THIS COMMON
CORRIDOR VISION. UM ONE THING AT
THE REGIONAL LEVEL, THE TWO
METROPOLITAN PLANNING AGENCIES
THAT COVER THE MAJORITY OF THE
QUARTER. UM CERTAINLY THE MOST
POPULOUS REGIONS OF ITS GAGAN
SANDBAG OPERATE VERY
DIFFERENTLY. THERE'S DIFFERENT,
UM ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES.
SANDBAGS A CONSOLIDATED AGENCY
THAT HAS NOT ONLY PLANNING
RESPONSIBILITIES BUT ALSO IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING
PROJECTS. UM SO FUNDING
PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS AND
CONSTRUCTION. UM SO THERE'S AND
IT'S ALSO A SINGLE COUNTY AGENCY
, SO THERE'S A LOT MORE, UM,
ABILITY TO WITHIN ONE AGENCY TO
MOVE THINGS FORWARD. IN
CONTRAST, UM SCAG IS AH, AND
THIS WAS STRESSED BY THE FOLKS
WE MET WITH. IT'S A PLANNING
AGENCY. IT SERVES LARGELY A
CONVENING ROLE. UM AND PROVIDES
ANALYSIS, TECHNICAL GUIDANCE.
AND IN BACK POLICY, BUT
CRUCIALLY, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE
THE AUTHORITY TO UH, PROGRAMMING
FUND INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS THAT
ALL TAKES PLACE AT THE COUNTY
LEVEL, SO THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF
WORK TO TRY AND BRING THE COUNTY
AGENCIES TOGETHER, DEVELOP A
COMMON PLAN AND MOVE THINGS
FORWARD, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT
UM MORE COMPLEX PROCESS AND THAT
AND THAT STRUCTURE WE ALSO AS I
SAID, MET WITH THE OPERATORS. UM
AND LOOKED AT THEIR STRATEGIC
PLANS. THEIR BUDGETS UH AND IT
STRUCK US THAT THERE ARE SOME
ELEMENTS OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURES THAT, UM. VERY
UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THEY OPERATE
THE WAY THEY DO, BUT THEY MAY
MAKE IT DIFFICULT OR MORE
DIFFICULT TO COME TOGETHER WITH
A WITH A COORDINATED COMMON
VISION. AT TIMES. METROLINK IS A
FIVE COUNTY UH 300. 538 MILE
REGIONAL RAIL SYSTEM. UM IT'S AS
YOU MIGHT EXPECT, REGIONALLY
FOCUSED. IT WAS CREATED THROUGH,
UH, LEGISLATION IN THE 19
NINETIES TO CREATE A REGIONAL
RAIL SYSTEM. UM, THEIR STRATEGIC
PLAN FOCUSES VERY MUCH ON
REGIONAL RIDERSHIP, GROWTH AND,
INTERESTINGLY ON FINANCIAL
INDEPENDENCE FROM ITS MEMBER
AGENCIES. THEY'RE LOOKING VERY
MUCH TO FOCUS ON GENERATING NEW
SOURCES OF REVENUE. UM. AND SO
THERE'S A STRONG FOCUS ON THE
NEEDS OF THE FIVE MEMBER
AGENCIES. UM. IT WAS INTERESTING
IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THERE WAS
MINIMAL DISCUSSION OTHER THAN A
COUPLE OF REFERENCES TO UH,
SHARED CORRIDOR WITH LOW SAM.
BUT THERE WASN'T VERY MUCH
DISCUSSION ABOUT INTERREGIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS IN THEIR STRATEGIC
PLAN. UM THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE. UM. DETERMINES OR
INSURERS THAT THEY'RE VERY
FOCUSED ON. UM THEY SORT OF THE
IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF THE FIVE
MEMBER AGENCIES. UM THE MEMBER
AGENCIES, ACTUALLY UNDER THE JPS
STRUCTURE OWN ALL OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE. METROLINK
MANAGES THE MAINTENANCE, BUT UH,
EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASSETS
WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION, AND
THUS FOR, UH UM, ROLE IN TERMS
OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THOSE
UH UM. METRO LINKS. BUDGETARY
STRUCTURE IS FORMULA BASED. AH
BASED ON ROUTE MILES, PASSENGER
TRIPS AND THOSE SORTS OF METRICS
, UM AND THEY REMEMBER OPERATING
SUBSIDIES ARE BASED A LOT ON
THAT. UM AND SO. AH IT'S TIED
VERY SO THERE'S THEIR BUDGETARY
STRUCTURE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET
IS TOUCH. IT IS TIED VERY MUCH
TOWARDS UM MEETING THOSE
INDIVIDUAL, UH, RESPONDING TO
THE IN THOSE INDIVIDUAL
AGENCIES. UM, CONCERNS AND SO.
THE EFFECT OF THIS IS THAT IT
APPEARS TO US THAT THE EFFECT OF
THIS IS THAT IT'S HARD FOR
METROLINK TO FOCUS AS MUCH ON
LONG TERM PRIORITIES AS THEY
MIGHT OTHERWISE. BECAUSE THE
BUDGET STRUCTURE, UH, IS VERY
FOCUSED ON IMMEDIATE NEEDS
REGARDING LAUSANNE AGENCY, THE
RAIL CORRIDOR AGENCY. WE ALSO
MET WITH UM, DOES HAVE A, UH
REGIONAL QUARTER FOCUS OR AN
INTERREGIONAL FOCUS. 11 MEMBER J
. P A, INCLUDING, UH
REPRESENTATION FROM THE RIGHT
AWAY OWNERS AND PLANNING
AGENCIES, THOUGH INTERESTINGLY,
METROLINK WE OBSERVED IS NOT A
MEMBER. THEY DO PARTICIPATE ON
THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
, BUT THEY ARE NOT MEMBER OF THE
LAWSON AGENCIES GOVERNING BOARD.
UM, THE AGENCY WAS CREATED. UM.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UM,
OPERATING THE METROLINK, THE
PACIFIC SURFLINER SERVICE, WHICH
IT TOOK OVER IN 2015. UM. THE
AGENCY STRUCTURE. IT'S VERY
SMALL STAFF ABOUT 18 POSITIONS.
IT'S ENTIRELY FUNDED THROUGH THE
STATES. AH INTERCITY RAIL
FUNDING AND ITS PRIMARY FOCUS IS
OPERATIONS. AS I SAID, IT
DOESN'T REALLY NOT REALLY SET UP
AS A CAPITAL PROGRAM MANAGEMENT.
AGENCY. UH UM. AND AS I SAID,
IT'S TECHNICAL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE IS WHERE A LOT OF ITS
WORK TAKES PLACE. A LOT OF
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION,
OPERATIONAL COORDINATION,
COORDINATION AND PLANNING WORK.
UM. THEY DO IN 2021. THEY DID
RELEASE WHAT WHAT'S CALLED RAIL
OPTIMIZATION STUDY, WHICH LOOKS
LIKE IT IS A BASIS OF A CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. UM IT'S
VERY MUCH BASED ON THE STATE'S,
UH, STATE RAIL PLANS, PULSE
SCHEDULING MODEL. UH UM,
IDENTIFIES LOWER, SHORT AND LONG
TERM PLANNING SCENARIOS. AND
RECOMMENDS. THIS IS CRUCIAL
PRICE PRIORITIZATION AND
SEQUENCING OF PROJECTS. THESE
ARE THE PROJECTS THAT NEED TO
HAPPEN FIRST IN ORDER FOR US TO
REACH OUR LONG TERM GOALS, AND
THESE ARE THE ONE WAY THAT THEY
SHOULD BE SEQUENCED. BUT UM THE
FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM
MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS IS
THAT TODAY. THIS THIS HAS HAD AN
IMPACT ON OPERATIONS. THEY HAVE,
UH. THEY HAVE. THEY HAVE CHANGED
SOME OF THE SCHEDULING TO ALIGN
BASED ON BASED ON THIS, BUT AH
THE ALIGNMENT OF CAPITAL
PROJECTS AND THE FUNDING OF
CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THE
PRIORITIES AND PRIORITIZATION OF
THAT. HAS BEEN SLOWER IN COMING
FORWARD. UH LIKELY. ONE OF THE
REASONS FOR THAT IS AGAIN THE
MEMBER AGENCIES ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR MANAGING THEIR OWN ASSETS
AND THEIR OWN CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS. UM, SO THE
AGENCY ITSELF. UM. IT DOESN'T
HAVE AUTHORITY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T
TELL ANYBODY ELSE. OTHER
AGENCIES WHAT TO DO. UM, IT
DOESN'T HELP DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
UM, CAPACITY. UM. AND ALSO WE
FOUND INTERESTING WAS THAT UH,
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR
OWN FUNDING SOURCE OTHER THAN
ANY GRANTS THAT THEY GET FROM
THE STATE. UM THEY HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE TO APPLY FOR ANY FEDERAL
GRANTS. BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE
A SOURCE FOR NONFEDERAL MATCH.
UM SO MOVING FORWARD. UM. WE IN
THE REPORT, WE SUGGEST SOME
OPTIONS FOR MOVING FORWARD. UH
AND MY COLLEAGUES ON THE REST OF
THIS PANEL WILL GO INTO MORE
DETAIL ON THEIR IDEAS FOR UM
WHAT WE MIGHT DO. UM BUT A
COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE SUGGEST
IN THE REPORT IS TO LOOK AT
DEVELOPING A COMMON WITHIN THE
CORRIDOR FRAMEWORK FOR SHARED
VISION AND ACCOUNTABILITY. AND
WE SUGGEST LOOKING AT A MODEL
THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY THE
NORTHEAST QUARTER BACK IN 2015,
AND IT'S BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED.
UM HAS THREE PILLARS TO IT. ONE
IS A COST SHARING STRUCTURE TO
MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE
ENTITIES IN THE QUARTER. UM ARE,
UM. SHARING ACCORDING TO A
COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF COSTS.
THEY ALSO HAVE A ROBUST
REPORTING STRUCTURE. THAT'S
THERE, WHICH CREATES
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THERE'S ANNUALLY ANNUAL
REPORTING QUARTERLY REPORTING
AMONG ALL THE AGENCIES SO OTHER
AGENCIES UNDERSTAND. WHO'S DOING
WHAT WHO'S PROJECTS ARE MOVING
FORWARD ON WHAT SCHEDULE AND
WHAT COST, SO THERE'S JUST A LOT
MORE SHARED UNDERSTANDING AND
THEN THERE'S ALSO A FEDERAL
PARTNERSHIP PIECE, WHICH I THINK
HAS SOME THINGS THAT MAY BE
INSTRUCTIVE FOR US AS WELL. THE
FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP ELEMENT OF
THE OF THEIR POLICY IS A
STATEMENT AMONG THE PARTNERS IN
THE QUARTER. OF THE NEED FOR A
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CORRIDOR
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY SAYING WE'RE
COMING TOGETHER WITH THIS POLICY
. WE'RE DOING OUR PART. THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS UH,
RESPONSIBILITY TO DO ITS PART,
AND SO UH UM. THAT IS. UH
SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT LOOK AT
AS WELL OUT HERE FOR AH! IF
WE'RE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A
COMMON VISION FOR OURSELVES
USING THAT TO GO TO WASHINGTON,
D C AND MAKE THE CASE FOR, UH
AND INCREASED FEDERAL
PARTICIPATION. UM IT IS
IMPORTANT TO NOTICE TO RECOGNIZE
THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN LAUSANNE AND ANY SEE
INFRASTRUCTURE OWNERSHIP IS ONE
OF THOSE. IT'S ALL PUBLICLY
OWNED. AN NBC AND WE ARE DEALING
WITH THE PUBLIC PRIVATE
STRUCTURE STRUCTURE, WHICH UM,
COMPLICATES THINGS. UM, THEY
ALSO HAVE MORE OPERATIONAL
COMPLEXITY. THEY HAVE NINE
OPERATORS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE
VERSUS THREE PASSENGER OPERATORS
HERE AND TWO FREIGHT. UM, AND
THEY ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF
AGENCIES THAT HAVE A LARGER
NUMBER OF AMOUNT OF MAYBE A
LARGER CAPITAL PROGRAM, WHICH,
UM, MAY AFFECT THINGS AS WELL.
UH BEYOND THAT COMMON VISION, OR
MAYBE AS A WAY TO GET TO THAT
COMMON VISION, WE SUGGEST
LOOKING AT AN EXPANDED ROLE FOR
THE STATE. UM, THE STATE HAS
RECONVENE THE 2020 QUARTER
WORKING GROUP, AND THAT MAY
PROVIDE THE FORUM AND FOUNDATION
FOR SOME CAPITAL PLANNING. UH
PROCESS AND ACTIVITIES. UM. WE
ALSO MIGHT LOOK AT HIM MORE
FORMAL ROLE FOR THE STATE
GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF, UM, AN
OFFICE THAT DEALS WITH, UM
LEADING, UH INTERCITY RAIL. UH
CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE FOR
THE LOW STAND QUARTER AND
POTENTIALLY ELSEWHERE IN THE
STATE. UM AND THEN WE MIGHT WANT
TO LOOK AT WHETHER THERE ARE
NEEDS TO RESTRUCTURE THINGS AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL. I MENTIONED
EARLIER THAT UM THE AH! UH, THE.
WE HAVE THESE. THESE DIFFERENT
AGENCIES THAT ARE HAVE DIFFERENT
ROLES. UM. METROLINK IS NOT
CURRENTLY PART OF THE LAUSANNE
AGENCY STRUCTURE. SHOULD WE LOOK
AT, UM HAVING SOME INCREASED
ROLE FOR METROLINK IF THE
LAUSANNE AGENCY BECOMES SORT OF
THE COMMON AGENCY THAT IS GOING
TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A SHARED
CAPITAL PROGRAM IN THE QUARTER.
UM IF THAT WERE TO BE THE CASE,
THERE ARE SOME OTHER
CONSIDERATIONS SUCH AS WHETHER
STAFFING LEVELS WOULD NEED TO BE
CHANGED WHETHER THERE'S FUNDING
THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. AND UM
, WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE SOME
WHETHER THE AGENCY SHOULD
OPERATE AT SOME LEVEL OF
INDEPENDENCE FROM ITS MEMBER
AGENCIES. SO THAT IS THE UH,
SUMMARY OF MY REPORT, AND I'D BE
HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS AT THE
APPROPRIATE TIME. WELL, THANK
YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD
MEAT. AND IN HERE, UM, AND THERE
MIGHT BE SOME QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS ABOUT IT. I AM MINDFUL
OF TIME AND WONDER IF WE SHOULD
HEAR THE REST OF THE PANELISTS.
AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND
ASK QUESTIONS OF EVERYBODY. UM
SO I THINK WE'LL PROCEED WITH
THAT PLAN. UH BUT THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION, TED,
WE APPRECIATE IT. OUR NEXT
PANELIST IS SARAH CATS, AND
SHE'S A RESEARCHER WITH THE
INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION
STUDIES AT UC IRVINE. SO
WELCOME, SARAH.
MHM.
OKAY, OKAY, THERE. THANK YOU.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO START WHENEVER
YOU'RE READY. THANK YOU. GOOD
MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH YOU
TODAY BEFORE I JUMP INTO MY
SLIDES. I'M HOPING TO TALK TO
YOU ON A LITTLE BIT OF A
PERSONAL LEVEL. I ATTENDED
COLLEGE IN WASHINGTON, D. C WHEN
THE METRO WAS STILL BEING BUILT.
SO I WAS ABLE TO WITNESS
FIRSTHAND WHAT A GOOD,
CONVENIENT, EFFECTIVE INCLUSIVE
TRANSIT SYSTEM CAN DO TO THE
ENTIRE VITALITY OF A REGION AND
I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT
ECONOMICALLY. I'M TALKING ABOUT
THE WAY IT ENHANCES THE QUALITY
OF LIFE OF ITS CITIZENS AND
WORKERS. SO WHEN I MOVED TO
ORANGE COUNTY FOR A JOB SHORTLY
THEREAFTER, I WAS AMAZED AND
STUNNED AT THE LACK OF TRANSIT
WE HAD WE HAD THE MOST ANEMIC
BUS SYSTEM AND IT WOULD TAKE YOU
ON THE MOST CIRCUITOUS RIB AND
IT WOULD TAKE AN HOUR TO GO 3 TO
5 MILES. IT WAS REALLY CRAZY.
AND I WANTED TO TRY AND CHANGE
THAT. SO I WAS DELIGHTED WHEN I
WAS SELECTED TO BE THE PUBLIC
MEMBER ON THE O. C TO BOARD OF
DIRECTORS, AND FROM THERE I
BECAME A FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER
OF METROLINK AND THEN A MEMBER
OF THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR RAIL
AGENCY. SO THIS CORRIDOR IS NEAR
AND DEAR TO MY HEART. I KNOW IT
WELL, AND I KNOW IT'S CRITICAL
IMPORTANCE AND IT AND I'M SO
PROUD TO SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED
IN THE LAST FEW DECADES FROM
WHENCE I CAME. THERE'S SOME BIG
DECISIONS TO MAKE TODAY AND I
HOPE AND IN THE FUTURE AND I
HOPE SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU
RECEIVED TODAY WILL HELP YOU
WITH THAT. SO ON THE SLIDE.
BASICALLY GO THROUGH SOME OF THE
HISTORY THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW
THIS CORRIDOR SUPPORTS THE
STATE'S GREENHOUSE GAS AND V
REDUCTION EFFORTS, WHICH IS SO
IMPORTANT AND HOW RIDERSHIP IS
REALLY BEGINNING TO REBOUND. I
ALSO WANT TO MAKE ONE NOTE HERE
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. METROLINK
RIDERSHIP THROUGH ORANGE COUNTY
EQUALED THE TRIPS OF ONE FREEWAY
LANE. DRIVING DURING RUSH HOURS.
I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY
REMARKABLE. AND 10 DAYS AGO. I
WAS AT THE GRAND OPENING OF THE
EXPRESS LANES ON THE 4050 C T A
PUT TWO NEW EXPRESS LANES AND A
GENERAL PURPOSE LANE. AND SOME
OF THE REMARKS FROM THE DIOCESE.
ONE IN PARTICULAR STUCK WITH ME
AND THAT WAS FROM CTS. EXACTLY
CEO DARYL JOHNSON AND HE SAID.
THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAST
MAJOR PROJECT OF ITS KIND TO
EXPAND HIGHWAY SYSTEMS IN
CALIFORNIA. AND THEN IF THAT'S
TRUE, AND I THINK IT PROBABLY IS
THIS MAKES THIS CORRIDOR EVEN
MORE CRITICAL. THE CHALLENGE, AT
LEAST IN ORANGE COUNTY IS THAT A
SEVEN MILE SEGMENT OF THE RAIL
CORRIDOR IT'S HIGHLY AT RISK
AFFECTING BOTH STATEWIDE
PASSENGER AND NATIONAL FREIGHT
AND MILITARY RAIL TRAFFIC. THERE
ARE LOCAL RESILIENCY EFFORTS
UNDERWAY THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR
NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO, A RAIL
DEFENSE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
PLAN EXAMINED A 25 MILE STRETCH
OF RAIL FROM IRVINE SOUTH TO THE
COUNTY LINE IN SAN DIEGO. AND IT
IDENTIFIED INITIAL STRATEGIES TO
HELP MITIGATE THOSE RISKS AND
PRESERVE CONTINUITY OF RAIL
SERVICE. SITA HAS CONTINUED TO
BUILD ON THAT EFFORT. FROM A
HIGH LEVEL POLICY PERSPECTIVE,
AND GIVEN THAT THERE ARE
MULTIPLE OWNERS AND OPERATORS.
THE EXISTING MODEL IS LARGELY AN
EFFECTIVE ONE. ONE WHERE THE
PUBLIC AGENCY OWNERS HAVE
COLLABORATED AND COORDINATED TO
FOCUS ON MAINTAINING AND
BUILDING PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S SITA IS
TAKING INAPPROPRIATE, PHASED
APPROACH AND RECENTLY LAUNCHED A
STUDY TO DEVELOP SHORT AND
MIDTERM STRATEGIES TO KEEP THE
REAL RUNNING IN PLACE. THE
PRIMARY FOCUS IS TO IDENTIFY
CRITICAL VULNERABLE POINTS AND
PROPOSED PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR
THE RAIL LINE. AND WE HEARD FROM
SUPERVISOR FULLY THIS MORNING
ABOUT THAT. I WAS VERY HAPPY TO
HEAR. AND WE'VE ALSO HEARD THAT
TODAY THAT CTC AWARDED US TO $12
MILLION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL WORK
TO IMPLEMENT THE IDENTIFIED
SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS. WITH THE
CURRENT APPROACH. TO OPERATE AND
COORDINATE SERVICE IN THE LOW
STAND CORRIDOR. THE BIGGER ISSUE
ISSUE IS WHO IS BEST POSITION TO
SET AN OVERALL VISION FOR THIS
CORRIDOR? THERE ARE SEVERAL
PRINCIPLES I WOULD LIKE TO
RECOMMEND TO BE CONSIDERED AND
CHOOSING A LEAD FOR A LONG TERM
STUDY. THE LEAD AGENCY SHOULD
VIEW THE LONG TERM STUDY AS A
FOUNDATIONAL GUIDE, RATHER THAN
A FINAL DECISION MAKING
DOCUMENT. TRANSPARENCY AND
INCLUSIVITY ARE CRUCIAL IN THE
STUDY PROCESS TO ENSURE ALL
PERSPECTIVES ARE CONSIDERED AND
ENGAGING WITH AGENCIES THAT WILL
EVENTUALLY APPROVED FUTURE
PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE STUDY IS
VITAL TO PREVENT UNFORESEEN
CHALLENGES. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED
WHEN I LEARNED A FEW MONTHS AGO
THAT THE TOP EXECUTIVES OF
SANDBAGS SCAG METRO RCT C C T A.
M. T S AND N. C TD ALL SIGNED ON
A LETTER TO THE CALIFORNIA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
REQUESTING THAT THE STATE TAKES
THE LEAD ON INITIATING A STUDY
FOR A LONG TERM PLAN FOR THE LOW
SAND CORRIDOR. ALL THOSE
AGENCIES HAVE COMPETING
INTERESTS YET THEY'VE COME
TOGETHER ON THIS IMPORTANT
ISSUE. I FIND MYSELF AGREEING
WITH THESE EXECUTIVES THAT A
STATE LED STUDY IS NECESSARY,
GIVEN THE LONG LEAD TIME TO PLAN
AND SECURE FUNDING FOR FUTURE
PHASES. AS WELL AS TO ENSURE
CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT BY A BROAD
COALITION OF STAKEHOLDERS AS
WELL AS REGULATORY AGENCIES SUCH
AS THE COASTAL COMMISSION AND
THE STATE LANDS COMMISSION. AND
I'D PROBABLY THROW IN THE FR A.
THERE ARE EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE
NOT A STATE AGENCY. IT TRULY IS
A CONSENSUS BASED APPROACH MUCH
LIKE THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR. I
DON'T THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER
ANOTHER GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE.
WOULD PROBABLY WOULD WORK BEST
IS FOR CALISTA AND CALTRANS TO
STEP IN AND HELP COORDINATE FUND
AND LEAD THIS EFFORT. THE STATE
HAS A DEPTH OF RESOURCES, BOTH
TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL AND I'M
CONFIDENT WILL BE BOTH
TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE TO
ENSURE THAT ALL PERSPECTIVES ARE
CONSIDERED, AND THAT'S MY
RECOMMENDATION TODAY. WELL THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE
YOUR REMARKS AT THE BEGINNING
ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL CONNECTION
TO THIS AS WELL. NEXT WE WILL
HEAR FROM GENEVIEVE GIULIANO.
SHE'S A PROFESSOR AT THE SOLE
PRICE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY AT
U. S. C. WELCOME. GENEVIEVE. THE
OTHER SIDE BECAUSE YOU'RE.
OKAY? CAN? YEAH. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. FOOTBALL. I'M GONNA
PUT YOUR PLACARD. OKAY. THANK
YOU. THERE YOU GO. I'LL START
AGAIN. SORRY THANK YOU.
EVERYBODY FOR INVITING ME HERE.
UM I'M GENERALLY AH, NO. I MET
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. UH AND UNLIKE ALMOST
EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, I AM NOT
AN EXPERT ON THE ON THE LOS
CORRIDOR. UM, YOU HEARD AMAZING
THINGS FROM CHAD AND TED. IN
TERMS OF THE DETAILS. UM I'VE
GOT A KIND OF DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE. I'M KIND OF COMING
FROM THIS IS KIND OF A MUCH
HIGHER LEVEL. I DID AS MUCH
HOMEWORK AS I COULD IN THE TIME
THAT I HAD BEFORE THIS THING TO
THINK ABOUT THIS CORRIDOR AND
SORT OF SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE, SO
COULD WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? I
GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, OKAY?
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT I MISSED AN
OPERATOR HERE. I WAS TRYING TO
FIND A PICTURE OF EVERYBODY AND
I MISSED ONE OPERATOR. UM SO
VERY QUICKLY. WHAT I'M GOING TO
DO IS TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE,
WHICH YOU HEARD ALREADY. UM I'M
GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE
REASONS WHY, AS I SEE THEM, UM,
A BIT ON CHALLENGES VERY BRIEFLY
AGAIN BECAUSE YOU'VE HEARD ALL
THIS AND THEN SOME POSSIBLE
SOLUTIONS. SO UM, WHERE WE ARE
NOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW. IS THAT WE
HAVE THIS CORRIDOR THAT'S
ACTUALLY SHARED BY BOTH
PASSENGERS AND FREIGHT. UM AND
ALTHOUGH I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT OR GOODS
MOVEMENT UM, THERE IN I DON'T
SEE AS MUCH ATTENTION BEING PAID
TO THE FREIGHT PART OF THIS
CORRIDOR. UM WE'VE GOT A VERY
STRONG PASSENGER MARKET HERE,
ESPECIALLY ON THE SOUTHERN
PORTION FROM L. A SOUTH. IT'S
GOT A LOT OF GROWTH POTENTIAL.
UM WE HAVE, UH, IT'S A SMALL
MARKET RELATIVE TO ALL THE
TRAVEL THAT GOES ON, UM, YOU
KNOW, IN CALIFORNIA THAT'S
RELATED TO FREIGHT, BUT IT'S
ACTUALLY A VERY CRITICAL PIECE
OF THE FREIGHT MARKET AS WELL.
UM. YOU ALSO HEARD THAT YOU ARE
OPERATING WITH A VERY
COMPLICATED GOVERNANCE AND
FUNDING STRUCTURE. UM YOU'VE GOT
MULTIPLE OWNERS. YOU HEARD ABOUT
THE SEVEN OWNERS OF RIGHT OF WAY
YOU HEARD ABOUT THE FIVE
DIFFERENT OPERATORS YOU HEARD
ABOUT TO AT LEAST TWO OF THE
PLANNING AGENCIES, GAG AND
SANDBAG. UM AND THERE'S THE
COUNTY IS THAT THERE'S THE LOCAL
JURISDICTIONS. UM, THERE'S MANY,
MANY, MANY PLAYERS HERE. UM
THERE'S ALSO MULTIPLE FUNDING
SOURCES THAT YOU HEARD A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT. UM AND THEY ALL COME
WITH DIFFERENT STRINGS ATTACHED,
SO WE'VE GOT A VERY COMPLICATED
SITUATION HERE. WHAT ARE THE
REASONS YOU MIGHT ASK? WELL HOW
DID WE GET HERE? UM AND THE
ANSWER. FIRST OF ALL, IS THAT
THE CORRIDOR ITSELF DEVELOPED
INCREMENTALLY. UM AND IF YOU GO
BACK TO THE HISTORY, RIGHT, THIS
ACTUALLY STARTED OUT UM,
OPERATED BY ONE OF THE MAJOR
RAIL CARRIERS. UM AND THAT WAS
BACK IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN THE
RAIL CARRIERS ACTUALLY HAD
FREIGHT AND PASSENGER BUSINESS
TOGETHER. UM, AND THAT MEANT
THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO OPTIMIZE
THEIR SYSTEM TOGETHER. THEY WERE
ABLE TO COORDINATE PASSENGER
AFRAID BASICALLY TO OPTIMIZE THE
ENTIRE SYSTEM. UM. THE
DISINVESTMENT THAT TOOK PLACE ON
PASSENGER RAIL WAY BACK IN THE
19 SIXTIES, ACTUALLY, UM,
SEVERED THAT RELATIONSHIP AND
ACTUALLY, FROM THAT TIME, I
DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER FIGURED
OUT HOW TO DO IT. UM AND WHAT
WE'VE SEEN IS THESE REGIONAL
CORRIDORS RIGHT? LIKE THE
NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, FOR EXAMPLE,
THAT BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND IN
THE CORRIDOR, PEOPLE FIGURED OUT
SORT OF WAYS OF HAVING OF
OPERATING THE SYSTEM. UM. I AM
TRACK, AS YOU KNOW, WAS
ESTABLISHED TO PRESERVE
PASSENGER TRANSPORT. AH BUT IT
WAS IT HASN'T EVER REALLY BEEN
RESPONSIVE TO THE CHANGING
MARKET THAT WE'VE SEEN. UM AND
THEN, FINALLY, THE LATER
EMERGENCE OF METROPOLITAN BASED
CORRIDOR SERVICES LIKE METRO
LINK, FOR EXAMPLE, SO WE'VE HAD
THIS CONSTANT, INCREMENTAL
CHANGE GOING ON. UM. YOU'RE NOT
ALONE. THIS CORRIDOR IS NOT
ALONE BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING IS
THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY REALLY
GOOD FEDERAL OR STATE MODELS FOR
WHAT I CALL MIDDLE DISTANCE
TRAVEL. SO WE HAVE A VERY WELL
STRUCTURED SYSTEM FOR REGIONAL
OR METROPOLITAN LEVEL TRAVEL,
RIGHT? UM WE HAVE A THREE C
PROCESS WE HAVE N P O S. WE HAVE
FORECASTING MODELS THAT HELP US.
SO WE REALLY DO HAVE A VERY, UM
STRUCTURED AND PRETTY SMOOTH
WORKING OPERATION FOR
METROPOLITAN LEVEL TRAVEL. WE
ALSO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD
SITUATION FOR INTERSTATE OR LONG
DISTANCE TRAVEL. WE HAVE THE
AIRLINES RIGHT THAT ARE
REGULATED TO SOME EXTENT, BUT WE
HAVE VERY, UM STABLE
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES THAT
MANAGE THE AIRLINES. WE DON'T
HAVE THAT IN THE MIDDLE THE
MIDDLE OF 50 MILES TO SAY THREE
OR 400 MILES, UM, WHICH GOES
BEYOND REGIONS. SOMETIMES GOES
ACROSS STATE LINES. BUT IN
CALIFORNIA DOESN'T BUT GOES
ACROSS COUNTY LINES. UM AND
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I
SEE THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE
IN THE MIX HERE BECAUSE THERE'S
ALL THESE JURISDICTIONS AND
THERE'S NO ACTUAL MODEL THAT'S
BEEN DEVELOPED FOR THIS KIND OF
A CORRIDOR. UM SO. WE ALSO HAVE
A SITUATION HERE, WHICH IS A
LONG DISTANCE COMMUTING RIGHT?
UM AND IT'S SIMILAR TO THE
NORTHEAST CORRIDOR'S SO LAYERED
ON TOP OF WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY
INTERCITY TRAVEL IS LONG
DISTANCE COMMUTING. UM UP TO 50
MILES, FOR EXAMPLE. AH, SO.
THAT'S WHY I THINK WE'RE IN THE
SITUATION. WE ARE AH, SO LET'S
MOVE ON TO. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES AND YOU ACTUALLY
HEARD ALL OF THESE, SO I DON'T
REALLY NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF
TIME. UM UH, THE COORDINATION,
THE COLLABORATION, THE
CONSOLIDATION WORDS THAT I HEARD
THIS MORNING ARE VERY CLEAR.
EVERYBODY'S KIND OF AWARE THAT
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, UM THE
LACK OF COORDINATION OR THE
DIFFICULTIES OF COORDINATION
BETWEEN FRUIT AND PASSENGER, I
THINK ARE PRETTY REAL. UM
FREIGHT HAS ITS OWN SET OF
OBJECTIVES. UM AND SINCE THEY
OWN OF GREAT DEAL OF THE RIGHT
OF WAY THERE IN A VERY POWERFUL
POSITION. UM THERE'S A LOT OF
THINGS GOING ON THAT YOU HAVE
ALREADY MENTIONED. THERE HAS TO
BE SOME LONG TERM PLANNING FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION. THERE
HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF PLANNING
FOR MAXIMIZING THE PRODUCTIVITY
OF THE CORRIDOR. UM AND THERE'S
A WHOLE LOT OF FEDERAL FUNDING
ON THE TABLE. UH HUH. AND YOU
WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE FOR THAT
FUNDING? SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
OPTIONS? UM ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I OFTEN TALK ABOUT IS WHAT
I CALL BAND AIDS AND SURGERY.
AND BAND AIDS ARE THE
INCREMENTAL FIXES SO THIS
CORRIDOR HAS. DEVELOPED VIA BAND
AIDS, BASICALLY RIGHT, SO WE GET
A NEW SERVICE. WE FIGURED HOW TO
INTEGRATE IT AND SO ON. UM THE
OTHER OPTION IS BIG CHANGE,
WHICH I CALL SURGERY. UM SO I
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING
JUST TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT THE
DIFFERENCE WOULD BE IF WE SORT
OF TOOK A BAND AID PAST VERSUS
SURGERY PATH. UM SO YOU HEARD A
LOT OF THE BAND AIDS TODAY.
ALREADY MORE AUTHORITY FOR LOS
AN AH, UM, STANDARDIZED RULES
FOR COST SHARING, WHICH CAME
COMES OUT OF THE N E C
RECOMMENDATION. UM FARE,
INTEGRATION AND RULES FOR
REVENUE SHARING VERY IMPORTANT.
I READ IN ONE OF THE REPORTS. AH
MORE COORDINATION AND FREIGHT.
UM OPERATIONS, OBVIOUSLY, UH,
AND MORE COORDINATION FOR
INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING AND
FUNDING. WELL, WHAT IF WE TOOK A
MORE STRUCTURAL CHANGE APPROACH?
UM AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT A NEW OR
RESTRUCTURED STATE REGIONAL
AUTHORITY, WHOSE RECENT WAS THE
RESPONSIBILITY WAS NOT JUST
PLANNING BUT MANAGING FUNDING
AND DELEGATING OPERATIONS IN
SOME WAY. WHAT IF WE THOUGHT
ABOUT A FULL INTEGRATION OF
PASSENGER SERVICE FROM THE
DEMAND SIDE? I AS A PASSENGER
DON'T CARE WHETHER I'M WRITING
THE SURFLINER OR THE COASTER OR
THE METROLINK. I JUST WANT TO
PAY A FAIR. I JUST WANT TO KNOW
WHERE ALL YOU KNOW WHAT'S THE
SERVICE AND YET I AS A PASSENGER
RIGHT NOW HAVE TO CHOOSE. DO I
WANT TO DO THIS? OR DO I WANT TO
DO THAT? SO IMAGINE IF WE WERE
TO INTEGRATE ON THE DEMAND SIDE.
SO THERE WAS ONE INTEGRATED
SERVICE. UM. WHAT IF WE WERE TO
RATIONALIZE THE RIGHT OF WAY AND
TRACK OPERATOR? UM OWNERSHIP?
COULD WE RATIONALIZE IT IN SOME
WAY? UM SO THAT IT COULD BE
BETTER MANAGED AS A WHOLE, UM,
THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY
IMPORTANT AS YOU. FIRST OF ALL,
WE NEED DOUBLE TRACKING IN MANY
PLACES, AND SECONDLY, AS YOU'VE
ALL NOTICED, THERE'S GONNA BE
SOME BIG ADAPTATION WORK THAT'S
GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE PLACE. UM
AND WHAT IF WE HAD A LONG RANGE,
COMPREHENSIVE CAPITAL AND
OPERATING PLAN, NOT JUST ONE,
BUT BOTH. SO WHAT WOULD THAT
LOOK LIKE? UM THIS IS KIND OF MY
PICTURE RIGHT THAT I KIND OF
GONE THROUGH RIGHT NOW. SO IF WE
HAD A NEW STRUCTURE, UM FOR THE
AUTHORITY, RIGHT? UM THERE'S
ALWAYS THE POWER OF ONE VOICE.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING
TO THE FEDS IT'S ALWAYS BETTER
TO GO TO THE FEDS WITH ONE VOICE
RATHER THAN MULTIPLE VOICES. UM
MORE EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT AND
DECISION MAKING TAKING ADVANTAGE
OF YOUR SCALE ECONOMIES AND
CAPACITY TO, UM, FIRST SERVICE
INTEGRATION. UM WHAT ABOUT
PASSENGER SERVICE INTEGRATION?
WELL UM, WE COULD DO A MUCH
BETTER JOB OF INTEGRATING FARES,
MORE EFFICIENT OPERATIONS AND SO
ON. UM RATIONALIZED TRUCK AND
RIGHT OF WAY. STRUCTURES UM WE
COULD THINK MORE ABOUT MORE
EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF THE
CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE, CAPITAL
OF THE OF THE CORRIDOR AS A
WHOLE. UM WE COULD THINK ABOUT
FACILITIES. AND STANDARDIZATION
OF COSTS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT
BEFORE, UH, AND FUNDING
ELIGIBILITY. AND THEN, FINALLY,
IN TERMS OF LONG RANGE PLANNING.
THAT'S REALLY THE KEY FOR US TO
GET TO A CORRIDOR. UM THAT
REALLY LIVES UP TO ITS POTENTIAL
. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME
THOUGHTS FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT
THE EXPERT. UM AND I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE. WELL THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE
YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON THIS TOPIC
AND PUTTING TOGETHER THESE
SLIDES. THANK YOU. WE MAY HAVE
SOME QUESTIONS, AND YOU'RE
WELCOME TO STAY SEATED THERE. UM
AS WE HEAR FROM OUR LAST SPEAKER
, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS
FROM THE PANEL. BUT I KNOW
SENATOR WENT OFF TO LEAVE SOON.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
HAVE THE CHANCE TO ASK ANY
QUESTIONS OR MAKE COMMENTS. BUT
BUST IN WHEN YOU WOULD LIKE TO
JUST LET ME KNOW. SO OUR OUR
LAST SPEAKER IS AMY PEAK,
DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND ADVOCACY
FROM REBUILD SO CALLED
PARTNERSHIP. GOOD MORNING. THANK
YOU, CHAIR BLAKE SPEAR AND
MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE I'M
SPEAKING TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE
REBUILD SOCAL PARTNERSHIP, AND
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU
TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE PROMISE
OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT
INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE. AND
WHAT INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE
MEANS FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO
LAUSANNE CORRIDOR. WE'VE HEARD A
GREAT DEAL TODAY ABOUT SOME OF
THE PLANNING THE PROJECT'S
FUNDING STREAMS AND ALL THE
POLICY DECISIONS AND CHALLENGES
THAT ARE AHEAD FOR THE SAME
CORRIDOR. BUT I WANT TO SPEND A
FEW MINUTES TO BACK UP AND THINK
ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE ABOUT
WHAT INVESTMENT MEANS. THINK
ABOUT THE WORKING FAMILIES. THE
WORKERS THE RESIDENTS, THE SMALL
BUSINESSES, THE COMMUTERS, THE
SENIORS, STUDENTS, INDUSTRIES
AND ECONOMIES THAT ARE ALL
CONNECTED AND THRIVE WHEN WE
INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR
ORGANIZATION PLANS TO RELEASE A
REPORT IN JANUARY, LOOKING AT
THE HIGH COST OF UNDER
INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WE HAVE
DECLINED IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT OVER 37% IN THE 30TH
DECADE. BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT WHY
INFRASTRUCTURE MATTERS AND THE
PROMISE THAT IT BRINGS. REBUILD.
LOCAL PARTNERSHIP IS A
PARTNERSHIP OF CONTRACTORS AND
UNION WORKERS WHO BELIEVE THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE MATTERS ARE
PARTNERS REPRESENT OVER 2700
CONTRACTORS, PARTICULARLY IN
HEAVY HEAVY CIVIL IN 90,000
UNION WORKERS, INCLUDING LATINA,
THE CARPENTERS OPERATING
ENGINEERS. FROM ACROSS SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. WE'RE DEDICATED TO
WORKING WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS
LIKE YOURSELF AND EVERYBODY
WHO'S HERE TODAY ON THE
CONTINUED NEED FOR ESSENTIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING FROM
AIRPORTS, BRIDGES, PORTS, RAIL,
TRANSIT, ROADS AND WATER
PROJECTS. WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN
INVEST MORE IN PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND
REBUILD OUR AGING TRANSPORTATION
NETWORKS ARE RAIL NETWORKS,
ALONG WITH WATER, SEWER AND
STORM DRAIN SYSTEMS. INVESTING
AND BUILDING COMMUNITY
COMMUNITIES WILL ALSO SERVE THE
FUTURE NEEDS OF OUR REGION,
WHICH WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT
TODAY. SO JUST A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE PROMISE OF
INFRASTRUCTURE EVENT INVESTMENT.
FIRST INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
CREATES JOBS FOR WORKING
FAMILIES. LARGE SCALE PROJECTS
REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
LABOR TO BE COMPLETED FROM PIPE
LAYERS AND PROJECT MANAGERS TO
ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS,
CARPENTERS, ELECTRICIANS AND
OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HAVE A
MULTIPLIER EFFECT IN THE IN THE
ECONOMY AS WORKERS EARN INCOME,
THEY SPEND IT IN LOCAL GOODS AND
SERVICES. INJECTING CAPITAL INTO
THE REGION. IMPORTANTLY WORKERS
WITHOUT A COLLEGE DEGREE C
RELATIVELY HIGHER WAGES IN THE
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, PROVIDING
INTEGRAL PATHWAYS INTO THE
MIDDLE CLASS. SECOND
INFRASTRUCTURE IS AN ESSENTIAL
COMPONENT OF EQUITABLE CLIMATE
CHANGE MITIGATION PRACTICES
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, SUCH AS
LOW INCOME COMMUNITY
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND OTHER
CLIMATE RELATED RISKS BY
INVESTING IN ROAD. RAIL BRIDGES
AND WATERWAYS. WE WILL ENHANCE
OUR REGION'S ABILITY TO
WITHSTAND AND RECOVER FROM
CLIMATE EVENTS. INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENTS CAN BE DEDICATED TO
IMPROVE EVACUATION AROUND
EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPACITIES
AND AID AND ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL
SERVICES DURING AND AFTER
DISASTERS. THIRD INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT FORMS THE FOUNDATION
OF A STRONG ECONOMY. WE'VE HEARD
IT BEFORE, BUT IT BEARS
REPEATING. ECONOMISTS ESTIMATE
THAT A $1 BILLION INVESTMENT IN
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
WILL GENERATE UP TO ABOUT $4.3
BILLION IN TOTAL ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY, PLUS WELL MAINTAINED
RAIL AND ROADS ARE ESSENTIAL TO
FREIGHT MOVEMENT. WE'VE TALKED
ABOUT THAT TODAY. INFRASTRUCTURE
CAN ALSO REDUCE ECONOMIC
BARRIERS TO IMPROVE MARKET
ACCESS, DRIVING THAT LOCAL
GROWTH IN THE COMMUNITIES
INFRASTRUCTURE ALSO CAN SOLVE
INTERCONNECTED CHALLENGES THAT
WE'RE HEARING ABOUT TODAY. UM
FOR EXAMPLE, NEW CAPITAL
INVESTMENTS AND FUNDING STREAMS
AND TRANSIT AND HIGH SPEED RAIL
INFRASTRUCTURE CAN CREATE AN
INTEGRATED, ACCESSIBLE
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
FURTHERMORE BEYOND ADDRESSING
CHALLENGES, INFRASTRUCTURE HAS
PROMISED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY
OF LIVES AND COMMUNITIES. WE CAN
CREATE EQUITY THROUGH
INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR EXAMPLE,
ALLOCATING INFRASTRUCTURE
DOLLARS TO PROJECTS TO ADDRESS
THE NEEDS OF HISTORICALLY
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES CAN
SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMIES AND
RECONNECT COMMUNITIES
THEMSELVES. SO THESE ARE JUST A
FEW OF THE WAYS THAT WE THINK
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT LOOKS
LIKE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, VOTERS,
POLICYMAKERS, STAKEHOLDERS, WE
ALL HAVE A ROLE AND BRINGING
THIS TOGETHER TO EFFECTIVELY
MAKE PROGRESS ON REGIONAL
INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES.
PROGRESS WILL BE PREDICATED ON
THE SUCCESS OF EFFORTS TO MERGE
THE POLICIES EMERGED THE FUNDING
PROGRAMS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS ALTOGETHER. PARTICULAR
NOTE ON THIS LIST IS THE
CONVERSATION FOR THE
CONVERSATION TODAY IS
INVESTMENTS AND CREATING
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION
NETWORKS. SUSTAINED INVESTMENTS
ARE CRUCIAL TO EXPAND THOSE SAFE
, CONVENIENT, EFFICIENT AND
AFFORDABLE TRANSIT OPTIONS TO
FIX ROADS AND SUPPORT AND
BRIDGES AND SUPPORT BICYCLE AND
PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY TO CREATE
THAT INTEROPERABILITY. WHICH
BRINGS US TO LAUSANNE. LAUSANNE
CORRIDOR LOW SAND REPRESENTS
THIS PROMISE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
RESIDENTS INVESTING IN THE
LAUSANNE CORRIDOR IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE TRANSIT
ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL OF THOSE
FOLKS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE WORKING FAMILIES, THE
STUDENTS, THE VETERANS, THE
SENIORS, ALL OF THOSE FOLKS TO
EXPAND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS TO
MAINTAIN THE STRATEGIC,
STRATEGICALLY CRITICAL NETWORKS
THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY. AND CONNECTS
PEOPLE TO JOB CENTERS TO
UNIVERSITIES TO HEALTHCARE AND
HOSPITALS. FIRST UPGRADES TO
TRANSIT PROJECTS OFFER
CONVENIENT AND HIGH SPEED
OPTIONS CONNECTING VARIOUS
REGIONS AND JOB CENTERS. BY
INCREASING ROAD AND TRANSIT,
INTEROPERABILITY AND
ACCESSIBILITY. WE CAN MITIGATE
CONGESTION, REDUCE OUR AIR
POLLUTION AND PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT. AS PART OF THE
STRATEGIC ROAD CORRIDOR NETWORK.
MAINTAINING FUNCTIONALITY OF
LAUSANNE IS CRITICAL TO OUR
SECURITY. NEW TRANSPORTATION
OPTIONS THAT LINK UNIVERSITIES
AND ECONOMIC CENTERS AND
HOSPITALS WITH THE COMMUNITY
THAT BENEFITS OUR ENTIRE REGION.
FINALLY JUST BRINGING US BACK
TO. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
SERVICE MEMBERS CAN TRAVEL TO A
V, A HOSPITAL. WE WANT TO THINK
ABOUT SENIORS WHO NEED HEALTH,
CARING AND CAN TRAVEL BACK AND
FORTH. WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT
STUDENTS WHO CAN GET TO CAMPUS,
WHICH WE HEARD A LOT A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT EARLIER THAT RESIDENTS
AND VISITORS AND TOURISTS ALIKE
COMPATRIOT NICE BUSINESSES ALL
UP AND DOWN THE LOW SAND
CORRIDOR. FUNDAMENTALLY THE
LAUSANNE CORRIDOR REPRESENTS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTMENT AND
SO CAL AND FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA, OUR PARTNERSHIP IS
PLEASED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO COME. UM IT BEFORE YOU TODAY
ON WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT MEANS. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AMY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR
PRESENTATION TODAY. I'D LIKE TO
INVITE THE OTHER PANEL MEMBERS
TO COME BACK UP HERE TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS. SO TED, IF YOU'D LIKE
TO SIT HERE AND THEN I WOULD
LIKE TO, UM, OFFER A CHANCE FOR
CHECK FOR CHALLENGE JASON TO
MAYBE SIT RIGHT HERE. SO THAT IF
ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS, WE REDUCE
THE TIME SPENT AND COMING BACK
AND FORTH TO THE MICROPHONE.
HERE'S ANOTHER CHAIR COMING FOR
YOU. MR. AND ALSO COMMON I
PROMOTION. OKAY GREAT. WELL,
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYBODY.
IT'S STRANGE HOW YOU'RE FACING
EACH OTHER, BUT THAT'S THE WAY
THAT THIS IS SET UP. SO IT'S
NICE THAT YOU'RE ALL HERE AND WE
CAN ASK QUESTIONS. UM SO I'LL
JUST START OFF. SO I COME TO
THIS QUESTION WITH THE GOAL OF
TRYING TO IMPROVE RIDERSHIP. SO
REALLY AS A MAIN GOAL OF SAYING,
HOW CAN WE ADD? UM OPPORTUNITIES
FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE THE TRAIN
INSTEAD OF DRIVING AND THAT HAS
THE BENEFITS OF REDUCING
CONGESTION, REDUCING AIR
POLLUTION, CREATING A HIGHER
QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE BEING
ABLE TO GO LONGER DISTANCES AND
MAKE TRIPS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT
MAKE OTHERWISE, BECAUSE THEY'RE
ABLE TO DO WORK ON THE TRAIN AND
TO, UM REDUCE THE STRESS THAT
COMES FROM SITTING ON THE FIVE
FREEWAY AND, UM, AS WAS
MENTIONED, WE KNOW THAT ROAD
PROJECTS AND MAJOR FREEWAY
PROJECTS ARE GOING TO BE
INCREASED. SINGLY UNLIKELY OR,
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE WON'T SEE
THOSE REALLY AT ALL. SO AS WE DO
CONTINUE TO HAVE MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE. UM IN THIS STATE. AS
TIME GOES ON, WE'LL NEED TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR FUTURE LOOKS
LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO
TRANSPORTATION. SO RECOGNIZING
THAT THE CORRIDOR HAS SUCH
POTENTIAL, AND I GROW UP LIVING
WITHIN A SHORT WALK OF THE RAIL
CORRIDOR, AND, UM, I'LL ADMIT TO
AN UNAUTHORIZED CROSSING OF THE
CORRIDOR AT TIMES TO GET TO THE
BEACH. BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE RIDDEN
THE TRAIN QUITE A LOT AND WOULD
LIKE TO BE ABLE TO WRITE IT
MORE. AND I HEAR THESE STORIES
OF PEOPLE WHOSE CHILD IS AT
SCHOOL AND YOU SEE AT U. C.
SANTA BARBARA, AND THEY WANT TO
COME BACK TO THEIR HOME IN
ENCINITAS, BUT BECAUSE THE TRAIN
IS DOWN AND YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR
WAS DOWN FOR EIGHT MONTHS. UM
APPROXIMATELY AROUND THAT
SECTION IN SAN CLEMENTE. THEY
DON'T WANT TO GET ON A BUS
BRIDGE FOR AN HOUR AND TAKE A
TRAIN FROM FROM IRVINE TO
OCEANSIDE AND GET BACK ON THE
TRAIN, YOU KNOW, SO THEY DON'T
TAKE THAT TRIP FOR THE WEEKEND
OR THEIR THEIR THEIR PARENT
TAKES TIME OFF TO DRIVE UP AND
PICK THEM UP. AND PEOPLE WHO ARE
NO LONGER COMMUTING UP TO LOS
ANGELES FROM SAN DIEGO BECAUSE
THEY DON'T HAVE A RELIABLE TRAIN
TRIP. SO WHAT? I UNFORTUNATELY
WHAT I SEE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
IS AS THE STATE IS FACING THE
$68 BILLION DEFICIT, AND WE HAVE
A DECLINED RIDERSHIP FROM COVID
AND THEN FROM TRACK INSTABILITY,
WHERE IN THE IN THE SITUATION
WHERE WHERE RIDERSHIP IS FALLING
, AND NOBODY'S RINGING THE ALARM
BELL AND SO PART OF THE
SUBCOMMITTEE EFFORT IS TO SAY
THIS TRACK IS IMPORTANT. WE
SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING
ABOUT HIGH SPEED RAIL IN THIS
STATE. WE AND THERE'S A LOT OF
MONEY GOING TO IT. WE SHOULD BE
INVESTING IN THIS AND FIGURING
OUT HOW IT IS. WE CAN IMPROVE
RIDERSHIP AND FUNCTIONALITY ON
THE CORRIDOR. AND WHAT WHAT ARE
THE THINGS THAT ARE STOPPING US
FROM DOING THAT RIGHT NOW? SO
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
PRESENTATIONS AND IDEAS THAT
WERE PRESENTED TODAY. AND ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS MOST
IMPORTANT IS THE IDEA OF HAVING
A STRONGER STATE ROLE. SO WHEN
WE TALK ABOUT CALISTO AND OR
CALTRANS TOGETHER, AND THE
TECHNICAL CAPACITY THE WHERE,
WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE, THE
BACKGROUND TO BE ABLE TO SAY
WHAT WHAT IS THE STATE'S ROLE
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM,
INVOLVING THE STATE MORE IN IN A
CORRIDOR THAT'S OWNED BY FIVE
DIFFERENT OWNERS AND THEN THE
SEVEN DIFFERENT OPERATORS.
THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT TO
ME SEEM LIKE WE SHOULD NOT SPEND
AS MUCH TIME ON LIKE, FOR
EXAMPLE, CHANGING THE OWNERSHIP
STRUCTURE OF THE RAIL CORRIDOR.
I HAVEN'T HEARD. ONE OWNER OF A
SECTION SAY THEY WANT TO SELL
THEIR PART, SO WHETHER IT'S
FREIGHT OR PUBLIC AGENCY, YOU
KNOW, I DON'T SEE THAT THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT IN THE MIDTERM IS
REALLY POSSIBLE. AND MAYBE MY
MIND COULD BE CHANGED ON THAT.
BUT I DO SEE THAT WE WOULD BE
ABLE TO INTEGRATE TO LOOK AT IT
FROM THE PASSENGER PERSPECTIVE
OF MAKING SURE THAT THE
OPERATIONS THAT THE TRAIN LINES
MATCH UP WITH EACH OTHER THAT
THEY CROSSED BOUNDARIES THAT
THEY CONNECT TO THE ECOSYSTEM
AROUND THEM OF TRANSIT THAT GOES
IN. AND UM YOU KNOW, EVEN
SOMEBODY WHO RODE HIS BICYCLE
HERE TOOK THE TRAIN RODE HIS
BICYCLE HERE TODAY TO THIS
HEARING. AND HE WAS CHATTING
WITH ME BACK HERE, AND HE THE
TRAINS WERE ALIGNED AND MISS
EACH OTHER BY THREE MINUTES, SO
HE WAS SITTING THERE THERE IS
SHAKING HIS HEAD. YES, THEY'RE
WAVING HIS HAND. AND YOU'RE
WELCOME TO TALK TO HIM. ANYONE
IN THE MEDIA? WHO WANTS A STORY
ABOUT THIS? UM OR OTHERWISE? UM
SO HE SAT AT THE TRAIN STATION
FOR 40 MINUTES AND HE KNEW HE
WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT. BUT HE'S
SO COMMITTED TO IT THAT HE WROTE
THE TRAIN ANYWAY. BUT THERE ARE
COUNTLESS HUNDREDS OF MOST
PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT DO THAT.
THEY'LL SEE THAT MISALIGNMENT OF
THE SCHEDULE AND THEY WON'T TAKE
THAT TRIP. SO FIGURING OUT
EXACTLY WHAT IS AN EXPANDED
STATE ROLE. HOW DOES THAT FIT IN
WITH LOWS AND AS IT CURRENTLY
EXISTS TO ME? THAT'S THE PROJECT
THAT WE'RE WORKING ON HERE
INCREMENTALLY AND TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT THE IDEAS AND I THINK
IT'S CLEARLY CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT. WHAT LOW SAND THINKS
WHAT THE STATE CAST A THINKS,
BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO FOCUS. I
WANT TO SAY JUST ONE MORE WORD
HERE BEFORE I GO TO MY
COLLEAGUES OF YOU KNOW WHAT
WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT RIGHT
IN FRONT OF US NOW IS THE
SUGGESTION THAT THAT THE STATE
SUPPORTED PART, WHICH IS THE
AMTRAK PACIFIC SURFLINER PART
THAT THEY TRY TO DO. BASICALLY
EFFICIENCIES ARE COST CUTTING.
SO THE IDEA OF SAYING OF HAVING
THINGS ON THE TABLE LIKE LIKE,
SHOULD THEY ELIMINATE THEIR
BUSINESS CLASS OR THE GLASS OF
WINE THAT COMES WITH A BUSINESS
CLASS TICKET? WHAT ABOUT THE
PORTER SERVICE? WHAT ABOUT THE
WIFI SERVICE? WHAT ABOUT CLOSING
TICKET COUNTERS? THESE ARE ALL
THINGS TO ME THAT REALLY WE
SHOULDN'T. NOT BE TALKING ABOUT
SHOULD NOT BE ON THE TABLE AND
WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT HOW
WE CAN DRAW MORE PEOPLE INTO
RIDING BECAUSE THE CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE IS SO GOOD. IN THE
SAME WAY THAT PEOPLE CHOOSE
AIRLINES AND THEY CHOOSE TO SIT
IN BUSINESS CLASS AND THEY GET
ALCOHOL WITH THAT, AND THEY WANT
SOMEBODY TO HELP TO GET IT. THEY
WANT TO GET ON THE AIRPLANE
EARLY, AND SO THEY BUY A TICKET.
ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS THAT
HAPPEN IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY,
I THINK ARE A GOOD MODEL FOR
LOOKING AT. WHAT IS IT THAT WE
WANT ON OUR TRAIN TRIPS, SO
DECREASING THE PASSENGER
EXPERIENCE AND CONTRACTING AND
CONTRACTING AND THINKING THAT'S
GOING TO LEAD TO SUCCESS. I
THINK ULTIMATELY THAT'S GOING TO
LEAD TO FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE
RIDING IT AND MORE AND MORE
STATE SUBSIDY. THE THAT GOES TO
FEWER AND FEWER RATS, SO WE NEED
TO BE THINKING ABOUT EXPANDING
THE NUMBER OF SLOTS THE NUMBER
OF SEATS THE NUMBER OF TRAINS
THE MARKETING SO THAT WE CAN. I
THINK THERE IS UNQUESTIONABLY
AND UNTAPPED HUNGER FOR THIS AND
YOU SEE IT FROM THE NORTHEAST
CORRIDOR. YOU SEE IT IN OTHER
COUNTRIES. YOU HEAR IT ALL THE
TIME. WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE, I
WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THE TRAIN, IF
IT WAS RELIABLE IF IT WAS TIMELY
IF IT WAS FREQUENT, AND SO HOW
DO WE GET THERE? SO SO? I THINK,
YOU KNOW, HEARING FROM MY
COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE THINGS
TODAY THAT WERE PRESENTED THAT
THEY THINK ARE THE MOST
COMPELLING ASKING QUESTIONS OF
THE PANELISTS TO SAY, WHAT
EXACTLY DO YOU SEE AS THE STATE
ROLE? HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT
HAPPEN? THAT THAT'S MY HOPE FOR
WHAT WE CAN BE DOING AND I
RECOGNIZE THIS IS, OF COURSE,
INCREMENTAL AND WILL CONTINUE TO
BUILD ON ITSELF BUT MOVING FROM
THE TALKING STAGE TO THE
POTENTIAL ACTION STAGE IS REALLY
YOU KNOW WHERE WHERE MY MIND IS
RIGHT NOW. SO WITH THAT, I'LL
OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES AND
START WITH SENATOR WIN IF YOU'D
LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS. THANK
YOU, MADAM. THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIR AGAIN. I DO WANT TO ONCE
AGAIN APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS
AND EVERYBODY ELSE HERE AND ALL
THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELED WHETHER
BY TRAIN OR BY CAR TO GET HERE
AND ATTEND THIS TODAY. YOU'RE
RIGHT, MADAM CHAIR RIDERSHIP IS
VERY IMPORTANT ANY OF THEIR
INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM THAT THAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND I'LL GIVE
YOU AN EXAMPLE. UM HMM. WAY BACK
WHEN I WAS A COUNTY SUPERVISOR.
I WAS ON THE ORANGE CHINESE
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY BOARD.
WHAT I DID WAS, I GAVE AN
EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WHAT WE NEED
TO DO TO MOVE PEOPLE INTO THE
BUS SYSTEM. SO FROM MY HOME BACK
THEN IN GARDEN GROVE, I TOOK THE
BUS. TO MY OFFICE IN SANTA ANA.
IT TOOK ME OVER TWO HOURS TO GET
THERE. AND I WENT FROM 11 BUS TO
THE NEXT BUS TO GET ALL THE WAY
CONNECT MYSELF. TO MY OFFICE. MY
CAR WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME THERE IN
30 MINUTES. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE
TO LOOK AT. IS THE EFFICIENCY IF
YOU WANT SOMEONE LIKE ME TO GET
OUT OF MY CAR. TO BE ABLE TO GET
TO WORK. OR TO WHEREVER I NEED
TO. IT HAS TO BE ALMOST THE SAME
AMOUNT OF TIME OR BUT IT HAS OR
IT HAS TO BE EFFICIENT. MOST
FOLKS WILL NOT SPEND AN HOUR TWO
OR THREE HOURS WAITING FOR THE
BUS OR THE TRAIN. WE JUST WE ALL
WORK AND NO AND WE HAVE TO GET
TO THE LOCATION AND THAT YOU
KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH ME. I'VE
GOT TWO BOYS, A 10 YEAR OWNER,
UM 12, WHO'S TURNING ACTUALLY 13
THIS WEEK. I THIS MORNING I
DROPPED HIM OFF AT SCHOOL TO
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL. YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF I'M
TRYING TO GET ONTO THE BUS OR IF
THE TRAIN WAS NEAR ME, SO THAT'S
WHERE I THINK YOU KNOW, REALLY.
YOU KNOW, WE MAKING THE, UM,
AGREEING WITH THE CHAIRS THAT
RIDERSHIP IS SO IMPORTANT. WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE
YOU WANT PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF
THE CAR. WE NEED TO FIND A WAY
THAT MAKES IT CONVENIENT,
EFFICIENT AND FAST CAN'T BE
THREE HOURS LATER THAN THEY
COULD IN A CAR. AND THE COST.
MOST PEOPLE WOULD TAKE THE BUS
OR THE TRAIN BECAUSE OF NOT
HAVING TO PAY FOR THE CAR
INSURANCE, GAS AND EVERYTHING
THAT SAVES THEM MONEY. BUT HOW
MUCH IS THERE TIME? EVERY MINUTE
THAT OUR IS WORTH COMPARED TO UM
HAVING TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON A
GAS OR THE INSURANCE. AND I ALSO
WANT TO AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE
FORWARD AND TALKING ABOUT
LAUSANNE AND HOW IT WORKS. UM
AND COLLABORATE WITH ALL THE
ENTITY. I AGREE WITH THE CHAIRS.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD TALK
ABOUT WHO'S WHO SHOULD BE ON
FIRST WHO SHOULD BE ON SECOND,
WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
WHAT AREA? I THINK WE SHOULD
MOVE ON. WE DON'T NEED TO ALWAYS
KEEP IN MIND AS WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT AND HAVING DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT THE RAIL IS MAKING SURE
THAT WE PROTECT THE RESIDENTS
AND THE BUSINESSES AROUND IT AS
WELL. FOR THEIR SAFETY AND ALSO
MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK IN THE
COMMUNITY AND GET THEIR INPUT.
SO WE KNOW WHAT WORKS FOR THEM.
EVERY DAY. WE DON'T NECESSARILY
LIVING. I DON'T LIVE IN SAN
CLEMENTE. IT IS MY IN MY
DISTRICT, BUT SO I RELY. HEAVILY
ON THE RESIDENTS AND THE COUNCIL
TO GIVE US THAT GUIDANCE. AND SO
AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WHATEVER WE
DO, WE NEED TO HAVE THEIR INPUT.
AND IF WE CAN'T GET THERE AND
PUT TODAY WE MIGHT GET IT
TOMORROW. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO
ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE INVOLVE
THE LOCAL RESIDENTS. THE
LEADERSHIP AND THE BUSINESSES AS
WE MOVE FORWARD, AND SO AGAIN,
MADAM CHAIR THANK YOU FOR
HOSTING THIS AND HAVING IT IN
SACRAMENTO. THANK YOU HAVE A
QUESTION I COULD ASK THE PANEL,
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE MY
COLLEAGUES DON'T EVEN YES. GO
AHEAD, SENATOR LAMONT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I
THINK WE CAN PROBABLY ALL OF US
HAVE A PRETTY KIND OF LIVED
EXPERIENCE. IN TERMS OF THIS. I
WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE TAKEN
THE TRAIN THIS MORNING FROM
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, BUT IT
LEFT ITS EARLIEST LEFT AT 630. I
WOULD HAVE GOTTEN ME HERE AT
1130. ANYONE WHO'S LIVED HERE IN
THIS REGION LIKE DOESN'T HAVE AN
AMAZING DESIRE ON A MONDAY
MORNING TO GO THROUGH SANTA
BARBARA VENTURA ALLY AND ORANGE
COUNTY FOR TRAFFIC, SO THERE IS
AN EAGERNESS YOU KNOW TO TRY TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK
FOR ALL OF US. UM CERTAINLY
BEING ON A TRAIN IS SO MUCH
EASIER THAN GOING THROUGH FOUR
COUNTIES WITH MONDAY MORNING
TRAFFIC. UM HAVING SAID THAT, AS
I'VE HEARD THE PRESENTATION
THERE'S A COUPLE OF YOU KNOW
THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP,
PARTICULARLY AS A REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE NORTHERN REGION OF THIS
CORRIDOR. UM ONE OF THE THINGS
MY FIRST QUESTION AND I HAVE TO
MY FIRST QUESTION IS FOR MR
LINCOLN OVER STAR. UM, YOU
MENTIONED YOU KNOW CERTAIN LAST
COAST CONTRIBUTION TO GIVING
RAIL ATTENTION IN THE REGION. UM
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW
INVOLVED IN THAT PLANNING
PERHAPS SP CAG AND SLOW LAFCO
HAVE BEEN IF THEY WERE INCLUDED
IN THIS KIND OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA CONVERSATION. I KNOW
THE CORRIDOR GOES ALL THE WAY
THERE AND IT'S MORE FOR CLARITY
PURPOSES. YEAH I HAVE TO BE HAVE
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU BECAUSE WE
HAD SOMEWHAT LIMITED TIME AND
PUTTING TOGETHER THIS WE SPOKE.
THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE
ACTUALLY MET WITH. WE FOCUSED ON
THE SOUTHERN PRIMARILY ON THE
SOUTHERN PART OF THE QUARTER. UM
THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING
WE'D LIKE TO LOOK AT MORE IF WE
CONTINUE WORKING ON THIS IS TO
LOOK AT THE AT THE NORTHERN END
OF THE QUARTER, BUT WE DID END
UP FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON UM
LOOKING AT THE LOOKING AT THE
SOUTHERN SOUTHERN BEING L A AND
DOWN VENTURA, SANTA BARBARA.
SLOW DOWN. OKAY THANK YOU. AND
OBVIOUSLY AS THE REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE AREA, I WOULD WELCOME
THAT. I THINK THAT THERE ARE
THINGS THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT
WE'VE LEARNED THAT ARE GOING TO
BE ISSUES THAT LAWSON IS GOING
TO MEAN RIGHT. WE HAVE THESE
IDENTIFIED AREAS. UM WE PASSED
THROUGH SOME OF THEM A FEW WEEKS
AGO, AND WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE
COMING AND THOSE ARE ALSO ISSUES
BUT ULTIMATELY, I THINK THAT YOU
KNOW, CONNECTING AS MANY
COUNTIES AS POSSIBLE. UM,
THROUGH THIS CORRIDOR. I THINK
IS REALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF YOU
KNOW IF WE DID THIS, RIGHT?
COULD YOU KNOW THIS COMBINED
WITH WHAT THE IDEAS ARE FOR THE
CENTRAL VALLEY REALLY COULD GIVE
WAY TO MORE AND I DON'T WANT
THIS PARTICULAR YOU KNOW, FROM
SAN DIEGO TO SAN LUIS OBISPO
COUNTY TO BE FORGOTTEN. UM, AND
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE THOUGHT
YOU DID TALK ABOUT FUNDING AND
WHAT IT WOULD TAKE, YOU KNOW,
POTENTIALLY TO GET FUNDING THAT
MIMICKED WHAT WAS DONE IN THE
NORTHEAST. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE
FROM? LEGISLATORS LIKE WHAT DO
WE HAVE TO DO? OUR CHAIR WAS IN
D. C THIS FALL, YOU KNOW, BUT
WHAT WOULD WE HAVE TO DO?
BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A
MOMENT AND DESIRE, ESPECIALLY
WITH THE DEFICIT THAT CALIFORNIA
IS GOING TO HAVE TO TRY TO
FIGURE OUT. WHO ARE PARTNERS ARE
GOING TO BE SO THAT THESE
PROJECTS GET THE FUNDING THAT
THEY NEED. I THINK AND HAVING
HAVING TALKED TO THE VARIOUS
STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING STATE
AND LOCAL UM, STAKEHOLDERS AND
LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS UM.
INFORMATION ABOUT, UH. ABOUT HOW
ANY SEE GOT TO WHERE THEY DID. I
THINK IT'S REALLY FINDING A WAY
TO DEVELOP THAT, UH, THAT COMMON
VISION FOR THE QUARTER TO BRING
STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER AROUND IN
THE REPORT. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT,
UM TRYING TO COME UP WITH A WITH
A UNIFIED AND ROBUST CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH
ESSENTIALLY MEANS UM, OVERALL
VISION FOR THE COURT, OR THESE
ARE THE PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE
NEED TO BE DONE. THESE ARE THE
ONES THAT NEED TO BE
PRIORITIZED. UM AND I THINK, UM.
ONE OF THE PANELISTS TALKED
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SPEAKING
WITH A SINGLE VOICE. WHEN YOU GO
TO D C. I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL.
SO I DO THINK THERE IS A LITTLE
BIT OF A UM, CHICKEN OR THE EGG
THING HERE BECAUSE THE KIND OF
FUNDING THAT WE NEED TO SORT OF
GET TO THOSE SERVICE LEVELS THAT
THAT ARE ARTICULATED IN THE IN
THE STATE PLAN THAT THAT POST
SCHEDULING MODEL THE THAT WOULD
GET TO THE KIND OF LEVELS OF
SERVICE THAT SENATOR WIN WAS
TALKING ABOUT THAT WOULD WOULD
ALLOW YOU TO TWO. GET WHEREVER
YOU WANTED TO GO COMPETITIVE
WITH WITH A CAR OR RAIL THAT'S
GOING TO TAKE A HUGE CAPITAL
INVESTMENT. AND I DO THINK ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T CAME
OUT OF THIS REPORT. IT'S NOT
ACTUALLY SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED
IN THE REPORT. BUT UM, DID COME
FROM SEVERAL STAKEHOLDERS IS
THAT UM. I THINK IN ORDER TO IN
ORDER TO GET TO THAT LEVEL OF.
UM YOU KNOW, TO GET TO THAT
LEVEL OF SERVICE. YOU NEED TO UH
UM. YOU NEED TO BRING PEOPLE YOU
NEED TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
BUT YOU NEED TO, UM I JUST LOST
MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. SORRY ABOUT
THAT. UM WHERE YOU GOING TO SAY
YOU NEED TO FORCE THEM LIKE THEY
HAVE TO HAVE BUY IN. YES I WILL
SAY THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE YOU
NEED TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY INTO
YOU NEED TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY
INTO THAT LEVEL. UH, AND.
THERE'S SORT OF A SHORT TERM
VERSUS LONG TERM. I THINK ONE OF
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT'S I
THINK BENEFITED THE NORTHEAST
CORRIDOR IS THAT, UM, IT'S AND
THIS WAS AN INSIGHT THAT THAT A
COUPLE OF STAKEHOLDERS POINTED
OUT TO US. IT'S EASIER TO GET
PEOPLE IN BOUGHT INTO A COMMON
VISION. IF THERE'S A BIG ENOUGH
PIE SO THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING
TO BE ABLE TO GET AT LEAST SOME
OF THEIR PRIORITIES. NOT ALL OF
THEIR PRIORITIES, UM ADDRESSED
UH, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE CHICKEN
OR THE EGG THING COMES IN. IS
THAT UM YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO
GET THAT COMMON VISION IN ORDER
TO BE ABLE TO GO TO D C AND MAKE
THE CASE FOR A LARGE ENOUGH
FEDERAL INVESTMENT THAT
EVERYBODY GETS. AT LEAST SOME OF
THEIR PRIORITIES MET, BUT I
THINK THAT'S ONE WAY THAT YOU
CAN AT LEAST HOPE TO GET BEYOND
THE SORT OF PAROCHIAL INTERESTS
THAT SAY, WELL, WE'VE GOT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUR TOP
PRIORITY FOR OUR PART OF THE
QUARTER, BECAUSE IF THERE'S
ENOUGH MONEY FOR EVERYBODY TO
GET SOMETHING THAN THAT, MAYBE
WHERE YOU CAN GET TO THE
VIRTUOUS CYCLE. THANK YOU AND
THEN FINAL SORRY QUESTION FOR MS
KATZ. YOU TALKED ABOUT THE STUDY
. UM AND, UH I'M JUST CURIOUS
THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN WHAT WE
THINK WE'RE GONNA, UM, BEGIN THE
2024 FISCAL YEAR WITH DO YOU
BELIEVE THAT CALTRANS AND
CALLOUS TA HAVE THE RESOURCES TO
PERFORM THIS STUDY? AND HOW DOES
THAT BALANCE WITH OUR NEED TO
HAVE THAT INFORMATION NOW VERSUS
LONG TERM AND PERHAPS IT BEING
DELAYED WITH SOME OF THE BUDGET
CHALLENGES? NORMALLY I WOULD
HAVE JUST SAID CALTRANS, BUT I
KNOW THAT THEY'RE REAL DIVISION
HAS, I THINK BEEN A LITTLE
DECIMATED AS OF LATE, SO,
OBVIOUSLY THAT NEEDS TO GET
REINFORCED, AND THAT'S WHY I
ADDED CALISTA, BUT THEY KNOW HOW
TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE, AND
THEY KNOW HOW TO PUT THINGS
TOGETHER PRETTY QUICKLY. SO I DO
HAVE FAITH IN THEM. UM, BUT I
DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE E
PERSONNEL TO DO IT IMMEDIATELY,
BUT THEY CERTAINLY KNOW HOW TO
GET IT. THANK YOU, SENATOR
HAMBURG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR FOR ONCE AGAIN,
CONVENING THIS SUBCOMMITTEE MOST
USEFUL. SPEAKING OF PAROCHIAL
INTERESTS. LET ME FOCUS ON
ORANGE COUNTY FOR JUST A SECOND.
UM WITH MR LINK OVERSTOCKED. DID
YOU GET A CHANCE TO COORDINATE
WITH THE ORANGE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY? A
LITTLE BIT. WE AS YOU KNOW, THE
I'M SURE YOU KNOW THE OC TA IS
THE MANAGING AGENCY FOR THE LOW
SAND, UM, RAIL AGENCIES. SO WE
MET WITH THE LOW SAND RAIL
AGENCY AND THERE WERE A COUPLE
OF O. C T. A MEMBERS WHO
PARTICIPATED IN IN THOSE CALLS,
SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT. UM LOCALLY AND WE GOT SOME
OF THE AND WE ASKED THEM FOR
DATA ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS AND
INCORPORATED THAT INFORMATION IN
THE REPORT. AS I UNDERSTAND
ORANGE GAIN TRANSLATION
AUTHORITY ACTUALLY DOES HAVE
CAPITAL TO INVEST. IS THAT
RIGHT? YES AND THEY ENCOURAGE
YOU RATHER THAN INDIRECTLY
DEALING WITH THE ORANGE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY. YOU
DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THEM, SINCE
THEY'RE A MAJOR STAKEHOLDER IN
THIS IN THIS OPERATION, UM AND I
ALSO TAKE FROM WHAT YOU SAID, IS
THAT WE'VE ASKED NICELY FOR
FOLKS TO COORDINATE AND THEY'VE
NOT QUITE COORDINATED. SO NOW WE
NEED TO USE MORE LEVERAGE. AND
WHY IS IT WE DON'T WHY IS IT THE
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
DOESN'T HAVE THAT LEVERAGE TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN. EITHER. I
SUPPOSE, LET'S START WITH THE
STATE SECRETARY OF
TRANSPORTATION. UM I MEAN, I
THINK THERE IS A THERE IS A UH,
RESPONSIBILITY IS DIFFUSED TO
THE TO THE REGIONAL LEVEL AND
THE LOCAL LEVEL. I MEAN, I DO. I
DO THINK THERE'S THERE. THE
SECRETARY HAS, YOU KNOW A BULLY
PULPIT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, AND
THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TWO
OR THE ABILITY TO CONVENE AND
PARTNER UM I THINK WHAT THE
REPORT IS SUGGESTING IS THAT AND
WE'RE SUGGESTING OPTIONS FOR, UM
INCREASE. UM STATE LEADERSHIP
ARE INCREASED STATE ROLE. ONE
BEING A MORE THE MORE INFORMAL
ROLE ALONG THE LINES OF THE, UH,
THE EXPANDED ROLE FOR THE COURT
OR WORKING GROUP THAT THEY'VE
ALREADY GOT. THE OTHER WOULD BE,
UM, SOME FORM OF A UH,
ESSENTIALLY A RESTRUCTURING. UH
UM. THAT. GAVE THE STATE A MORE
FORMAL ROLE, AND I BELIEVE ONE
OF THE OTHER PANELISTS MENTIONED
THAT AS AN IDEA. AS PART OF A
MORE I'M MORE, UM, STRUCTURAL.
YOU KNOW MORE STRUCTURAL. WE
NEED TO EMPOWER THE SECRETARY
TRANSPORTATION TO DO SO, IS THAT
UM. I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN. I
DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN THAT'S
PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR, UM
MAYBE ONE OF THE OTHER PANELISTS
IN TERMS OF WHAT HAND SO I THINK
HE COULD USE A NUDGE. WELL
BESIDES A NUDGE, DO WE NEED TO
ACTUALLY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
TOOLS, SO I THINK THEY ARE GOING
TO NEED ADDITIONAL TOOLS. NO
DOUBT. ALRIGHT I I'M A KEEN
OBSERVER OF THIS OUR DISTRICT
OFFICES AT THE SANTA ANA
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER
ALSO KNOWS THE TRAIN STATION AND
SO I ON A DAILY BASIS. GET TO
SEE WHAT RIDERSHIP LOOKS LIKE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE AND WHAT
TRAIN COORDINATION LOOKS LIKE IT
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE AND YES,
OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN SAID BY A
NUMBER OF FOLKS WE NEED TO DO
BETTER. BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER
FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS NOT JUST
BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION
ISSUES. BUT ALSO HOUSING ISSUES
IS THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE
ARE ENCOURAGING, UM, HOUSING TO
HAVE SOME SORT OF NEXUS WITH
TRANSPORTATION THAT ONLY WORKS
TO THE EXTENT OF TRANSPORTATION
IS EFFICIENT, SO IN ANY EVENT,
ALRIGHT, I TAKE WHAT YOU SAID,
UM AND WELL WE'LL LOOK FORWARD
TO OPERATIONALIZE NG SOME OF
THAT. THANK YOU. YES THANK YOU,
SENATOR ALLEN. WELL, FIRST OF
ALL, THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR
CHAIR. I MEAN, YOU'VE YOU'VE
REALLY FOCUSED SO MUCH ATTENTION
ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND
GOTTEN US ALL CONVENING AND
THINKING AND WORKING ON THIS AND
I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE WORK
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
DO AND TRYING TO ENSURE THAT
THIS, UM THE LESSONS LEARNED
TODAY GET GET APPLIED AND
TRANSLATED INTO POLICY AT THE
STATE LEVEL. I'D LOVE TO, UM
WHAT LOVE TO ASK A FEW
QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, UM LET
ME ASK, UH PROFESSOR KATZ. I YOU
KNOW, I WAS HANDED UP BIG PACKET
OF PAPERS WHEN I WALKED IN TODAY
, INCLUDING A WHOLE SET OF
DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS THAT
CALL FOR THE YEAH. SHUTTING DOWN
IN THIS LINE ALTOGETHER AND
GIVEN YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE ON
THE LINE. I ASSUME YOU'VE HEARD
FROM THESE PEOPLE THE FIRST TIME
I'VE EVER SEEN. THIS HAS BEEN
PROPOSED, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT
I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL BE
SPEAKING IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT LATER, THE
ARGUMENT BEING THAT THIS IS
RIGHT ON THE COAST YOU LEVEL
RISES IS AN INEVITABILITY. WE'RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE HEAVY
RAINS IN SANDY SOILS AND
VIBRATING TRAINS THAT CREATE
SLIDE RISK. I LOVE IT IF YOU
JUST GET YOUR COMMENTS ON THEIR
IDEA, UH AND IF OTHERS WANT TO
MAKE COMMENT AS WELL, CERTAINLY
INTERESTED IN HEARING THEIR IDEA
OF MEANING TO SHUT IT DOWN. YEAH
I GUESS THEY HAVE A RAILS TO
TRAILS IDEA. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY
OTHER KIND OF PRESIDENT. I'VE
ONLY I HAVEN'T HEARD THEIR
PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M JUST
LOOKING. I JUST FLIPPED THROUGH
THEIR, UM, THEY GAVE US A COUPLE
OF THESE. RIGHT POWER POINTS.
BUT THE POINT BEING DOESN'T SEEM
AS THOUGH THEY HAVE AN
ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL FOR ANOTHER
ROUTE. SO MAYBE THEY'RE JUST
YEAH, OPPOSED. TO MAYBE THEY
JUST WANTED RAIL TRANSIT IN THE
AREA IN GENERAL, I DON'T KNOW. I
HAVE NO IDEA, BUT PRESUMABLY,
YOU KNOW MORE. LOOK, THERE ARE A
LOT OF ISSUES. IT COSTS A LOT OF
MONEY. UM WE ARE THE SECOND
BUSIEST CORRIDOR IN THE NATION,
BUT WE STILL HAVE A YOU KNOW,
IT'S STILL NOT AN INCREDIBLY
HIGH REVENUE GENERATING SERVICE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME AND THE
WRITER SHIP'S NOT BEEN GREAT
RECENTLY, BUT IT IS ON THE
REBOUND, ESPECIALLY AND THE AND
THE STATE SUPPORTED AMTRAK
SERVICE SO AND I KNOW METROLINK
AND COASTER ARE DOING SOME VERY
CREATIVE WAYS TO GET NEW
PASSENGERS TO ATTRACT
DISCRETIONARY WRITERS, AS WELL
AS THE TRANSIT DEPENDENT.
THEY'VE LOWERED FARES METROLINK
NOW YOU CAN HAVE A FREE. I MEAN,
IT'S FREE. IF YOUR STUDENT IT'S
I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST DOING SO
MANY SO MANY INNOVATIVE,
CREATIVE WAYS TO TRY AND ATTRACT
A NEW PASSENGER, AND I THINK
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT,
ESPECIALLY A YOUNG PASSENGER. SO
UM, IT'S JUST. THERE'S SO MUCH
THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING ON
THIS CORRIDOR NOT ONLY FOR
PASSENGERS BUT FREE. I MEAN, JEN
MENTIONED THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY
TALKING A LOT ABOUT FREIGHT, BUT
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT'S
ALSO A MILITARY RAIL LINE. I
DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SHUT THAT
DOWN. ALSO THE STATE HAS MADE IT
CLEAR WE'RE NOT ADDING CAPACITY
TO HIGHWAYS. HOW ARE YOU GOING
TO MOVE PEOPLE? I DON'T KNOW IF
YOU'VE TRAVELED TO SAN DIEGO,
EVEN ON A WEEKEND IT IS HARSH.
IT IS LIKE THE FIVE FREEWAY,
WHICH IS REALLY ONE OF THE ONLY
WAYS THERE. IT'S JUST IT'S
RIDICULOUS. I MEAN TRAIN IS
REALLY THE WAY TO GO TO SAN
DIEGO TODAY, AND I MEAN, I'VE
READ A FEW THINGS. I THINK THE
ECONOMY THE TOURIST ECONOMY WAS
ACTUALLY HURT WHEN THE LINE WAS
SHUT DOWN. I KNOW SAN JUAN
CAPISTRANO HAD A LITTLE BIT OF
DOWNTURN OF TOURISM. AND I
ASSUME SAN DIEGO DID AS WELL AND
THERE'S JUST SO I MEAN SO MUCH.
BEING TRANSPORTED ON THE LINE
TODAY. I THINK EVERYBODY'S
COMMENTS ARE IMPORTANT. I DON'T
THINK WE CAN. WE CAN SHOVE AWAY
ANY ACTIVE, BUT I THINK WE NEED
TO GET TOGETHER WITH EVERYBODY,
INCLUDING THE FOLKS THAT THAT
SAY THIS, AND WE NEED TO COME TO
SOME CONSENSUS. I DON'T KNOW IF
IT'S RELOCATION OF THE LINE. I
DON'T KNOW. I JUST I DON'T KNOW
WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT WE ALL
NEED TO COME TOGETHER. WE CAN'T
SHUT DOWN THIS CORRIDOR. IT'S
JUST WAY TOO IMPORTANT. AND UM,
WITH BMT BEING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF
THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE IS TRYING
TO REDUCE THE. HOW DO YOU SHUT
THIS DOWN? WHAT DO YOU SEE? I
MEAN, GIVEN AND THE PROXIMITY OF
THE LINE TO THE COAST. AND YOU
KNOW THE UNFORTUNATE WHAT WE
KNOW ABOUT SEE YOU ON THE RISE
IN THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE. I MEAN, HOW HOW? HOW DO
YOU? HOW DO YOU THINK WE OUGHT
TO INCORPORATE THAT DIDN'T HAVE
THOSE REALITIES INTO OUR
PLANNING. I THINK WE NEED TO
REALLY STUDY IT. SEE IF THAT IF
SEE IF WE NEED TO MOVE THE LINE
UP, SEE IF WE JUST NEED TO RAISE
IT. I MEAN, DO WE NEED TO
ACTUALLY RELOCATED? DO WE NEED
TO RAISE IT? UM I'VE SEEN ON THE
NORTHEAST CORRIDOR THAT THEY'VE
ACTUALLY RAISED IT IN SOME PARTS
OF CONNECTICUT AND OTHER PLACES
WHERE THEY HAVE HUGE WAVES AND
THAT SORT OF THING. UM I'M NOT A
TECHNICAL PERSON. I'M A POLICY
PERSON, SO I WOULD NEED TO GET
CHAD'S LOOKING AT ME. UM I DON'T
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT
MAKES THE MOST SENSE, BUT I KNOW
THAT WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A
SOLUTION. I KNOW THIS CORRIDOR
IS WAY TOO IN CRITICAL. IT'S
CRITICAL THAT WE KEEP THIS
CORRIDOR THAT WE KEEP FRAYED
ALIVE THAT WE KEEP PASSENGER.
MOVEMENT ALIVE AND THAT WE KEEP
THE MILITARY RAIL LINE AND I'D
LOVE TO HEAR CHAD STUFF. I MEAN,
I THINK PART OF THE CHALLENGE.
YOU KNOW, JUST WE'VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THIS OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, RIGHT? THIS RELIABILITY
THING, AND IT BECOMES A KIND OF
A CHICKEN AND EGG THING WHERE
YOU KNOW IF YOU DON'T UM, THE
MORE TRAINS YOU RUN, THE LESS
ECONOMICALLY VIABLE IF YOU DON'T
HAVE ENOUGH RIDERSHIP AT THE
SAME TIME, IF YOU RUN TOO FEW
TRAINS, THEN PEOPLE DON'T REALLY
SEE IT AS A VIABLE OPTION AND
ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL RAIL SYSTEMS IN THE
WORLD THAT YOU KNOW YOU CAN JUST
SHOW UP AND THERE'S GONNA BE
ANOTHER TRAIN ANOTHER TRAINING.
THERE'S THIS RELIABILITY THING
YOU CAN JUST COUNT ON WHEN
YOU'RE PLANNING TRIPS WHEN
YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS. I MEAN
THE SHIN CONTENT IN JAPAN, I
THINK EVERY FIVE MINUTES RUNNING
UP AND DOWN I MEAN IT'S
EXTRAORDINARY. BUT WHILE I'M NOT
ASKING FOR THAT, YOU KNOW YOU
CERTAINLY YOU KNOW, HIGH SPEED
RAIL NETWORKS WERE JUST RAIL
NETWORKS THROUGHOUT BRITAIN OR
WHEREVER ELSE YOU CAN. YOU CAN
SHOW UP WITH A WITH A GENERAL
SENSE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A
TRAIN GOING TO WHERE YOU WANT TO
GO WHEN YOU WANT TO GO. AND YET
WE HAVE THESE SORT OF HORROR
STORIES LIKE THE GENTLEMAN WHO
JUST, UM THERE WAS DESCRIBED BY
OUR CHAIR. THEY JUST MAKE IT
UNVIABLE. THAT'S WHY WHEN I WAS
TALKING ABOUT THE D C METRO
SERVICE, I THINK I USED THE WORD
CONVENIENT, EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE
, INCLUSIVE. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO
HAVE ALL THOSE. AND YES, IT'S
GOING TO COST MONEY AND YES,
IT'S GOING TO BE SUBSIDIZED. BUT
WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
IS THAT WORTH YOU KNOW? I MEAN,
WE HAVE CLIMATE CHANGE. WE HAVE
TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS. IS IT
WORTH SUBSIDIZING IT? AND I
THINK THE ANSWER IS YES. THEN
DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ALL THESE
FIRST MILE. SMILE ISSUES. I
THINK THAT ARE CRITICAL OF THIS
TO ANYWAY, I'D LOVE TO HEAR
CHAD'S THOUGHTS ON THE ON THE
FIELD LEVEL RISE ISSUE, AND THEN
I'M LIKE TO TALK TO GENEVIEVE A
LITTLE ABOUT SOME OF THE
GOVERNANCE MODELS THAT SHE WAS
TALKING ABOUT. WELL, I THINK ON
THE SEA LEVEL RISE ISSUE. I
MEAN, WE ARE COMMITTED TO
STUDYING THIS WITH THE REGION
AND GETTING TO THE NEXT SET OF
RECOMMENDATIONS THERE. I MEAN,
THIS WAS THE LAST TIME IN THE
ORANGE COUNTY SEGMENT THIS WAS
STUDIED WAS A COUPLE 20 YEARS
AGO, AND IT CAME OUT WITH
CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT
THAT AT THE TIME DIDN'T
RECOMMEND RELOCATING THE LINE. I
THINK THAT REALLY THAT'S PART OF
THE EFFORT THAT WE HAVE PUT
FUNDING TOWARDS IN THE LAST YEAR
AND THAT WE'VE ALSO CTC JUST PUT
MONEY INTO TO REALLY LOOK AT
WHAT THOSE OPTIONS ARE, UM, YOU
KNOW THAT THAT CAN INCLUDE SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT PROFESSOR
KATZ JUST JUST TALKED ABOUT. UM
SO THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR,
WE'RE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH
BOTH THE WORKING GROUP AND
RESPONDING TO THE LETTER THAT
CAME IN FROM THE AGENCIES IN THE
SOUTHERN PART OF THE CORRIDOR,
UM, TO LOOK FOR THE BEST BEST
WAY TO DO THIS PLANNING TOGETHER
. I THINK THE QUARTER IDEA
EFFORT AND KIND OF THE EMPHASIS
OF THE STATE RAIL PLAN ON THE
RESILIENCE OF THIS CORRIDOR
POINT TO OUR DESIRE TO GET THE
PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED HERE, BOTH
NEAR TERM ACTIONS THAT NEED TO
BE TAKEN AND THINGS THAT TAKE
LONGER TERM INVESTMENT. MANY OF
THE MANY OF THE RELOCATION
PROJECTS TAKE A LONG TIME TO
COMPLETE AND THE AND THERE ARE
EFFORTS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO
IN THE NEXT FIVE OR 10 YEARS
THAT INCLUDE PROTECTING THE LINE
AND MAKING SURE THAT WE MAKE THE
HIGHEST PRIORITY INVESTMENTS IN
IT. SO I MEAN, WE'RE CERTAINLY
SEE THE BIG PICTURE HERE.
UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO GET
MORE SERVICE OUT THERE SO THAT
MORE PEOPLE CAN USE THE QUARTER.
THAT'S THERE TODAY AS WELL, THE
LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT IS
AVAILABLE TO US ONCE EVERYBODY
IS FULLY RESTORED AND USES THE
CAPACITY THAT THERE WOULD LEAD
TO, YOU KNOW, JUST SOUTH OF
FULLERTON BEING ABLE TO RUN 27
ROUND TRIPS A DAY TO SOME POINT
FURTHER SOUTH, SO I MEAN, THAT'S
THAT'S A LOT MORE SERVICE AND
WAS THERE EVEN BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC AND WHEN THAT SERVICE
IS SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED AND
USED BY LOTS OF WRITERS. WE GOT
TO VERY HIGH FAIRBANKS RECOVERY
NUMBERS IN THE PAST, WE GOT TO
75 80% ON BOTH THE ORANGE COUNTY
LINE SERVICE AND ON THE LOTHIAN
SERVICE, AND SO I THINK ONE OF
THE ONE OF THE MESSAGES HERE IS
AS YOU HAVE A MORE SUCCESSFUL
SERVICE AS IT'S MORE ON TIME. AS
MORE PEOPLE USE IT, IT ACTUALLY
COSTS LESS MONEY TO OPERATE, OF
COURSE, AND UM, AND THEN AND
THEN THEY AND THEN AND THEN YOU
CAN TURN SOME OF THAT MONEY INTO
THE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS NEEDED
TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE CORRIDOR.
YEAH LESS MONEY PER CAPITA PER
CAPITA. BUT EVEN EVEN IN TOTAL
DOLLARS WE WERE SEEING WE WERE
SEEING A REAL REAL, YOU KNOW,
MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK,
BASICALLY AS WE AS WE CONTINUE
TO HAVE GOOD RIDERSHIP BEFORE
THE PANDEMIC, SINCE SINCE WE'RE
ALREADY CHATTING BEFORE YOU GET
THE GENERAL, WOULD YOU MIND
COMMENTING A BIT ON SOME OF THE
ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED BY
PROFESSOR KATZ AND PROFESSOR
GIULIANO. AND OTHERS ABOUT, UM
THE NEED. FOR A MORE COHERENT
APPROACH TO GOVERNANCE. UM YOU
KNOW, GOVERNANCE INVOLVES A LOT
OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THAT
CONVERSATION. THAT'S THE PROBLEM
, WHICH WHICH IS WHICH IS PART
OF THE PART OF THE CHALLENGE
HERE. I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY, UM I
THINK THAT SOMEBODY EXISTING
ENTITIES WORKING TOGETHER WELL
CAN CAN ADDRESS MANY OF THESE
ISSUES, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE
PUSHING EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE DOING THE KIND OF
INTEGRATION THAT YOU KNOW THE J.
P A. AND METROLINK THE LOTION.
RAIL THE VARIOUS MEMBER AGENCIES
IN THE STATE ALL WORK TOGETHER
TO GET TO GET THE CORE ISSUES
ADDRESSED. GOING TO THE
NORTHEAST CORRIDOR EXAMPLE. YOU
KNOW THAT. HAS SOME DIFFERENCES
HERE. BUT EACH OF THOSE ENTITIES
THERE WAS BRINGING A LOT OF
MONEY TO THE TABLE FOR THEIR
COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE FOR THEIR
CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN THE
CORRIDOR. AND THEY WERE, YOU
KNOW, THEY WERE KIND OF ALL PUT
TOGETHER TO SHARE IN. SHARING
THE FUNDING THE ON A ON A BASIS
THAT REQUIRED MANY OF THEM TO
COME UP WITH MORE THAN THEY HAD
BEFORE. THAT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW,
FEDERAL REQUIREMENT BEFORE THEY
GOT TO WHERE THEY COULD ACTUALLY
LAY OUT THE CAPITAL PRIORITIES
IF THEY HAD MORE MONEY, SO YOU
KNOW WATCHING THAT HAPPEN. THERE
WERE THERE WERE A LOT OF
AGREEMENTS THAT THEY REACHED
TOGETHER AMONG ALL THESE AMONG
ALL THESE ENTITIES TO SHARE IN
THE COSTS AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN
THEY HISTORICALLY HAD. AND THEN
DURING THAT PROCESS, THEY CAME
UP WITH PRIORITY CAPITAL
PROJECTS. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE
ALL THE MONEY WAS GOING TO COME
FROM YET, BUT WHEN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SHOWED UP WITH A LOT
OF FUNDING, THEY WERE READY FOR
IT. THEY WERE READY FOR IT AND
COULD REALLY PUT OUT THOSE
PRIORITIES AND SAY HERE'S WHAT
WE WANT TO DO NEXT, BUT IT WAS
BUILT ON A FOUNDATION. OF A LOT
OF AGREEMENTS TO PUT IN MORE
RESOURCES IN AND PUT THOSE
RESOURCES IN OVER FIVE OR 10
YEAR PERIOD. UM AND RIGHT NOW, A
LOT OF OUR STUFF IS STUCK IN
LIKE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESSES AND
SO FORTH, SO I THINK I THINK
SOME OF THE STRUCTURING OF, UM,
YOU KNOW, THAT THE AGREEMENTS
AMONG THE VARIOUS GOVERNING
BODIES TODAY WOULD REQUIRE THAT
KIND OF WORKING TOGETHER. IT'S
BEEN ALLUDED TO A BIT, BUT COULD
COULD SOMEONE GIVE ME A BETTER
SENSE OF WHAT OUR CHANCES OF
GETTING AND YOU KNOW SIGNIFICANT
INFUSION OF FEDERAL DOLLARS IN
THIS LATEST GO AROUND. UH WHAT?
WHAT THOSE CHANCES ARE I MEAN,
YOU JUST VISITED D C. ON THIS
FOR THIS PROJECT, AND I KNOW
OBVIOUSLY, THE PRESIDENT JUST
ANNOUNCED THE BIG CHUNK OF
CHANGE FOR, UM HIGH SPEED RAIL
TO HIGH SPEED RAIL PROJECTS.
WHERE DOES LAWSON FIT INTO ALL
THOSE CONVERSATIONS? THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF UM, FEDERAL FUNDING
PROGRAMS, THE BIGGEST OF WHICH
IS FEDERAL STATE PARTNERSHIP.
BUT THERE ARE OTHERS LIKE
CHRISSY AND SOME OF THE OTHER
FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE MULTI
MODAL. AND THE FEDERAL STATE
PARTNERSHIPS JUST GAVE OUT
NEARLY GAVE OUT 8.2 BILLION OF
ITS $12 BILLION THAT ARE IN
ADVANCED APPROPRIATIONS. SO
THERE'S $3.8 BILLION LEFT. OVER
THE NEXT THREE YEARS FOR THE F R
A TO PUT INTO PROJECTS ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY OUTSIDE OF THE
NORTHEAST CORRIDOR. YOU KNOW,
CALIFORNIA HAS ALREADY RECEIVED
IN THE NEVADA WITH BRIGHT LINE,
WHICH COMES IN CALIFORNIA
RECEIVED OVER 50% OF THE TOTAL
MONEY IN THAT PROGRAM. UM, OUT
OF THE 12 BILLION AND SO WE. WE
CERTAINLY HOPE TO COMPETE FOR
THE KIND OF MONEY THAT WOULD THE
BRIGHT LINE WOULD BE ASKING FOR,
RIGHT. I MEAN, WELL,
COLLECTIVELY, THE NEEDS THE
CORRIDOR THAT HAVE BEEN PUT OUT.
THERE ARE IN THE BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
RAIL LINE RELOCATION IN DELMAR,
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER
CAPITAL PRIORITIES IN THE
QUARTER, JUST GETTING A
MAINTENANCE FACILITIES BUILT IN
ORANGE COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO
COUNTY THAT ARE NEEDED TO
SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THE
SERVICE. THESE THINGS QUICKLY
ADD UP TO YOU KNOW BILLIONS, UM
BUT THE BUT THE NEAR TERM
INVESTMENTS THAT THAT MAY KIND
OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE
SHORT TERM CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY
LESS THAN THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE
NOT GOING STRAIGHT TO A TUNNEL,
YOU'RE GOING. YOU HAVE LOTS OF
CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT FURTHER
IMPROVE THE CORRIDOR, FINISHING
THE RUN THROUGH TRACKS AT UNION
STATION THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME
OUT OF THE CORRIDOR, FINISHING
DOING THE INITIAL LIKE
MAINTENANCE FACILITY IN ORANGE
COUNTY THAT ALLOWS MORE
EFFICIENT USE OF EQUIPMENT. UM
MANY OF THESE PROJECTS START TO
GET TO WHERE WE CAN CAN HAVE A
SERVICE THAT CARRIES MORE PEOPLE
AND DOES IT ON A REGULAR
SCHEDULE ALL DAY LONG DOESN'T
HAVE THE SERVICE GAPS THAT WE
HAVE TODAY. WHERE THERE CAN BE A
COUPLE HOURS WHERE YOU CAN'T
WRITE. THERE'S NO TRAIN THERE,
SO I MEAN SMALLER AMOUNTS.
PRIORITIZE SMALLER AMOUNTS OF
INVESTMENT CAN GET US A LOT IN
THIS CORRIDOR. BUT I GUESS WHEN
I'M LOOKING AT THE TOTALITY OF
NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT
HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED. THAT'S IN
THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. YEAH
FEDERAL RESOURCES THAT ARE KNOWN
TODAY DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL TO
GIVE TO THIS CORRIDOR. UM UNLESS
THEY GET REAUTHORIZED IN FUTURE
RE AUTHORIZATIONS. ALRIGHT LET'S
THANK YOU LET ME TURN TO, UM, UM
TO OUR TO PROFESSOR GIULIANO.
I'D LOVE TO GET I LOVE I LOVE IF
YOU WOULDN'T MIND FLESHING OUT A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR IF
YOU WERE, YOU KNOW, EMPRESS OF
THE WORLD. YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT?
WHAT? WHAT WOULD WHAT WOULD BE A
MORE IDEAL? UM GOVERNANCE MODEL
FOR? YEAH YOU ALLUDED TO IT,
OBVIOUSLY. IN PRESENTATION. YEAH
YOU'VE HEARD ALL OF THESE
DISCUSSIONS FROM OTHER PEOPLE
HERE. UM, THAT. DECISION MAKING
IS REALLY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU
HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT
PARTNERS. MANY OF WHICH, FOR
WHOM THIS IS NOT THE PRIMARY
BUSINESS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU
KNOW, METRO LINK IS A IS
FUNDAMENTALLY A COMMUTER RAIL
OPERATION. SO IT HAS SOME
INTEREST WITH THIS CORRIDOR, BUT
THEY'RE NOT PERFECTLY ALIGNED,
RIGHT? UM AND SO WE HAVE THAT
SORT OF DIMENSION HERE OF LOTS
OF LOTS OF INSTITUTIONS
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED. UM BUT
FEW OF THEM HAVING THIS IS THEIR
ACTUAL PRIMARY BUSINESS, SO LOS
AN. SURFLINER THAT'S THE PRIMARY
BUSINESS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE
CASE FOR SOME OF THE OTHER
ACTORS. UM AND THAT THAT'S WHAT
MAKES DISHES AND MAKING VERY
DIFFICULT RIGHT BECAUSE IF I AM
ONE OF THE OTHERS, I HAVE A
WHOLE SET OF PRIORITIES, AND I
HAVE TO BALANCE THIS PRIORITY
AGAINST ALL THE OTHER ONES,
RIGHT? UM SO GOVERNANCE MODEL
THAT SORT OF ALLOWS YOU TO
PROVIDE THE RIGHT INCENTIVES.
WHEN ONE OF THE QUESTIONS FROM
MR ROMBERG WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO
WE MAKE PEOPLE WHO OPERATE UM,
WELL, WE GOT TO HAVE AN
INCENTIVE SYSTEM TO DO THAT. AND
SO IF WE HAD SOME SORT OF A
STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT,
UM, THAT HAD SOME ABILITY. FOR
EXAMPLE, FUNDING BEHIND IT. AND
COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION
WAS IN SOME PART CONDITIONAL ON
THAT FUNDING. UM I THINK YOU
COULD SORT OF MOVE CLOSER TO
THAT MODEL. UM, I'M VERY
SYMPATHETIC WITH YOUR POINT THAT
UM, I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYBODY
SELLING THEIR RIGHT OF WAY. UM
BUT IT'S I THINK IT'S WORTH
THINKING ABOUT AN IDEAL. AND
THEN SORT OF FIGURE OUT HOW
CLOSE COULD WE COME? TO THAT
IDEAL, GIVEN THE RESOURCES THAT
WE HAVE DOES THAT MAKE SOME
SENSE? YEAH, I'D LOVE TO LOVE TO
TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT IT,
ACTUALLY. THANK YOU. GOOD NIGHT.
SAY SOMETHING ABOUT DEMAND FOR
PLEASE. OTHERS HAVE THINGS THEY
WANT TO ADD IN. I WANT TO SAY
KIND OF TWO THINGS. ONE IS THE
CONVERSATION THAT I'M HEARING IS
GOING KIND OF BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER
CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT. RIGHT? TO
ENTER CITY. AND IF YOU THINK
ABOUT THE GROWTH OF THE STATE
AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW MUCH
MORE INTEGRATION THERE IS. IN
THESE QUOTE UNQUOTE MEGA CITIES
AND MEGA REGIONS AND ALL THAT,
RIGHT? UM I THINK THERE'S THE
POTENTIAL FOR THE MARKET IS
PROBABLY STRONGER IN THE INNER
CITY. AREA THAN IN THE COMPUTER
AREA. THROUGH A WHOLE BUNCH OF
REASONS. I WON'T GO INTO RIGHT
NOW, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS
GOING ON. THERE'S JUST GOING TO
KIND OF DAMP DOWN THE LONG
DISTANCE COMMUTE MARKET. UM BUT
THE INNER CITY MARKET THAT'S I
THINK IT WAS SARAH, WHO SAID,
YOU KNOW WHO WANTS TO DRIVE FROM
L. A TO SAN DIEGO, RIGHT? NOT
GOOD PLAYING SERVICE, OBVIOUSLY
AND YEAH, TRAINS ARE THE BEST
OPTIONS, SO THAT'S WHERE YOU
REALLY HAVE A SWEET SPOT. UM AND
COMMUTE ISSUE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE
JUST NOT GOING LONG DISTANCE TO
COMMUTE EVERY DAY ANYMORE
BECAUSE THE MAXIMUM COMMUTE
REALLY, YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM
SOME REAL OUTLIERS IS GOING TO
BE ABOUT 4050 MILES. OKAY BUT
NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE COMMUTING
FROM SAN CLEMENTE TO DOWNTOWN
SAN DIEGO, RIGHT? A FEW, BUT NOT
TOO MANY. SO I THINK, AND SO I
THINK THE INTEREST IN THE MARKET
IS ACTUALLY THE MARKET TO ME HAS
MORE POTENTIAL IN THE SHORT
TERM. ALSO BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T
DO THAT MARKET WITH RELATIVELY
LONGER HEADWAYS. IF I'M ON THE
INNER CITY KIND OF MARKET. UM
THEN A TRAIN COMING EVERY 45
MINUTES OR A TRAIN COMING EVERY
HOUR IS AN AWFUL YOU CAN PLAN
FOR DEALING WITH THAT WITH
PLANES ALL THE TIME. RIGHT OF
COURSE. SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE I
JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT
THERE THAT IF YOU'RE STARTING TO
THINK ABOUT, UM, MARKET HERE
THAT MIGHT THINK MORE ABOUT THE
INNER CITY MARKET. AND THEN THE
SECOND THING IS, I'M GOING TO GO
BACK TO INTEGRATION. I REALLY
THINK IT'S WORTH EVEN THOUGH
THAT'S A STRETCH GOAL FOR SURE.
BUT TO THINK ABOUT AN INTEGRATED
SYSTEM WHERE IZED THE CUSTOMER.
I HAVE ONE. WEBSITE ONE SET
AFFAIRS RIGHT WHERE I CAN GO AND
YOU KNOW AND WHETHER THAT TRAIN
THAT COMES AT THREE O'CLOCK IS
COASTER OR SOMEBODY ELSE. I
DON'T CARE. I JUST WANT TO HAVE
NO THE TOTAL THE SCHEDULE IN ITS
TOTALITY AND THE FARES IN THEIR
TOTALITY. AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE
THAT HARD TO DO. I MEAN, I THINK
ABOUT THE UK RIGHT WHERE THEY
PRIVATIZED SYSTEM. EVERYONE'S
RUNNING AROUND DOING DIFFERENT.
THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT
ENTITIES THAT OWN THE DIFFERENT
LINES. AND YET YOU CAN GO TO A
NATIONAL RAIL. WEBSITE AND BUY
YOUR TICKETS. IN FACT, THERE'S
EVEN AGGREGATE. THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT THAT
DIFFICULT. I MEAN THEY ORBITS
DOES IT FOR PRIVATE AIRLINES,
RIGHT DIFFICULTY IS A TWO THINGS
. ONE DIFFICULTY IS IN. HOW DO I
SHARE THE FARES AMONG OPERATORS?
AND THAT'S A LONG RUNNING ISSUE.
ALWAYS COMPLICATED TO FIGURE OUT
WHO'S COST GETS COVERED,
ETCETERA, SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE
THE WORK WOULD BE. UM AND THEN,
SECONDLY, AGAIN, I'LL GO BACK TO
THIS. NOT EVERYBODY HAS THIS
CORRIDOR IS THEIR HIGHEST
PRIORITY. UM IN ORDER FOR ME TO
MAKE THE CORRIDOR WORK AS A
WHOLE, IT MIGHT MEAN THAT I AM
AS METROLINK WOULD HAVE TO
ADJUST SOME OF MY TRAINS TO MAKE
IT WORK. AND SO WE WANT, YOU
KNOW YOU'D REALLY WANT TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES CAN
WE PROVIDE? THAT WOULD MAKE THAT
AN OKAY THING FOR METRO REALLY
LINKED TO DO AND I'M JUST
PULLING THAT NAME OUT OF THE
AIR. BY THE WAY, UM I'M NOT
BEING VERY NOT BEING SPECIFIC.
IT COULD BE ANY OF THE AWKWARD
THE POINT BEING, THERE'S NO
THERE'S NO ONE RIGHT NOW WHOSE
ROLE IT IS TO MAKE SURE THE
SYSTEM WORKS CORRECT SEAMLESSLY
AND MORE AND MORE USER FRIENDLY
MANNER, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S WHY
YOU WANT, YOU KNOW A STATE
LEVEL. WE'RE FORTUNATE THIS WAY.
AT LEAST WE'RE NOT GOING ACROSS
STATE BORDERS, WHICH IS THE NBC
PROBLEM, RIGHT? IT'S ALL IN
CALIFORNIA, RIGHT STATE IS
OBVIOUSLY. UM HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO DO THIS. I THINK TED WANTS TO
WEIGH IN ON THIS QUESTION. YEAH
JUST BRIEFLY. AND MAYBE MAYBE
JASON HAS SOME COMMENTS ON THIS
TO ONE OF THE THINGS I
REFERENCED IN THE REPORT. IS
THIS THIS REAL OPTIMIZATION,
STUDY AND 11 THING THAT THE RAIL
OFFICE OPTIMIZATION STUDY? UM
DID DO IS, UH, IT'S NOT. IT'S
FOR. IT'S THE BASIS FOR BOTH
OPERATIONAL CHANGES AND
INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES, AND IT'S
MY UNDERSTANDING AGAIN. I'VE
BEEN PART OF THAT. BUT THE
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
THAT REPORT HAS BEEN OR THAT
STUDY HAS BEEN USED TO MAKE
SOME, UM OPERATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS
TO IMPROVE. UH PERFORMANCE NOT
NECESSARILY ON THE TICKETING
SIDE, BUT IN TERMS OF ALIGNING
SCHEDULES AND THAT SORT OF
THING, BUT THAT'S JUST MY
UNDERSTANDING FROM THE WORK THAT
WE DID, AND I'LL JUST FOCUS IN
ON THIS BECAUSE I ACTUALLY THINK
THIS IS THE NUT OF THE ENTIRE
REPORT THAT WAS PRODUCED. IS
THIS THIS REALITY THAT NOT THAT
LONG AGO 2021 LOW SAND RELEASED
THIS CORRIDOR OPTIMIZATION STUDY
, SO THIS IS INTENDED AS A
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR SERVICE
EXPANSION OVER THE NEXT DECADE.
BUT THEN YOU GO ON TO SAY,
HOWEVER, MULTIPLE OFFICIALS
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE AGENCY
LACKS THE AUTHORITY OR
SIGNIFICANT INCENTIVES. TO
ENSURE THAT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS
ARE PRIORITIZED BY OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS. OTHER STAKEHOLDERS
BEING THOSE WHO RUN THE ACTUAL
OPERATIONS IN THIS CORRIDOR. SO
THIS LIKE CORE QUESTION WHICH
GOES TO THIS SHOULDN'T BE THAT
HARD, YOU SAID. BUT IT'S LIKE
FOCUSING OUR ATTENTIONS ON. HOW
CAN WE CREATE EITHER THOSE
INCENTIVES THAT THAT YOU WERE
TALKING ABOUT? OR A STRONG ARM
CARROT AND A STICK? A YOU KNOW,
A REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE
LEVEL. I MEAN, GOING BACK TO
SENATOR AMBER'S POINT TO ABOUT
WHAT DOESN'T THE STATE SECRETARY
OF TRANSPORTATION HAVE SOME
AUTHORITY HERE THAT THAT IS
ALREADY EXISTING? THAT COULD BE
EXERCISED WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE
UMPH TO TRY TO CREATE THAT? I
MEAN TO ME? IT SEEMS LIKE THIS
IS AN AREA, ESPECIALLY GIVEN
THAT THIS STUDY WAS JUST
RELEASED RECENTLY. WE DON'T HAVE
TO EMBARK ON ANOTHER, YOU KNOW,
FIVE YEAR STUDY. WE CAN USE
STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE HERE
TO SEE WHAT WHERE WHAT WE CAN DO
AND I WE DO NEED TO MOVE TO THE
PUBLIC COMMENT REALLY QUICKLY,
BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE BOTH OF
YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS, AND
THESE LAST STATEMENTS HERE ABOUT
HOW TO CREATE THAT, LIKE HOW TO
CREATE THE AUTHORITY. THE
INCENTIVES TO ACTUALLY HAVE AN
INTEGRATION FOR CUSTOMERS. YEAH
A COUPLE COUPLE IDEAS HERE. AND
AS I MENTIONED, UM YOU KNOW, WE
AS AN AGENCY DO HAVE ONGOING
TOUCHPOINTS WITH ALL OF OUR
STAKEHOLDERS ALONG THE CORNER
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ONGOING
MEETINGS IN TOUCH POINTS THAT
REALLY, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT NOT
ONLY OPERATIONS OF THE SERVICE
BUT ALSO CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT
EACH OF OUR MEMBER AGENCIES ARE
PLANNING ON LEADING ENGAGED ON
AND SO IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW,
TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF, YOU
KNOW, KIND OF INTEGRATION WITH
OTHER SERVICES. WE DO MEET
REGULARLY WITH METROLINK ON A
MONTHLY BASIS. I MEET WITH
METROLINK CEO AND WE ALSO HAVE
SOME OF OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY
MEMBERS MEET OUR OUR GROUP AS
WELL ARE LAUSANNE TEAM MEMBERS
TO REALLY JUST TALK ABOUT WAYS
TO UM, COORDINATE AND FOCUS ON
OPERATIONAL COORDINATION AS WE
MOVE FORWARD, AND SO IT IS AN
ONGOING DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE
WITH THEM. WE HAVE DONE SOME
THINGS AS OF LATELY THAT I THINK
HAVE REALLY KIND OF IMPROVED
THAT COORDINATION AND
INTEGRATION MORE THAN IT HAS
EVER BEEN IN THE PAST, AND PART
OF THOSE EFFORTS INCLUDE AN
EXPANSION TO WHAT WE CALL OUR
RAIL TO RAIL AND CODESHARE
PROGRAM, AND THAT PROGRAM
ACTUALLY ALLOWS. TICKETED
CUSTOMERS FROM EITHER SERVICES
TO USE THE OTHER. THE OTHER RAIL
SERVICE WE EXPANDED THAT CO
CHAIR PROGRAM SO THAT BOTH
METROLINK AND PACIFIC SURFLINER
CUSTOMERS CAN UTILIZE EITHER
SERVICES. AND WE DID THAT AS AN
EXPANSION BASICALLY NORTH OF L.
A UP THROUGH VENTURA COUNTY AS A
PILOT PROGRAM TO BASICALLY SAY
ANY TRAIN CUSTOMER CAN SHOW
THEIR METROLINK PACIFIC
SURFLINER TICKET AND JUMP ON ANY
ANYBODY'S TRAIN. AND SO AGAIN,
WE'RE DOING THAT AS A AS A PILOT
PROGRAM, SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE
UTILIZING THAT PROGRAM, TRACKING
THE DATA AND REALLY WANTING TO
ANALYZE THAT DATA TO SEE HOW
PEOPLE ARE USING THE PROGRAM SO
THAT WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO
THE PROGRAM AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS
TO COORDINATE ON SOME TYPE OF
REGIONAL FARE PRODUCTS. UM SO
THAT WE, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT
EASIER AND FLEXIBLE FOR
CUSTOMERS TO PURCHASE ONE REGION
PAST AND BE ABLE TO UTILIZE ANY
SYSTEM. UM SO THAT IS SOMETHING
THAT'S AN ONGOING DISCUSSION AND
ENGAGEMENT ON. SO THOSE ARE JUST
SOME OF THE THINGS FROM AN
OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE THAT WE
CONTINUE TO WORK ON AND
COORDINATE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY
WITH METROLINK BEING ARE
COMMUTER SERVICE OR ON THE RAIL
LINE, BUT WITH THAT I'LL HAND IT
OVER TO CHAD. HE CAN MAKE SOME
COMMENTS. SO I THINK IN WHAT
JASON JUST WENT THROUGH THERE,
UM YOU KNOW, EXPANDING CONCEPTS
LIKE THAT PILOT PROGRAM IN THE
NORTH END TO THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR
WOULD BE ONE WAY TO MAKE IT
EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO USE ALL THE
TRAINS THAT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF
DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE TODAY WE,
YOU KNOW, INTERACT WITH THIS.
THESE DECISIONS, ONE LIKE THE
OPTIMIZATION STUDY THAT WAS
REFERRED TO THAT WAS FUNDED BY
THE STATE. IT WAS IT WAS A
PRIORITY PRIORITY OF THE STATE
TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENED IN
THE CORRIDOR AND CALTRANS WAS
HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE STUDY.
AS IT HAPPENED, THAT'S KIND OF
FOUNDATION HAS THAT TIE BACK TO
THE STATE RAIL PLAN, AND THAT
PULSE SCHEDULING THAT YOU SEE IN
THE TRANSIT INTERCITY RAIL
CAPITAL PROGRAM ONE OF THE
STATUTORY PRIORITIES. ONE OF THE
FOUR STATUTORY PRIORITIES IS
NETWORK INTEGRATION, WHICH GIVES
US A CHANCE TO REALLY LOOK AT
THE PROJECTS THAT COME IN THERE
FOR COMPETITIVE FUNDING AND SAY
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE HIGHER
PRIORITY TO THE ONES THAT DO THE
INTEGRATION WELL, AND THE ONES
THAT IGNORE IT. SO THAT SHOULD
BE, YOU KNOW, AN INCENTIVE AND
MOTIVATION FOR ALL THE PARTIES
HERE TO BE WORKING TOGETHER TO
RECEIVE THAT FUNDING. UM YOU
KNOW, I THINK THAT I THINK THAT
THE THIS THE STATE CERTAINLY HAS
A ROLE IN MAKING SURE THAT
INTEGRATION IS HAPPENING, BUT WE
ALSO YOU KNOW, HAVE HAVE HAVE A
LOT OF INPUT THAT'S COMING TO US
THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW,
REVIEW THE FIRST STARTS AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL AND THAT THAT'S PART
OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE
INTERAGENCY TRANSFER AGREEMENTS.
WHERE WHERE A LOT OF THE
STRATEGIC PLANNING OF LAUSANNE
HAPPENS FIRST AT THE BOARD LEVEL
COMES TO THE SECRETARY FOR
APPROVAL IN HIS ANNUAL BUSINESS
PLAN RESPONSE. AND SO I THINK WE
CAN STRENGTHEN THIS. I THINK WE
CAN MAKE THIS UM BETTER. I THINK
WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, AND WE
ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT THE RESULTS
THAT COME OUT OF THE
OPTIMIZATION WORK COME OUT OF
THE GRANT APPLICATIONS THAT
PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERING TO PUT IN
WHEN WE ACTUALLY ALL WORKED
TOGETHER AND SAY THESE REALLY
ARE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES. WE
ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO GET
FUNDING AND THAT THAT'S PART OF
WHAT WE JUST DID IN OUR DRAFT. I
TIP RECOMMENDATIONS. WAS TO
REALLY PUT OUR THUMB ON CERTAIN
PROJECTS THAT NEEDED TO GET OVER
THE FUNDING FINISH LINE SO THAT
THEY WOULD SO THAT THEY WOULD
GET DELIVERED, RATHER THAN
SCATTERING THE MONEY TO FOUR OR
FIVE DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN THE
CORRIDOR, AND SO, LIKE WE HAVE
CERTAIN TOUCHPOINTS RIGHT NOW
THAT ARE KIND OF STATUTORILY
THERE THAT ARE PROCESSED THERE
AND BUILDING ON THAT WOULD BE A
PLACE TO START. THANK YOU. YEAH.
I MEAN, I'LL JUST SAY THAT I
THINK A LOT ABOUT THE PARALLELS
BETWEEN THIS TRANSPORTATION
REALM AND THE HOUSING REALM. SO
FOR A LONG TIME, THE STATE WOULD
JUST ACCEPT LOCAL CITIES.
HOUSING PLANS. THAT WAS WHATEVER
THEIR GENERAL PLAN SAID ABOUT
THEIR DESIRE TO ADD HOUSING OR
NOT HAD A HOUSING. AND THEN,
AFTER A WHILE, THE STATE SAID,
HEY, WE'RE NOT BUILDING ENOUGH
HOUSING AND WE WANT TO SEE
DIFFERENT RESULTS HERE AND HCG
HAS COME DOWN REALLY HARD AND
SAID, THIS IS WHAT YOUR PLANS
WILL HAVE IN IT. AND SO YOU
KNOW, THE IDEA OF SAYING WELL,
WHAT ARE THESE TRANSPORTATION
PLANS THAT ARE FILTERING UP?
WHAT ARE WE REQUIRING ARE IN
THEM, AND I MEAN TO ME, IT SEEMS
LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE MORE OF A
FOCUS ON THAT. BECAUSE IN ORDER
TO GET DIFFERENT RESULTS, UH,
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO BE DOING
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY,
SO I DID, YOU KNOW, HEAR THAT,
UM, WHEN JASON WAS SPEAKING THAT
YOU WERE SAYING WE ARE MEETING
MONTHLY? WE ARE COLLABORATING.
WE DO HAVE THESE THINGS IN THE
PIPELINE, BUT I GUESS WHAT I
WOULD LIKE TO BE HEARING IS I
THINK IF WE DID THIS, WE CAN SEE
THIS AND NOT NOT JUST KIND OF
BACKWARD LOOKING REFLECTION ON
THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HAVING
MONTHLY MEETINGS. BECAUSE I MEAN
CLEARLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR UP
HERE IS TO IMPROVE THINGS AND TO
SEE A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES IN
THIS AREA. AND SO THE IDEA OF
SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE TO GET
THE FEDERAL POTENTIAL FEDERAL
FUNDS AND ALSO TO IMPROVE
RIDERSHIP, UM, AND THE
COORDINATION WITH BOTH OPERATION
AND CAPITAL, YOU KNOW, WE JUST
WE NEED TO BE REALLY LASER
FOCUSED ON THAT IN ORDER TO GET
THOSE RESULTS. SO ANYWAY, THANK
YOU SO MUCH. EVERYBODY LET'S
LET'S HEAR THE PUBLIC COMMENT,
THOUGH, SO I'M GOING TO ASK
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK, COME
UP TO THE MICROPHONE HERE AND
STAND IN LINE AND I WILL CALL ON
YOU AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE
GETTING ON THE TRAIN TO ACTUALLY
RIDE DOWN ALONG THE CORRIDOR TO
SEE IT. SO I'M GOING TO WAIT TO
SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN LINE
HERE. YEAH. YEAH. 12 TIMES. WE
HAVE TO LEAVE HERE BUT TALK TO
HIM. 17 OKAY, LET'S DO TWO
MINUTES EACH. HELLO GOOD. PARDON
ME. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS
BRIAN UNITY. I'M THE VICE
PRESIDENT SOUTH, THE RAIL
PASSENGER ASSOCIATION OF
CALIFORNIA OR RAIL PACK AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH SENATORS FOR
HAVING THIS MEETING. EXCUSE ME
AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF SAN
CLEMENTE FOR HOSTING IT. AND ONE
LITTLE BIT OF HISTORICAL TRIVIA.
THE AMTRAK BILL. IN 1970 WAS
SIGNED INTO LAW HERE IN SAN
CLEMENTE BY PRESIDENT NIXON AT
HIS HOUSE NEXT TO THE LOW SAND
TRACK. UM BUT LET ME SHARE WITH
YOU SOME STATISTICS FROM THE
PORTAL SAN DIEGO FROM THE PAST
YEAR. THEY HANDLED ALMOST 100
AND 196,000 AUTOMOBILE MOVES ON
RAIL. THAT'S VERY VITAL, UM,
LINE OF BUSINESS FOR THE PORTAL
AND DIEGO. UM THEY ALSO HANDLED
2000 FREIGHT MOVES IN 2023. OR
SORRY. MILITARY FREIGHT RAIL
MOVES I SHOULD SAY THAT WORKS
OUT TO AT LEAST A FEW A DAY IS
ON THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR FROM
SAN DIEGO. UM BUT THE FOREST
STATIONS MOVING TO PASSENGER NOW
THE FOUR STATIONS IN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY UM HAD ALMOST 1 MILLION
PASSENGERS ON THE AMTRAK
SURFLINER IN 2022. THAT'S FISCAL
YEAR 2022 WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF
TROUBLE WITH THE TRACK THAT
STILL FACTORED IN THERE THAT
WORKS OUT TO ABOUT 3000 A DAY,
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF
THOSE ARE TRAVELING THROUGH
SANCTIMONY DATA POINT. UM,
BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE
GOING. BUT LET ME JUST CUT TO
THE CHASE. WE NEED TO HAVE A
DOUBLE TRACK ELECTRIFIED, FASTER
RAILWAY THE ENTIRE WAY BETWEEN
SAN DIEGO AND LOS ANGELES. WE
NEED TO HAVE A INLAND BYPASS
TUNNEL MOST LIKELY UNDERNEATH I
FIVE. THROUGH SAN CLEMENTE THE
BYPASS THAT BUT STILL MAINTAIN
THE TRACK DOWN TO SAN CLEMENTE
PIER AT THE SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
FOR LOCAL SERVICE. UM CALTRANS
NEEDS TO GET ON. UH GEOTECHNICAL
STUDIES WHAT THEY HAVE FOR I
FIVE. THERE'S A LOT OF
GEOTECHNICAL WORK NEEDS TO
BEGIN. WE SHOULD START THAT. AND
ALSO THE CALTRANS DIVISION OF
RAIL MASS TRANSPORTATION, WHICH
IS ELIMINATED THIS PAST YEAR.
NEEDS TO BE RESTORED. THANK YOU.
HI GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU.
CHAIR BLAKE SPEAR AND FELLOW
SENATORS FOR HOSTING THIS TODAY.
UM DENISE, ENOUGH. I'M WITH
SURFRIDER FOUNDATION. I'M WITH
THE SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER.
BUT SURFRIDER HAS ENGAGED IN
THIS ISSUE OF MOVING THE
RAILROAD AS A NATIONAL PRIORITY
CAMPAIGN. UM ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS. I, TOO
AM A D C NATIVE RODE THE METRO
ALL THE TIME ABOUT MISS KATZ'S
COMMENT ABOUT RAISING THE
RAILROAD THAT DOES CREATE
SUBSTANTIAL ISSUES WITH THE
RIPRAP AND RAISING THE RAILROAD.
WE ALREADY HAVE SIGNIFICANT
BEACH LOSS AT THE AREA IN SOUTH
SAN CLEMENTE AND IT ALSO, UM UM
UH, IT ALSO DENIES ACCESS TO THE
BEACH, WHICH IS A PUBLIC TRUST
ENTITY. AND OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS WE'VE WORKED WITH YOUR
OFFICES ON LAUSANNE, PRIMARILY
IN REGARDS TO DELMAR. WE FEEL
THAT THE PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE
MADE NOW TO MOVE THE RAILROAD
AND TO CREATE A STATE AGENCY OR
STATE ENTITY THAT WILL FOCUS
MORE ON, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZING
AND ACCELERATING. THE PROCESS.
ALSO OF NOTE WE, UM SURFRIDER
SENT IN LEGAL CORRESPONDENCE TO
THE STATE LANDS COMMISSION AS
TRUSTEE OF THE PUBLIC TRUST
BEACHES, AND WE FEEL THAT
DENYING, UM ACCESS TO THE TIDE
LANDS AND INFRINGING ON THOSE
TIDE LANDS AND THE BEACHES WITH
MASSIVE ARMORING AND LACK OF
ACCESS IMPEDES THE PUBLIC TRUST.
DOCTRINE UM AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE
ALSO FEEL THAT LIKE ALL PRIVATE
PROPERTY OR BUSINESS INTERESTS,
UM, LEAST FEES SHOULD BE PAID BY
THOSE ENTITIES AND THANK YOU FOR
YOUR CONSIDERATION. GOOD
MORNING. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS MARK FOLKS
CEVICHE FROM STREETS FOR ALL OUR
TRANSPORTATION LAND USE
ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS IN LOS
ANGELES AND THE LEGISLATURE
PROBABLY SUPPORTED SP 677 AND
CARDS ON THE TABLE. I WENT TO U.
C S B. I USED TO COMMUTE TO SAY
DIEGO FOR WORK VIA THE LESSON.
REAL CORRIDOR. UM SO ONE OF THE
THINGS I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET
OUT OF THIS IS THAT YOU ALL AS
OUR STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN
TAKE SOME LEVEL OF OWNERSHIP OF
THE STATE RAIL CORRIDOR. I DON'T
MEAN I MEAN, METAPHORICAL
OWNERSHIP. WHAT I MEAN IS THAT
SENATOR LEHMAN IF THERE IS AN
ISSUE IN LINK UNION STATION IN
LOS ANGELES, THAT IS AN INTEREST
OF SANTA BARBARA CONSTITUENTS
BECAUSE THAT IS PART OF THE
LOSING RAIL CORRIDOR. SENATOR
BLAKE SPEAR. IF THE GOALIE TO
TRAIN STATION IS HAVING AN ISSUE
THAT IS PART OF, I THINK YOUR
INTEREST IN THIS IN THIS
CORRIDOR AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN
BE THINKING ABOUT CORRIDOR AS A
AS A MEDIA ISSUE FOR ALL
RESIDENTS IN PROXIMITY OF IT. UM
AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS THE
SECOND BUSIEST RAIL CORRIDOR IN
THE COUNTRY DESPITE THE LACK OF
STRATEGIC AND COORDINATED
INVESTMENT, AND WHAT MY
ORGANIZATION WANTS TO DO IS PUSH
THE ENVELOPE FOR WHAT THIS
CORRIDOR CAN ACCOMPLISH. WE
BELIEVE THAT WITH THE RIGHT
INVESTMENTS, WE COULD HAVE THE
HIGHEST RIDERSHIP RAIL CORRIDOR
IN THE COUNTRY. WE NEED TO START
THINKING ABOUT THOSE RIGHT
INVESTMENTS. THIS IS A WORLD
WHERE THIS IS A HIGH SPEED RAIL
PROJECT IN THE FUTURE. AH LASTLY
I'LL JUST ADD THAT SO WE'RE
LACKING A UNIFYING GOVERNING
BODY TO DELIVER THE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND DELIVER THE
ELECTRIFICATION AND DELIVERED
THE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WE NEED
TO MAKE THIS A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE
CORRIDOR WITH A COORDINATED
COMMON VISION. STREETS FOR ALL
RAIL PACK AND CALIFORNIA'S FOR
AROUND ELECTRIC RAIL, OR LISA,
RELEASING A FORTHCOMING REPORT
THAT FOCUSES ON GOVERNANCE
REFORMS NEEDED AND OUR DOCUMENT
HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR AN
INDEPENDENT AND MISSION DRIVEN
GOVERNING BODY, MANY OF WHICH
ALIGNED WITH PROFESSIONAL
GIULIANO'S COMMENTS. AH WE ALSO
HAVE AN END OF THE END OF THE
DOCUMENT. WE ALSO HAVE A PROJECT
WITH MEASURABLE TO TRY TO
RESPOND TO THE PROJECTS OF
MEASURABLE, INCREMENTAL BENEFITS
THAT NEED TO BE IDENTIFIED. WE
HAVE A SHORT LIST OF MAJOR
CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE BELIEVE
ARE THE START OF THAT LIST ON
THE CAPITAL SIDE. INCLUDING IN
LENDING THE RAILROAD RAIL
CORRIDOR. LASTLY I'LL JUST SAY
THAT WE ECHO RAIL PACKS COMMENTS
THAT WERE JUST MADE BY PRIME
ENTITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HELLO
MY NAME IS LAURIE JURAND AND
WITH CAPITAL CARES AND I AM A
TECHNICAL PERSON WHILE I LIVE IN
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO HAVE COME TO
SAN CLEMENTE THIS MORNING TO
ENSURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND
CRITICAL FACTORS THAT SHOULD
COMPEL THE STATE TO TAKE ACTION
ON THIS DATA POINT SAN CLEMENTE
SEGMENT THIS WINTER. FIRST WHILE
YOU'RE APPROPRIATELY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE DISTANT FUTURE OF THE
SEGMENT BETWEEN SAN JUAN AND
OCEAN SIDE, IT'S AS THOUGH YOU
ARE STARING ACROSS THE STREET
WHILE STEPPING INTO IT AND
THEREFORE NOT SEEING THE SEMI
THAT'S ABOUT TO HIT YOU
SPECIFICALLY LAST YEAR, BOTH
HERE AND IN ENCINITAS. L NINO
RAINS CONTRIBUTED TO SIGNIFICANT
LANDSLIDES TRIGGERED THEM WAS
TRAINED VIBRATIONS. SECOND YOU
NEED TO KNOW THAT WHEN SANDY
SOIL BECOMES FILLED WITH WATER,
IT LOSES ITS FRICTION. THIS
WINTER TRAINED VIBRATIONS HAVE
THE POTENTIAL TO LEAD TO DEATHS,
EITHER OF RESIDENTS ON THE
BLUFFS, PEDESTRIANS BELOW THE
BLUFFS WORKERS ON THE TRACKS OR
TRAIN PASSENGERS. IF YOU DON'T
TRUST US, HIGHER GEOLOGIST NOW
TO PUT OUT SENSORS THIRD. WE
SHOULD ALL BE WORKING WITH
NUMBERS HERE. REAL DATA, WHICH
SITA'S KEEPING FROM YOU IN THE
PUBLIC PARTS OF THE LOSS AND
CORRIDOR MAY BE ESSENTIAL TO THE
PUBLIC. THIS SEGMENT IS SIMPLY
NOT. IT HAS NEITHER PASSENGER
TRAFFIC NOR MILITARY TRAFFIC TO
JUSTIFY ANY FURTHER INVESTMENT
AND CERTAINLY NOT MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. THE ONLY REASON THE
TRACKS REMAIN OPEN HERE IS
BECAUSE OCTA PROFITS OFF OF NON
ESSENTIAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT WE
KNOW THIS BECAUSE THE LINE HAS
BEEN SHUT DOWN OFF AND ON FOR
MONTHS OVER THE LAST YEAR, 251
DAYS AND ONLY SEE TA HAS BEEN
ADVERSELY AFFECTED FOURTH. YOU
NEED TO KNOW THERE ARE
APPROXIMATELY 400 RESIDENTIAL
PROPERTIES, SOME MULTI FAMILY
ABOVE THE TRACKS THIS WINTER,
SAN CLEMENTE WILL BE GROUND ZERO
OF WHETHER THE STATE INTERVENES
AND BLUFF TOP PRESIDENTIAL
DESTRUCTION OR WHETHER THE
GOVERNOR AND THIS COMMITTEE WILL
COME TO TOUR A DISASTER AREA. TO
KEEP THIS SEGMENT RUNNING UNTIL
THE GOVERNMENT FINISHES CROSSING
THE STREET. ET EXPECTS TO
OBLITERATE THE COASTAL
ENVIRONMENT, THOUGH YOU SERVE ON
THIS SUBCOMMITTEE, YOU'RE
BEHOLDEN NOT TO THE TRAIN
INTERESTS AND THEIR MARKETING
ILLUSION OF AN ESSENTIAL TRAIN
CORRIDOR NOT TO HAVE MYSTICAL
PIPE DREAM OF MASS TRANSIT IN
THE DISTANT FUTURE. THANK YOU,
LAURIE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA AND TO WHAT
REMAINS OF OUR COASTAL
ENVIRONMENT. THANK YOU. A LITTLE
TALLER. GOOD MORNING, TONY
NELSON, FOUNDER OF CAPITAL CARES
FIRST LET ME EXPRESS MY
DISAPPOINTMENT IN YOUR REFUSAL
TO LET US SHOW POWER POINT
SLIDES TODAY YOU NEED TO LISTEN
TO THE PUBLIC AND WE HAVE PHOTOS
THAT WILL DEVASTATE SHOW YOU THE
DEVASTATION THAT IS COMING HERE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL MYTHS THAT
HAVE BEEN PERPETRATED ABOUT THIS
SEGMENT THAT MUST BE CHALLENGED.
MYTH ONE IS RIDERSHIP. TRAINS
RUNNING BETWEEN SAN JUAN AND
OCEAN SIDE ARE VIRTUALLY EMPTY
EVERY DAY. PER AMTRAK AND
METROLINK WEBSITES. THEY
GENERALLY RUN AT 0 TO 10% OF
CAPACITY. THE FORMER CEO OF
METROLINK HIMSELF PROPOSED THAT
WE SHOULD EXPLORE TRUNCATING
SOME OCEANSIDE SERVICE AT IRVINE
. HE SAID THIS IN 2017 BEFORE
THE PANDEMIC. ALL THE LOSS AND
AGENCIES RANKED NEAR THE BOTTOM
OF INDUSTRY, RIDERSHIP
STATISTICS. SO HOW CAN YOU SAY
THAT? THIS IS THE SECOND BUSIEST
RAIL CORRIDOR IN THE COUNTRY?
THIS IS NOT TRUE. YOU NEED SOME
DATA. THE FACTS SIMPLY DON'T
SUPPORT IT. MYTH TWO IS FREIGHT
$1 BILLION IN FREIGHT IS MOVED
ALONG THIS VULNERABLE COAST
ANNUALLY. THAT MAY SOUND LIKE A
LOT, BUT IT'S 0.04% TOTAL
CALIFORNIA FREIGHT. IT IS
INSIGNIFICANT. LAST YEAR'S
FREQUENT STOPPAGES CAUSED NO
DISCERNIBLE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
MYTH THREE MILITARY USE. IT'S
JUST NOT HAPPENING. WOULD CAMP
PENDLETON REALLY SEND VALUABLE
MILITARY EQUIPMENT ALONG TRACKS
THAT ARE REGULARLY SWAMPED WITH
WAVES AND MOVED 29 INCHES LAST
YEAR? ACCORDING TO A SAN DIEGO
UNION TRIBUNE ARTICLE LAST
OCTOBER AND MILITARY SPOKESMAN
SAID THE CLOSURES WOULD HAVE
LITTLE TO NO IMPACT BECAUSE MOST
MILITARY EQUIPMENT IS MOVED ON
TRUCKS. THIS IS FICTION. THIS
COASTAL CORRIDOR IS DOOMED. WE
HAVE WAVES HITTING TRAINS ON ONE
SIDE AND BLUFF SLIDING ON THE
OTHER. WHY DON'T YOU GET THIS
PICTURE? EFFORTS TO PRESERVE IT
WILL DESTROY MORE OF OUR BEACHES
. YOU'VE ALREADY DESTROYED SOME
ELIMINATE MORE PUBLIC ACCESS,
DAMAGE OUR TOURIST ECONOMY AND
POTENTIALLY TRIGGER MORE
LANDSLIDES. IT'S TIME TO GET
REAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
TONY. AND JUST TO MAKE A NOTE
THAT YOUR POWERPOINT WILL BE
PART OF THE RECORD, AND IT WAS
ACTUALLY REFERRED TO BY MY
COLLEAGUE AND IT WILL BE
PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE. AND
IT'S ALSO PART OF ALL THE
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS PACKETS. GO
AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME
IS MIKE BARNES AND I'M 23 YEAR
RESIDENT IN SAN CLEMENTE. I
THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THREE
BASIC FACTS. SEA LEVELS RISING.
THANK HIM AND HIS BEACHES ARE
NARROWING AND THESE TRAINS GO
THROUGH UNSTABLE BLUFFS. TO DEAL
WITH THE SEA LEVEL RISE AND
NARROWING BEACHES. THE RAILROAD
HAS AND CONTINUES TO DUMP ROCK
AND RIP RIP ON THE BEACH, AND
WE'RE DESTROYING PART OF OUR
BEACH. SHORT CLIPS IS ALMOST
COMPLETELY GONE. NORTH BEACH HAS
GONE AND WHAT I'M AFRAID IS THAT
THIS CONTINUES THERE WON'T BE
ANY BEACHES. UM ROMANIA IN THE
FUTURE, UM, TO DEAL WITH THE
UNSTABLE BLUFFS, THE REBEL JUST
WAIT FOR THE BLUFF TO FAIL AND
THEN GOES IN AND TRY TO DO
THROUGH MEDIATION. IN THE LAST
ONE OR TWO YEARS SPENT $23
MILLION. JUST TRYING TO REPAIR
TWO BLUFFS. THE BEST LONG TERM
SOLUTION, I THINK IS WE NEED TO
MOVE THE TRAIN OFF THE BLUFFS,
UM AND FIND ANOTHER LOCAL
OFFERED OFF THE BEACH AND FIND
ANOTHER LOCATION FOR WE COULD
SPEND TENS OR HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVER THE
NEXT PERIOD OF TIME TRYING TO
STABILIZE THESE BLUFFS. BUT
MOTHER NATURE WILL WIN AND WILL
EVENTUALLY HAVE TO MOVE. IT
TRACKS OFF THE BLAST. SO I
APPRECIATE THE COMMITTEE BEING
HERE, TOO INSANE COMMITTEE. THEY
LISTEN TO US, AND I HOPE PART OF
THE LONG RANGE PLANNING IS THE
IS THE MOVE THE TRAIN OFF THE
OFF THE BEACH. WE CAN MOVE THE
TRACKS, BUT SAN CLEMENTE CAN'T
MOVE HIS BEACH. WE HAVE NOWHERE
ELSE TO GO. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, MICHAEL. MADAM. SURE I'M
GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE IN A SECOND,
BUT I WILL BE TUNING INTO THE
REST OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON ON THE
DRIVE. SO I'LL BE LISTENING.
THANK YOU. HELLO YES, MY NAME IS
AMANDA KING GENIA AND I'M SAYING
COMEDY RESIDENT OF OVER 50 YEARS
I AM SUPPORTIVE OF MAINTAINING
THE RAILROAD LINE ON OUR COAST
VALUED THE IMPORTANCE OF
RAILROADS FOR IT'S SIGNIFICANT
IN THE IN THE MILITARY FOR
MILITARY USE, FREIGHT TRANSPORT,
ECONOMIC, HEALTH AND RIDERSHIP
REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GASSES
AND BMT REDUCTION. UM, WE HAVE A
SANCTION. SORRY. UM. I'VE BEEN
VERY ACTIVE IN ORANGE COUNTY,
ESPECIALLY FIGHTING AGAINST THE
T SAY PLANS FOR TOLL ROADS THAT
WOULD GO THROUGH CENTRAL, MANY
WITH ALONG WITH FORMER SENATOR
PAT BATES AND MARY KATHY WARD
AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF
WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH O C T
A AND REGARDING THOSE PLANS AS
WELL, UM I'VE BEEN STRONG
OPPOSITION OF ANY PLANS THAT
WOULD GO UNDER, OVER OR NEXT TO
THE I FIVE. SINCE OUR LAND IS
UNSTABLE, RELATED TO SAND, UM,
AND A FAULT, LION THAT IS NEXT
TO THE I FIVE WHEN THE I FIVE
EXPANDED NORTH OF ANITA PICO AND
SAN CLEMENTE. THIS CAUSED
PROBLEMS WITH THE FOUNDATIONS OF
THE HOME ALONG THE I. FIVE ST
ANDREW'S CHURCH WAS WHICH IS
ABOVE AVENIDA PICO HAS HAD
LANDSLIDES AS RESULT OF MONTEREY
LAND FORMATION. I'M GLAD THAT,
UM ONE OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES
MENTIONED CAUSE ROMANTIC AND
STATEMENT FOR SURES. I WAS
INFORMED BY THE CITY MANAGER OF
SAN CLEMENTE THAT, UM, THE THERE
IS TWO ARTESIAN WELLS. ONE
ARTESIAN WELL AT CASA ROMANTICA
THAT CAUSED THAT ALSO BECAUSE OF
THE SAND THAT WAS IN THE SOIL,
AND THE WATER LEAK IS A RESULT
OF AN ARTESIAN WELL, JUST AS THE
CYPRUS SHORTS. THERE'S PROBLEMS
WITH THE PUMP. THERE WAS A WATER
LEAK, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO AN
UNDERGROUND ARTIST. ASIAN WELL.
AT SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL GOLF
COURSE. SO I THINK THAT WE OR I
THINK THE EXPERT SHOULD LOOK
INTO, UH REPEAT DOING A PUMP OR
LOOK INTO A STUDY REGARDING
THOSE ARTESIAN WELLS. AND TO
OFFSET THAT PROBLEM. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. HI
I'M DR SUSIE WHITELAW OF SAVE
OUR BEACHES. SAN CLEMENTE, AND
WE'RE AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP
THAT ACTUALLY DOES SUPPORT
HAVING OUR TRACKS ON THE SAND.
UM WE APPRECIATE BEING A PUBLIC
TRANSIT FRIENDLY BEACH. WE LIKE
IT THAT WE'RE THE ONLY PLACE IN
CALIFORNIA WHERE SOMEONE FROM
THE INNER CITY CAN GET ON THE
TRAIN AND END UP DROPPED OFF
RIGHT ON THE SAND. UM HOWEVER,
THE CTS 2021 RAIL DEFENSE
AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE THEIR
OPTIONS THAT WERE PROPOSED IN
THAT ARE REALLY OUTDATED AND
UNACCEPTABLE. IT'S HUGE PILES OF
ROCK AND THEN A 12 FT HIGH
VERTICAL CONCRETE SEAWALL.
THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE ON OUR
BEACHES. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS.
I'M ACTUALLY GEOLOGIST PROFESSOR
OF OCEANOGRAPHY. AND THE BEACH.
YOU YOU CONSIDER. IT'S KIND OF A
BALANCE BETWEEN SAND BEING
DEPOSITED ON THE BEACH AND WAVE
ENERGY THAT THAT WASHES THE SAND
AWAY AND YOU CAN ADDRESS IT IN
ONE WAY BY PUTTING SAND BACK ON
AND STARTING ON FRIDAY, OUR CITY
IS STARTING TO DO THAT, AND IN
ONE LOCATION AROUND THE PIER, UM
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER WAY OF
ATTACKING THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS
GOING OFFSHORE AND CREATING AN
ARTIFICIAL REEF. AND WHAT
HAPPENS THERE IS THAT THE WAVES
FIRST CRASH AGAINST THE REEF,
AND IT REDUCES THE WAVE ENERGY.
AND SO BY THE TIME THE WAVE HITS
THE ACTUAL SAND, THERE'S MUCH
LESS WAVE ENERGY TO ERODE THE
SAND. THIS HELPS US TO MAINTAIN
OUR SAND, AND IT'S THOSE WIDE
SANDY BEACHES THAT ACTUALLY
PROTECTED THOSE RAILS FOR ALMOST
150 YEARS. AND SO IF WE CAN GET
THOSE WIDE, SANDY BEACHES BACK
KEEP THEM AND MAINTAIN THEM.
IT'S A CLIMATE RESILIENCE
PROJECT, NOT ONLY THAT WILL
BENEFIT AND IMPACT THE RAIL LINE
, BUT ALSO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY
OF SAN CLEMENTE. AND SO WE WOULD
LIKE THAT TO BE CONSIDERED AS AS
ONE OF THE OPTIONS AND THE
STUDIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
DR SUSIE. OH, BY LONGTIME
LISTENER FIRST TIME CALLER HERE,
SO I WAS THE PERSON THAT SENATOR
BLAKE SPARROWS, REFERRING TO
THAT TOOK THE TRAIN AND BIKE
TEAR FROM SAN DIEGO THIS MORNING
, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT
FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, NOT
JUST THE LOSS AND CORRIDOR, BUT
THE TRANSIT SERVICES THAT
CONNECT TO IT OUR LIFELINE, UM,
JUST WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS AND
HELPING TO TRY AND GET KIDS
RIDING THE BUS AND TROLLEY IN
SAN DIEGO. WHAT I FOUND IS THAT
PROGRAMS LIKE METROLINK STUDENT
ADVENTURE. YOUR PAST. WE
MENTIONED A LOT OF FARE
INTEGRATION THAT THEY'RE DOING
REALLY KIND OF OPENS UP THE
REGION. TO THEM. UM AND SO FOR
ALL OF THIS, WE NEED TO REMEMBER
THAT DISCRETIONARY RIDERS ARE A
MASSIVE WRITER BASE AND, UM, SO
ARE ESSENTIAL WRITERS. WE NEED
TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A RIDERSHIP
STRATEGY THAT DOESN'T PRIORITIZE
ONE CLASS OF RIDERS OVER THE
OTHER. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE CREATE A SYSTEM THAT WORKS
FOR EVERYONE. AND SO THAT MEANS
TRAINS THAT RUN FAST, FREQUENTLY
ALL DAY AND SAFELY. WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE MOVE OUR
TRACKS OFF THE BLUFF. I SUPPORT
EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID BY
STREETS FOR ALL RAIL PACK BOTH
GREAT ORGANIZATIONS. WE'VE GOTTA
GET OUR TRACKS OFF THE BLUFF,
AND WE GOT TO MAKE SURE IT STAYS
THIS ESSENTIAL LIFELINE FOR OUR
COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. GOOD
MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR
HOLDING THIS HEARING. I'M JOHN
DOE WITH SAVE OUR BEACHES. SAN
CLEMENTE. HEARD THE TERMS
EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
MENTIONED TODAY. I'D ALSO LIKE
TO ADD ENVIRONMENTALLY
RESPONSIBLE. I'M A REALIST, AND
I RECOGNIZE THAT IN THE SHORT TO
MEDIUM TERM, THE RAIL LINE IS
GOING TO EXIST WHERE IT IS,
HOWEVER, HERE IN SAN CLEMENTE
OCTA MAINTAINS THIS RAIL LINE
AND THEY SIMPLY CAN'T BE ALLOWED
TO DESTROY VALUABLE COASTAL
RESOURCES TO PROTECT RAIL
INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN SUPERIOR
MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND
THOUGHTFUL SOLUTIONS EXIST. THE
MEAN HIGH TIDE LINE HAS RISEN.
BUT TO DATE, THE SCIENCE
INDICATE THIS IS NOT DUE TO A
RISING SEA LEVEL, BUT DUE TO AN
ERODING COAST RESULTING FROM
HUMAN CAUSE SEDIMENT, DEPRIVING
ACTIVITIES. THE SEDIMENT IS
ESSENTIAL FOR THE NATURAL
REPLENISHMENT OF SAND AND THE
MAINTENANCE OF A SUFFICIENT
SANDY BEACH BUFFER. IT IS THE
SANDY BEACH BUFFER THAT HAS
HISTORICALLY PROTECTED OCTUS
TRACKS IN SAN CLEMENTE. IT IS
THE BEACH THAT INSULATES THE
TRACKS FROM WAVE OVERTOPPING AND
TRACK UNDERMINING FROM THE WEST
AND FORMS OF VITAL BLUFF TOE
SUPPORT TO THE EAST, WHICH
PREVENTS LANDSLIDES. SANDRA
PUNISHMENT RETENTION. USED TO BE
A PART OF OCTUS INFRASTRUCTURE
PROTECTION EFFORTS, AND THEY
NEED TO LEAD IN THIS EFFORT NOT
FOLLOW THE HISTORIC PRACTICE OF
WAITING FOR AN UNLIVABLE CRISIS,
CALLING AN EMERGENCY AND DUMPING
MASS QUANTITIES OF BOULDERS ON
THE COAST AND THEREBY FOREVER
DESTROYING VALUABLE COASTAL
RESOURCES IS WRONG AND
IRRESPONSIBLE. IN MANY LEVELS.
I'M ASKING OC TA IS A TAXPAYER
FUNDED EDITING TO ACT
PROACTIVELY. AND RESPONSIBLY TO
PROTECT THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE
WITH SAND, NOT BOULDERS. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN. GOOD
MORNING, SENATOR. BIKE SPACE
INDUSTRY MONTH. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR COMING DOWN AND ALSO TO
SENATOR ISLAND IF YOU CAN HEAR
ME, PAUL DYSON WITH RAIL PACK,
UM, SINCE 1980 ADVOCATING FOR
THIS CORRIDOR AND LIVING ON THIS
CORRIDOR. AND ATTENDED MANY
MEETINGS AND SEEN THE DELIVERY
OF MANY, MANY, MANY STUDIES AND
SEEN VERY LITTLE ACTION. THE
CURRENT ORGANIZATION IS A
FAILURE. IT'S NOT A FAILURE
BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE IN IT.
IT'S A FAILURE BECAUSE OF THE
WAY IT WAS SET UP. IN THE 19
EIGHTIES. WE GOT A LOT DONE.
SACRAMENTO PLUS PEOPLE SUCH AS
YOURSELVES YOUR PREDECESSORS IN
ELECTED OFFICE, UM, ORGANIZED
ADDITIONAL TRAINS WITH AMTRAK
AND STARTED SERVICE TO SANTA
BARBARA, WHICH WASN'T THERE
BEFORE. WELL PACKED DID THAT.
KIND OF DIVISION OF RAIL AND
SACRAMENTO DID THAT NOT THE
COUNTIES IN THE NINETIES, THE
COUNTY'S THOUGHT THEY KNEW
BETTER IN THE NINETIES, THEY
THOUGHT THAT LOCAL CONTROL WAS
THE ANSWER TO ALL TO SOLVING
THESE PROBLEMS, WHEREAS THE REAL
PROBLEM WAS THAT THERE WAS
INSUFFICIENT CAPITAL INVESTMENT
TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP IN
IMPROVING THIS CORRIDOR, SO WHAT
WE HAVE NOW IS A COMPLETE MESS.
AND PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THE
GENTLEMAN HERE THIS MORNING WHO
WAS TRYING TO COME HERE FROM SAN
DIEGO? IN 2002. I WROTE AN
EDITORIAL IN OUR MAGAZINE STEEL
WHEELS TALKING ABOUT THE BERLIN
WALL IN OCEANSIDE. WHAT WHERE
THE TRAINS COME INTO OCEAN SIDE
FROM NORTH AND FROM SOUTH AND
DON'T CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER.
THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE
INEFFICIENCY IN THIS CORRIDOR
CAUSED BY THE POOR
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. WE
NEED A SINGLE ORGANIZATION NOT
TO DO MORE STUDIES BUT TO
IMPLEMENT STUDIES AND TO GIVE US
THE KIND OF SERVICE THAT THE TWO
LARGEST CITIES IN THE STATE
NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER EIGHT IN
THE NATION DESERVE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU.
HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS STEVE
QUIRK AND I'M ONE OF THE
FOUNDERS OF THE SURF LINE TRAIL
PROJECT, WHICH IS SEEKING TO
CONVERT THIS STRUGGLING PORTION
OF THE LOW CENTER RAIL LINE FROM
SAN CLEMENTE TO SAN DIEGO INTO A
61 MILE COASTAL WALKING AND
BIKING TRAIL. WE BELIEVE THIS
TRAIL WOULD HAVE 10 TIMES THE
USAGE OF THE CURRENT RAIL LINE
AND DO A MUCH GREATER JOB OF
GETTING CARS OFF THE ROAD AND
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED REDUCED
WHILE PROVIDING AN AMAZING
RESOURCE. THESE COMMUNITIES FOR
THESE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE
INSPIRATION FOR THIS VISION IS,
OF COURSE, THE NEW YORK HIGH
LINE AND THE ATLANTA BELTLINE,
WHICH HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE
TRAILS TO THOSE REGIONS, AND
THOSE WERE PREVIOUSLY VIBRANT
RAIL LINES AT ONE POINT, BUT
WE'RE STRUGGLING. BUT THOSE, OF
COURSE, AREN'T THE ONLY RAIL
TRAIL CONVERSIONS THE WASHINGTON
D. C BASED RAIL TWO TRAILS,
CONSERVANCIES HAS HELPED CONVERT
2000 DIFFERENT ABANDONED ARE
STRUGGLING RAIL LINES TOTALING
OVER 25,000 MILES LONG. EVERYONE
LOVES A TRAIL, INCLUDING. I
IMAGINE MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN
THIS ROOM. I KNOW SOME OF YOU
MAY SCOFF AT THIS IDEA, BUT WHEN
WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE LARGER
PICTURE OF THE CHALLENGES OF
THIS SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE
LOOSEN RAIL LINE THE TRAIL
BECOMES MORE FEASIBLE AND
ATTRACTIVE IDEA AND PERHAPS EVEN
INEVITABLE. THE PRIMARY
CHALLENGE OF THE COASTAL TRAIN,
OF COURSE, IS THE PROSPECT OF
BUILDING MASSIVE, EXPENSIVE AND
RISKY 2.5 MILE TUNNEL IN DELMAR
AND A 10 MILE TUNNEL HERE IN SAN
CLEMENTE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT
RIDERSHIP IS SO LOW, WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT 90 FRONT 500 DAILY
RIDERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE 350
MILE LENGTH. THE SAN DIEGO
PORTION IS ONLY 3500 DAILY
RIDERS. THIS IS A TINY NUMBER.
RELATIVELY SPEAKING. THE
COMPARATIVE I FIVE HIGHWAY
STRETCH CARRIES 250 TIMES MORE
PEOPLE. IN FACT, MOST PEOPLE
WOULD BE SURPRISED TO NOTE THAT
THE LAUSANNE LAUSANNE CARRIES
ABOUT HALF THE PEOPLE IT DID 20
YEARS AGO. IT'S HALF OF WHAT IT
WAS 20 YEARS AGO. JUST THE
AMTRAK SURFLINER PORTION.
LAUSANNE PROJECTED THAT
RIDERSHIP WOULD GROW EXCELLENT.
SORRY, YOUR TIME IS UP. THANKS
1000. BUT IT'S NOT THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON,
SENATOR FLAKE SPIRIT, DAN QUIRK.
I'M A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE
CITY OF DELMAR SPEAKING ON MY
OWN BEHALF, AND THERE ARE A LOT
OF GREAT COMMENTS TODAY
PARTICULARLY WANT TO FOCUS ON
THE RIDERSHIP NUMBERS. I'VE
ATTENDED A LOT OF MEETINGS FOR
SANDBAG SITA. AND I'M PLEASED TO
BE HERE TODAY THAT WE'RE
SHEDDING COMMUNITY INTEREST ON
THIS ISSUE. THE RIDERSHIP IS
INCREDIBLY LOW, AND I BELIEVE
THAT THE LOCAL AGENCIES HERE IN
CALIFORNIA WHETHER IT'S LOW
SAND, SANDBAG OCTA. THEY ARE
COURTING DRAMATIC RISK BY
BASICALLY USING SIGNIFICANTLY
FALSE AND MISLEADING STATEMENTS.
IF YOU GET BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN FEDERAL FUNDING, AND ITS
LATER DETERMINED THAT IT WAS
BASED ON FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT
RIDERSHIP, SECOND BUSIEST RAIL
CORRIDOR, THERE'S NO WAY THIS IS
ANYWHERE CLOSE TO SECOND BUSIEST
. THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE WHEN THE
TRAINS ARE MOSTLY EMPTY. THERE'S
A VERY REAL RISK THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL COME
BACK, INVESTIGATE AND CLAW BACK
THAT MONEY. AND THEN THE LOCAL
AGENCIES ARE REALLY IN A STICKY
WICKET. SO THAT IS A HUGE RISK.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO THINK WE CAN
GET THE MONEY FROM THE FEDS
RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE WILL BE A
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCE. SO I WANT
EVERYONE TO RECOGNIZE THAT RISK
AS THE EARLIER SPEAKER SPOKE, A
TRAIL ALONG THE COAST HERE COULD
BE ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR AND
SOLVE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DAN. THE
BRAKES BETTER. GOOD MORNING
MORNING TO EVERYONE. THAT'S
THERE. GOOD MORNING. FIRST I'D
LIKE TO SAY I'M A SUPPORTER OF
MANY OPTIONS. I REMEMBER GOING
TO SCHOOL AND MY TEACHER SAID
WHENEVER YOU'RE GOING OUT, YOU
SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE MORE THAN ONE
OPTION. SO THE TREND LINE IS AN
OPTION. AND PRIVATE VEHICLE IS
AN OPTION. WE SHOULD NOT
ERADICATED ONE FOR THE NEXT WE
ALSO KNOW THAT PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION. IS A MAIN
FACTOR. IN PREVENTING ABOUT OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS. SO THE
PRIVILEGE THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING
FORWARD ARE THE SOLUTION IS THAT
THE TRAINS ARE A BIT HUGE, THE
WAY THEY WERE MADE THEM. THEY
WERE BIG VEHICLES. THERE WAS
POWERFUL. WE SEE THEM EVERY DAY.
ONE SOLUTION CAN BE MAKING THE
TRAINS MUCH LIGHTER. OR MIXING
BETWEEN HEAVY REAL AND LIGHT
REAL, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A TRAIN
COME DOWN EIGHT O'CLOCK. YOU CAN
HAVE A LIGHT RAIL COMING UP. BY
830. INSTEAD OF GET. WE CAN HAVE
TRAILS TO SAN DIEGO. WE CAN HAVE
THE TRAIN TO SAN DIEGO AND WE
CAN HAVE OUR CARS. A PART OF THE
TRAIN IS THAT IF I COULD TAKE
THE TRAIN THIS MORNING UP HERE,
I WOULD NOT HAVE DRIVEN I WOULD
HAVE TAKEN THE TRAINING THAT I
REALIZED IF I CAN GRAB THE TREE
AND DON'T BACK, THAT'S WHAT I
WOULD HAVE DONE. THERE'S NO WAY
I'M GOING TO SAY HEY, TOTALLY
ERADICATE THE TRAIN. BUT WHAT
AGAINST FOR A SOLUTION? WE CAN
LOOK AT THE DESIGN ON THE WALL.
AND WE CAN SAY THAT'S A PRETTY
BAD DESIGN. INSTEAD YOU RUN THE
TRAIN ON THE TOP OF THE HILL.
YOU GO JOE THE THING AND GO JOB.
I THINK I KNOW YOU HAVE TWO WAYS
TO CREATE LANDSLIDE WON OVER BY
THE BEACH THERE AND ONE OF THE
ABOVE THE TRAIN TRACK. SO I
THINK THAT IF EVERYONE WHO IS IN
THE SOLUTION PROCESS LOOK FOR
SOLUTION. AND LOOK AT THE THINGS
THAT ARE THE PROBLEMS SUCH AS
ITS TRAIN LINE BEING UNDER BEACH
IN CERTAIN AREAS, NOT EVERYWHERE
CERTAIN AREAS MOVE THOSE AREAS
INLAND RATHER THAN SAYING
TOTALLY ERADICATING THE TRAIN.
BECAUSE THE PROBLEM THAT'S GOING
TO COME FROM THAT YOU MAY NOT
SEE THAT NOTE. WHAT DO YOU SEE
WHEN THE TRAIN IS GONE? AND THAT
IS WHAT I RECOMMEND USING ALL
THE OPTIONS. AND FINDING A
SOLUTION IN THAT WAY. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK
YOU. MY NAME IS STEVE STEWART
AND I'M, A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF
SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY LIVING IN
DANA POINT. UM I HAD PLANNED TO
MAKE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE LOW
RIDERSHIP AND THE INCREDIBLE
COSTS THAT WERE INCURRING
ENVIRONMENTALLY, BOTH WITH
FOLLOWING SLOPES, AND
PARTICULARLY WITH THE COASTAL
EROSION EFFECTS THAT COME FROM
ARMORING THE RAILTRACK TO KEEP
IT VIABLE. I THINK A LOT OF
PEOPLE HAVE MADE BETTER POINTS
ABOUT THAT, SO I WILL. I'LL KEEP
THAT DOWN. I WON'T GO THROUGH
THAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER
THAT THE POPULATION,
PARTICULARLY IN SOUTH ORANGE
COUNTY, IS DEMONSTRABLY GETTING
OLDER COHORT OF PEOPLE BETWEEN
25 AND 40 DEPRECIATED ABOUT 35%
WHILE THE WHILE THE COHORT OF
PEOPLE OVER 65 WENT UP BY 35.
OVER THE 10 YEARS ENDING IN 2020
. WHAT THAT POINTS OUT IS THAT
THAT RAIL COMMUTERS DON'T LIVE
HERE, AND RAIL COMMUTERS DON'T
NEED COMMITTING RESOURCES AND.
WE NEED TO. THERE'S A LOT OF
ASPIRATION THAT'S EXPRESSED IN
THESE CONVERSATIONS. I HEARD A
WOMAN SAY THAT WE JUST NEED TO
MARKET THE COMMUTER TRAIN ASPECT
OF COASTAL RAIL MORE AND THEN
MORE PEOPLE WILL COME BACK TO
IT. UM WE ALL GROW UP WITH THE
MYSTICISM OF TRAINS AND HOW
WONDERFUL THEY ARE IN OUR HEADS.
UM I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE
LOOK AT THE REALITY AND
UNDERSTAND THAT MAYBE IT'S JUST
NOT FEASIBLE TO HAVE RAIL
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAN JUAN
CAPISTRANO AND SAN DIEGO, EVEN
THOUGH LOW SANTA'S SUPER BUSY
IT'S JUST NOT BUSY THERE, AND
IT'S TIME TO LET GO OF THAT IDEA
. IF IT DOESN'T WORK NOW, IT
WON'T WORK BY SPENDING $20
BILLION ON TUNNELS IN DELMAR AND
SAN CLEMENTE. MAYBE IT'S JUST
TIME TO FORGET ABOUT IT. THANK
YOU, STEVE. MADAM CHAIR. MY NAME
IS DAVID MARTINEZ, AND I'M A
COSTA MESA RESIDENT AND A USC
STUDENT. I GOT HERE TODAY BY
USING THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR AND
JUST WANT TO ALSO EXPRESSED MY
FRUSTRATIONS WITH USING THIS
SERVICE THAT IS MEANT AS A
COMMUTER SERVICE. I REALLY DO
THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A
UNIFIED REGIONAL RAIL SYSTEM AND
I EMPHASIZE THE WORD REGIONAL
AND COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM. LIKE
SOMETIMES WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
REGIONAL IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT
WORD, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT
WE CAN BE HAMPERED BY CERTAIN
LOCAL INTERESTS THAT MAY WANT TO
PREVENT SOME GREAT THINGS FROM
HAPPENING FOR THE ENTIRE
CORRIDOR, SO WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE FOCUS ON BENEFITS
TO THE REGION AT LARGE. I ALSO
KNOW THAT WE NEED MORE PASSENGER
INTEGRATION WITH AMTRAK
METROLINK COASTER THE SPRINTER
AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE IS GOING
ON IN THIS CORRIDOR? IT'S PRETTY
CONFUSING TO THE AVERAGE RIDER
TO KNOW HOW TO USE THIS NETWORK.
AND BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN
THE BAY AREA WITH THEIR SEAMLESS
BAY AREA CAMPAIGN, WE KNOW THAT
A BETTER INTEGRATION SYSTEM IS
NEEDED AND HOPEFULLY POSSIBLE
BASED ON SOME OTHER SYSTEMS THAT
WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE GLOBE. AND
I ALSO THINK THAT WE NEED TO
FURTHER ENCOURAGE INTEGRATION
WITH LOCAL TRANSIT SERVICES SUCH
AS METRO L, A METRO AND TO THE
LAGOON IN AGAIN MISSION VIEJO
STATION WHERE I GOT OFF TODAY
OFF THE TRAIN DOES NOT EVEN HAVE
A OCTA BUS CONNECTION. SO THIS
IS OBVIOUSLY A WAY THAT WE CAN
ENCOURAGE FURTHER RIDERSHIP ON
THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR SO THAT WE
CAN BRING MORE WRITERS IN, USE
THE CORRIDOR AND BUILD UP TO
WHAT IT CAN BE. THANK YOU. HMM.
HELLO MY NAME IS YUSUF KADDISH.
I'M PART OF A STRONG TONS OF CIA
COALITION WIDE. UM A COUNTYWIDE
COALITION OF MOBILITY ADVOCATES.
UH, HERE IN ORANGE COUNTY. I
ECHO A LOT OF THE SENTIMENTS, UH
, BY RAIL PACKED STREETS FRAUD.
IT'S ESSENTIAL TO PROTECT AND
ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF SERVICE
HERE. I ALSO OWE DAVID'S
COMMENTS ON ENSURING THAT WE CAN
ACHIEVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL ON
A REGION IF WE CONCENTRATE ON
YOU KNOW WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL
TO ACHIEVE SOME GOOD PUBLIC GOOD
HERE IF WE FOCUS ON THE ASPECT.
UM HIGHER RIDERSHIP IS
CONDITIONED CONTINGENTS WITH
HIGH QUALITY SERVICE. WE CAN'T
DISINVEST AND THEN THROW THE
BABY OUT OF THE WATER. BUT AND
BY BLAMING LOW RIDERSHIP, SO
THERE IS A STRONG DESIRE OF WHAT
I CALL THE SILENT MAJORITY OF
THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD BE WRITING
TRANSIT, BUT IT IS PURELY A
MATTER OF CONVENIENCE. I ALSO
BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO RETHINK
THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND
MORE, GIVING THE STATE MORE
UNILATERAL POWER TO ENSURE THE
VIABILITY AND QUALITY OF SERVICE
ON LOW SAND IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE
CHANGE, WITH MOST OF THE
MISSIONS IN THE STATE COMING
FROM TRANSPORTATION QUALITY, THE
QUALITY OF RAIL SERVICE IS
ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL, AND IT DOES
TRICKLE DOWN TO EVERY LOCAL
AGENCIES ABILITY TO REDUCE GHG
EMISSIONS. I URGE YOU TO ENSURE
THE SHORT TERM SALUTE VIABILITY
OF LAWSON AND, UH, MAXIMIZE
PUBLIC INTERESTS OF THE REGION
AS A WHOLE. THANKS. HI I'M SAD.
I'M A LOCAL RESIDENT, AND I JUST
WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT NOT
AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTATION IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SUFFERS
FROM A SERIOUS CONDITION OF
JURISDICTIONAL FRAGMENTATION.
WHETHER IT IS THE INABILITY TO
TAKE THE TRAIN DIRECTLY FROM AN
EXCLUSIVELY METROLINK STATION TO
AN EXCLUSIVELY COASTER STATION,
SOMETHING WHICH BY THE WAY IS
ESSENTIALLY MANDATED BY THE
PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE. THE FACT
THAT ARRIVAL DISPLAYS AT
METROLINK STATIONS DO NOT
DISPLAY THE ARRIVAL TIMES FOR
AMTRAK TRAINS, OR THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE IS OWNED BY
DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND DIFFERENT
COUNTIES, SOMETHING WHICH DOES
NOT EXIST ON THE FREEWAY
EXPRESSWAY SYSTEM. THE STATE OF
RAIL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IS
A DISGRACE. I ALSO WANT TO
RESPECTFULLY REMIND YOU THAT
THIS LINE SEES LESS SERVICE AND
LACKS ELECTRIFICATION AND AS
UTILIZED LESS THAN PASSENGER
RAIL LINES IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS
SOUTH AFRICA. KAZAKHSTAN AND
INDIA, EVEN THOUGH THE UNITED
STATES IS THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN
THE WORLD. WITH THESE TRACKS,
USUALLY SITTING EMPTY DUE TO A
LACK OF OPERATION. ALSO I GO TO
SCHOOL IN THE INLAND EMPIRE, AND
IT'S QUITE A SHAME THAT THERE
ARE ONLY TWO METROLINK TRAINS A
DAY, WHICH ONE FROM RIVERSIDE TO
OCEANSIDE, NOT EVEN SAN DIEGO,
THEREBY AND I AND OTHERS WHO
WOULD HAVE USED THIS RAIL
CORRIDOR ESSENTIALLY FORCED BY
THE STATE TO PAY DEFACTO TAX TO
THE AUTO AND OIL INDUSTRY TO BE
ABLE TO GET TO SAN DIEGO. AMONG
OTHER SITUATIONS. I WOULD LOVE
TO SPEND MORE TIME IN SAN DIEGO
WITH FRIENDS OR JUST TO HAVE FUN
, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS
BASICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME WITH
THE CURRENT STATE OF RAIL IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND I THANK
YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO
LISTEN TO MY COMMENTS. THANK
YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS
STEVE. NO BLACK, UM, SPEAKING
NOT AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
HERE IN SAN CLEMENTE, BUT AS A
PRIVATE CITIZEN, AND I WANT TO
MENTION THAT ARE EXISTING RAIL
LINE IS A IT ALLOWS FOR A VERY
UNIQUE, BEAUTIFUL AND SCENIC
EXPERIENCE FOR THE PUBLIC ALONG
ARE SPECTACULAR AND BREATHTAKING
COASTLINE. IT PROVIDES AN
EXPERIENCE THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE
BY DRIVING THE FREEWAY DRIVING
COAST HIGHWAY. OR FLYING
OVERHEAD. THE COASTLINE CAN BE
PROTECTED AND PRESERVED BY
MAXIMIZING THE EFFORTS. OVER OF
PLACING SAND ON OUR BEACHES,
WHICH IS SLOWLY BEEN ERODING
OVER THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT
DECADES BECAUSE OF URBAN
DEVELOPMENT. THIS INCREASED SAND
WILL STABILIZE THE EXISTING
TRACKS AND THE BLUFFS THAT ARE
IN DANGER. I ALSO WANT TO
DISAGREE WITH PROFESSOR
GIULIANO'S CONCEPT OF SINGULAR
GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE AND
CONTROL THIS. THIS IS A SIMILAR
SIMILAR TO THE TYPE OF
GOVERNANCE THAT WE SEE IN
TOTALITARIAN REGIMES AND SHOULD
BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. WE HAVE
A DIVERSITY OF OPINION AND
INTERESTS AND WHILE INCONVENIENT
FOR SOME AND TAKES TIME TO
CONSIDER THESE OPINIONS IN A
FREE SOCIETY SHOULD NOT BE
IGNORED. AND THEY SHOULD BE
HONORED AND RESPECTED AND THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT.
GOOD MORNING. I'M ON THE WORKING
END OF ALL THIS. MY NAME IS
MICHAEL CONVOY A. I'M A AMTRAK
CONDUCTOR OF L. A. I WORKED THE
SURF LINERS FROM L. A TO SAN
DIEGO L, A BIG LEADER L. A TO
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SOMEWHAT OF AN
EXPERT ON THE LINE. I WOULD HAVE
TO BE MINED ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS
THAT MYSELF AND ALL MY
COLLEAGUES AT AMTRAK METROLINK
COASTER OR A VALUABLE SOURCE OF
INFORMATION AND INSIGHT INTO
WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE THE
CORRIDOR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR
YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING TODAY, MICHAEL.
ALL RIGHT. WELL THANK YOU TO ALL
THE PUBLIC WHO CAME AND OFFERED
YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY AND ALSO
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE
PANELISTS WHO ARE HERE TODAY AND
ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY STAFF FOR
ALEX, WHO PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR
THIS SUBCOMMITTEE. WE'RE REALLY
GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT
MADE THIS HAPPEN IF YOU ARE A
MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO DIDN'T
COMMENT, OR YOU WOULD LIKE TO
SUBMIT COMMENTS IN WRITING, YOU
CAN DO THAT. YOUR COMMENTS ARE
IMPORTANT TO US, AND WE WANT TO
INCLUDE YOUR TESTIMONY IN THE
OFFICIAL HEARING RECORDS. SO
WITH THAT, THANK YOU, AND WE
WILL THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TODAY, AND WE HAVE NOW CONCLUDED
THE AGENDA AND THE SUB COMMITTEE
IS ADJOURNED.