SECTIONS 185000-185012 - California Statutes

PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE

SECTION 185000-185012

185000. This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the
California High-Speed Rail Act.

185010. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) California, over the past decades, has built an extensive
network of freeways and airports to meet the state's growing
transportation needs.
(b) These facilities are not adequate to meet the mobility needs
of the current population.
(c) The population of the state and the travel demands of its
citizens are expected to continue to grow at a rapid rate.
(d) The cost of expanding the current network of highways and
airports fully to meet current and future transportation needs is
prohibitive, and a total expansion strategy would be detrimental to
air quality.
(e) Intercity rail service, when coordinated with urban transit
and airports, is an efficient, practical, and less polluting
transportation mode that can fill the gap between future demand and
present capacity.
(f) Advances in rail technology have allowed intercity rail
systems in Europe and Japan to attain speeds of up to 200 miles per
hour and compete effectively with air travel for trips in the 200 to
500-mile range.
(g) Development of a high-speed rail system is a necessary and
viable alternative to automobile and air travel in the state.
(h) In order for the state to have a comprehensive network of
high-speed intercity rail systems by the year 2020, it must begin
preparation of a high-speed intercity rail plan similar to California'
s former freeway plan and designate an entity with stable and
predictable funding sources to implement the plan.
(i) Utilizing existing human and manufacturing resources to build
a large network of high-speed rail systems will generate jobs and
economic growth for today's population and produce a transportation
network for future generations.
(j) Upon confirmation of the need and costs by detailed studies,
the private sector, together with the state, can build and operate
new high-speed intercity rail systems utilizing private and public
financing.
(k) The existing high-speed rail commission is completing its work
and a successor authority to continue planning is necessary.

185012. As used in this division, unless the context requires
otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a) "Authority" means the High-Speed Rail Authority.
(b) "Department" means the Department of Transportation.
(c) "High-speed rail" means intercity passenger rail service that
utilizes an alignment and technology that makes it capable of
sustained speeds of 200 miles per hour or greater.