On September 27, 2024 Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2503, which exempts electric rail projects within existing rights-of-way for passenger service from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Based on the experience of years of delay via CEQA lawsuit Caltrain experienced and the aborted attempts by other agencies Read more…
Southern California is falling behind the Bay Area on regional and high speed rail. Sign the petition! Electrification proposal for Southern California regional rail. Metrolink needs to make it happen. The Bay Area’s Caltrain just debuted its first in the state electric service, powered by proven overhead wire technology, Read more…
Last time, we got an overview of how the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), can affect rail projects in general. In this entry in the series on how CEQA holds back clean, transformative electric rail, we’ll do a deep dive into how CEQA litigation caused serious delays to Caltrain electrification, Read more…
California needs significant reductions in transportation-related emissions to meet its climate targets. Those reductions need to come from both the vehicles themselves as well as mode shift – reducing the number of Vehicles Miles Traveled (VMT). Rail electrification is a policy that accomplishes both goals: it converts diesel-spewing trips to Read more…