April 6, 2021
David Matza
California Department of Transportation, District 8 Office
464 West 4th Street, 6th Floor
San Bernardino, California 92401
Dear Mr. Matza:
I am writing on behalf of Inland Action to offer support for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), California High-Speed Rail Authority, and Brightline West.
Under the proposed MOU, Caltrans would authorize Brightline West to explore additional and independent routes within Caltrans’ existing right-of-way (ROW) along Interstate 15 for Brightline West’s future passenger rail service, including one between the Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga. This project, separate from Brightline’s Las Vegas – Victor Valley system, will extend service from the initial Victor Valley terminus into Rancho Cucamonga, with connections into the Metrolink system providing access to Los Angeles and other key cities and destinations in Southern California.
This assumes that for the segment from Apple Valley to Rancho Cucamonga, all required environmental and cultural resource reviews and public input processes will move forward as required by California and federal laws.
A project of this scale will generate tens of thousands of jobs, establishing a car-free, emission free travel option for those traveling between Las Vegas and Southern California. Brightline’s high-speed rail project will help California reach its sustainability goals by removing more than three million cars annually from our roadways in addition to 400,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.
Inland Action is in support of this agreement.
Sincerely,
Carole Beswick, CEO