NEWS RELEASE: Central Valley Public Learns and Weighs in on Station Designs at Open Houses

May 3, 2024

FRESNO, Calif. –The High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) took the station design team on the road this week, meeting with hundreds of residents in four station cities in the Central Valley as part of a series of open houses for the project. The public got to see new station renderings, meet the project team led by Foster + Partners and ARUP, and provide feedback for the stations.

Here’s what some participants at the open houses had to say:

“I’m super excited about the high-speed rail station and its integration to our downtown core, where we want more people to live, work, and play. This high-speed rail station will add connectivity to the rest of California, which will make downtown not only an amenity for our city but for the whole state.”
-Andrae Gonzales, City Councilman, Bakersfield

“I’m an everyday bicycle commuter and the station ties into the Kern River bike path we’re extending and covers most of the city so bicycle access to the station will be good and that makes it more accessible, so I’m excited about that.”
-Bob Smith, City Councilmember, Bakersfield

“We look forward to working with the High-Speed Rail Authority in the years to come to help bring development to our community and improve the overall betterment of life.”
-Mark Kairis, Vice Mayor, Hanford

“I’m a big fan. I’m looking forward to this. We have systems like this in other countries so to see something like this come to California is super exciting for me.”
-Maria Pacheco, Mayor, Kerman

“We have government coming out, providing a lot of information and engaging in a very direct, informational, transparent way with the citizens. This is how it’s supposed to be. There’s obviously a lot of interest and a lot of people coming out to hear what this is about because they know how important this is for the future of Merced.”
-Matthew Serratto, Mayor, Merced

“We are excited about High-Speed Rail across the Central Valley of California connecting us to other spaces in California. We have historically worked with High-Speed Rail on expanding the urban tree canopy across the central San Joaquin Valley.”
– Mona Cummings, CEO, Tree Fresno

Tap for larger images.

Missed this opportunity? Come see the Authority’s exhibit on stations, train design and at this summer’s California State Fair, held annually at Sacramento’s very own Cal Expo.

Grants awarded by the federal government in 2023 are going to help fund train procurement, station design and continued construction in the Central Valley.

There are currently more than 25 active construction sites in California’s Central Valley, with the Authority having also fully environmentally cleared 422 miles of the high-speed rail program from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8

These files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.