January 2022 I Will Ride Update

Happy New Year! 2022 started off with the Board of Directors approval of the environmental document for the Burbank to Los Angeles project section, an important step to bringing high-speed rail to the Los Angeles region. We will continue the year with statewide progress in the Central Valley, Northern California, and Southern California. This is an exciting time for students to get engaged with this project, and various other pathways to careers in infrastructure. Keep on reading below to learn about the latest updates on California High-Speed Rail and all things student transportation related.

 

Governor Newsom Highlights California Blueprint Investments in State’s Infrastructure and Clean Transportation Future

Image is a male California Governor standing in front of a podium speaking at a train station. There is a train traveling behind the man. The podium has a microphone and a sign that reads “The California Blueprint.” With a Caltrain as his backdrop, Governor Newsom celebrated the major investments in transportation and infrastructure included in his new budget proposal, “The California Blueprint.” Governor Newsom discussed his new plan at the Santa Clara Depot which serves Caltrain and the Altamont Corridor Express. As California high-speed rail continues to reach new milestones, the Authority looks forward to increasing connectivity, efficiency, and ridership with these partner agencies. Governor Newsom reaffirmed the importance of providing the remaining Proposition 1A bond funds to the California high-speed rail project, which will eventually share a corridor with an electrified Caltrain, unlike the diesel locomotive pictured behind him that is currently in use by Caltrain. Transportation is the state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for more than 50% of emissions when considering the production and deployment of fuels. The High-Speed Rail project is essential to realizing California’s commitment to decarbonizing the transportation sector. In the words of Governor Newsom, bold projects like high-speed rail will deliver “safer, faster and greener transportation options connecting communities across the state while creating thousands of jobs and tackling our largest source of harmful pollution and emissions.”

Learn More on the Governor’s Budget Proposal: https://www.ebudget.ca.gov/

CONTACT

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news@hsr.ca.gov

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Student Opportunities 

It’s Time to Apply for Your Summer Internship

Graphic with an image and title. Title reads “Summer and Fall Internships.” Graphic is four young students walking outside in the grass.Are you interested in doing a summer internship for a state agency? Now is your time to find the program that works for you and get your application submitted. The Authority and various other state departments partner with schools and organizations to get students hands-on experience working with one of three branches that make up the California state government. Here at the Authority, we have partnered with many of these programs and have provided interns and fellows mentors at the department. If you are not sure where to start, here are some great programs below.

Capital Fellows Program for postgraduates looking for a pathway into state government public service; Maddy Institute for Central Valley Students; UC Sacramento for University of California Student; Sac Semester Program for California State University Students; Cal in Sacramento for UC Berkeley Students.

Other state departments like the California Department of Transportation, Strategic Growth Council, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and California Office of Emergency Services have great programs. Take a look and get started on your application. If you are interested to learn more about student opportunities with the state of California check out the Cal Careers website linked below.

Learn More: https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHRPublic/Jobs/Students.aspx

Middle School Students Can Build the Future of Sustainable Transportation

Informational graphic that reads “The Garret Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition 2022” with a logo of San Jose State Institute and the Mineta Transportation Institute. San Jose State University’s Mineta Transportation Institute  is currently running its  national Garrett Morgan Program, a competition for middle school students to have the chance to win up to $1000 for presenting a sustainable transportation project. This program is sponsored by the US Department of Transportation, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and other industry partners. Students are prompted to develop their team and choose an issue in transportation and propose a sustainable solution for that issue. Students can focus on a transportation issue that is local, national, or international. If students are interested in doing their project on any high-speed rail related topic – we are more than happy to provide resources!

Learn More: https://transweb.sjsu.edu/workforce-development/garrett-morgan-program

 

Fresno State Transportation Institute Hosting K-12 Railroad Model Competition

Ad for Rail Competition. Text includes Fresno State Transportation Institute Hosting k-12 Railroad Model Competition. Fresno State is hosting a Railroad Model competition for students of all ages! Students can register for a specific competition group based on their grade. The competition is open to all Schools in Fresno and Madera County. The goal of the event is to encourage students to start thinking about building a better future with transportation sciences. Students will engage in three steps while designing their model rail: research and present, design and build, and operate and complete. The Fresno State Transportation Institute will offer support to entrants with mentorship, instruction manuals, video tutorials and more. Fresno State is hosting an in-person information session on January 22, 2022 from 9 to 10a.m. at Fresno State Engineering East, Rm. 191 (2320 E. San Ramon, Fresno, CA). Registration has already begun and will close on January 31, 2022. The competition will take place in April/May.

Learn More: https://fresnostate.edu/engineering/institutes/fsti/programs/railroadmodelcompetition.html

 

Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships

Flatiron

Field Engineer Summer Intern

Flatiron’s Intern Program provides challenging and rewarding work opportunities for college students majoring in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management. Join us today at the California High Speed Rail project. As an Intern, you will be given the opportunity to apply your academic training and skills in a real-world setting at any number of project locations. In addition, you will assist the project manager, project engineer, and the rest of the on-site construction staff in the application of principles, methods, and techniques of engineering technology by performing any combination of the following duties at a project job site.

Learn More and Apply: https://careers-flatironcorp.icims.com/jobs/3051/field-engineer–summer-intern/job?hub=8

 

ENO Center for Transportation

The Thomas J. O’Bryant Transportation Policy Fellow

This fellowship provides a high-quality professional development opportunity for aspiring transportation specialists. Successful applicants will gain in-depth knowledge of transportation policy and practice under the guidance of Eno staff. Fellowships are awarded to students with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or Ph.D. working in transportation, engineering, housing, urban planning, or related degrees. Fellows must have already developed research skills and a strong writing ability. Duration of the appointment is 10 weeks (start/end dates to be determined by successful candidate and Eno staff) and fellows are paid a stipend of $2,250 per month.

Learn More and Apply: https://www.enotrans.org/job/2022-thomas-j-obryant-transportation-policy-fellow/

Communications Intern

The Communications Intern will gain hands-on experience and mentorship in communications, marketing, writing, social media, graphic design, and more. We are currently seeking a Communications Intern for a spring term (March, April, and May 2022; exact dates to be determined upon hire). Due to the nature of COVID-19, this will be a fully remote internship.

Eno interns are paid an hourly rate in accordance with the District of Columbia’s minimum wage ($15 per hour) and college credits can also be coordinated.

Learn More and Apply: https://www.enotrans.org/job/communications-intern/

Celebrating 7 Years Since High-Speed Construction Groundbreaking

Press conference with a man speaking at a podium with a little over a dozen people standing in the background. Conference is outside on a sunny day. People in background are wearing solid blue shirts or construction hats and safety vests.Earlier this month, we had our 7-year anniversary breaking ground on construction. In 2015, former Governor Jerry Brown, city officials, elected officials, students, and community members drove down to Downtown Fresno to celebrate the construction groundbreaking of California High-Speed Rail. With enthusiasm, we celebrate the creation of  over 7,000 construction jobs, participation of over 600 small business, 35 active construction sites, three major construction packages in the Central Valley, 300 of 500 miles environmentally cleared statewide as we worked to bring high-speed rail to California. We look forward to wrapping up environmental clearance for the full 500 miles of Phase 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles in early 2023, award of a Track and Systems contract later in 2022 and continue progress to wrap up our initial construction packages in the Central Valley in the coming years. If you would like to stay up to date with construction progress, make sure to look our website BuildHSR.com  for all the news regarding construction.

 

Padilla Remembers High-Speed Rail Construction Visit One Year Into Senate Appointment

Four people walking on a viaduct structure during the day. One woman and three men are in the photo all wearing jeans, security vests and hardhat construction helmets. As U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) comes to his one-year mark since his gubernational appointment taking on Senator Kamala Harris’s role as in Washington, D.C., he shares some of his memorable moments on the job on his social media platforms. Senator Padilla highlighted his high-speed rail construction tour in his year recap. Back in the Fall of 2021, Padilla became the first standing U.S. Senator to tour high-speed rail construction and was joined by Congressman Costa (D-Calif.). Padilla noted on his tour, “We can’t see a future for California or the country without high-speed rail.” Shared Padilla, “For the sake of future transportation, job creation and our environment, this project is a win.”

See the Post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=336117728516845&set=pcb.336119261850025

 

 

High-Speed Rail Meets Federal Grant Match Year Ahead of Schedule

Arch structures for a viaduct photographed during a sunny day.Early in January, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) informed the Authority that it has fully met its state funding match requirement for federal dollars an entire year ahead of schedule. This milestone meets a major condition of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding grant that was granted to the Authority in 2008. Having expended the $2.5 billion in federal ARRA funding by September 2017, the Authority as of now has met the expenditure of state funds. Putting this achievement into perspective, Authority Chief Financial Officer Brian Annis remarked, “The federal government’s investment in this transformative project has been matched, dollar for dollar, a year ahead of schedule. With a strong, engaged federal partner, we’re able to continue moving forward in delivering electrified high-speed rail for the people of California.” The Authority will compete for additional federal funding within the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and looks forward to expanding upon the 7,000 construction jobs already created to date.

 

Board of Directors Approve Environmental Documents for Important Los Angeles Project Section

High-speed rail train traveling through orchards with a map laid over the graphic. The map shows an alignment through Los Angeles with the Burbank to Los Angeles alignment bolded.Earlier this month, after a two-day board meeting with public comment and a detailed staff overview, the Authority’s Board of Directors approved the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Burbank to Los Angeles project section. The EIR/EIS is an important legal process for infrastructure projects that allows for the building entities, both public and private, to engage with regional communities to determine how the project would best suit the needs of the organization and the existing communities. Through this process, we work with the communities to gain a greater understanding of the impacts of our project and work to find appropriate mitigation strategies. Burbank to Los Angeles is one of four project sections in Southern California. It is a 14-mile-long project section that will run from an underground station at the existing Burbank Airport to the existing LA Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. If you are interested to learn more about project updates and progress for high-speed rail in Southern California, check out our website here.

Read More: https://hsr.ca.gov/2022/01/20/news-release-high-speed-rail-board-clears-final-environmental-hurdles-to-advance-service-into-la/

Girls Build California Free Online Course

Graphic with two iron workers on a construction site. Graphic reads “New E-Cadamy Courses” with a logo of Build California.Don’t miss out on this exciting new course from Build California. According to Build California E-cademy, “In Girls Build California, girls will feel empowered to explore the construction industry as a career option, disprove misperceptions about women in construction, and get tips and tricks to move past their reservations around potentially pursuing a career in the construction industry.” Build California is a statewide initiative that educates and inspires young people to consider a career in the construction field. You can learn more about this free course on their website. Learn More and

Register Today: https://lnkd.in/gnU6AmaF

 

Stay Connected 

 Informational flyer for student I Will Ride program. Webinars, Project Updates, Student Opportunities and Construction Tours. Photos of professionals panel, train rendering, students tabling and construction tour. Are you a student that wants to learn more about the California high-speed rail project? Possibly tour construction or join the project as a fellow or intern? Don’t miss any important updates, opportunities, or notifications when you sign up for I Will Ride!

Sign Up for I Will Ride: https://hsr.ca.gov/i-will-ride/

 

The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website and its contents meet mandated ADA requirements as per the California State mandated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA standard. If you are looking for a particular document not located on the California High-Speed Rail Authority website, you may make a request for the document under the Public Records Act through the Public Records Act page. If you have any questions about the website or its contents, please contact the Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov.