| ANAHEIM, CA - (October 2, 2009) - Anaheim Mayor and High-Speed Rail Authority Board Chairman Curt Pringle today joined Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger at a press conference in Los Angeles as the Governor submitted the state’s application for a share of $8 billion set aside for high-speed train development under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Joining Governor Schwarzenegger and Mayor Pringle were State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and labor leaders, business, and environmental groups in support of California’s project and its stimulus application.
California is bidding for more than $4.7 billion in federal stimulus funding for engineering, design and construction of the state's high-speed train system – nearly a $10 billion investment when state, local and private matching funds are added. California's application includes $2.19 billion for Los Angeles to Anaheim, including high-speed train facilities at Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS), Norwalk Station, and the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC). "Unlike any other state, we can double the value of the federal dollars with matching funds, we'll soon have the environmental reviews we need, we can break ground before the federal government's 2012 deadline, and we can show that projects funded with stimulus dollars can stand alone as important improvements in their own right," said Pringle. “This kind of kick-start to our historic project will quickly provide nearly 130,000 quality jobs and give our state the economic boost it needs.” Mayor Pringle noted California is proposing the only true high-speed train capable of traveling 200+ miles per hour and is further along in planning than any other similar project in the country. The City of Anaheim is a leader in addressing the needs of travelers, and in addition to High Speed Rail, is currently engaged in the development of the ARTIC site, and the Anaheim Fixed-Guideway system. In May of this year, the Anaheim City Council approved the team of Parsons Brinckerhoff/HOK for 100% design of ARTIC. Designed to be a world-class, iconic transportation center, and built to LEED™ "Platinum" certification, ARTIC will serve as a connectivity gateway and mixed-use destination for the region on a prominent 16-acre site owned by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the City of Anaheim. The ARTIC project is a partnership between the City of Anaheim and the OCTA, and is a multi-year, multi-phase project with each phase coinciding with new and/or expanded transportation services and development. The first phase of this project, valued at approximately $180 million, shall consist of site work and preparation, transportation center and supporting facilities, trackwork and platforms, parking, public art, and access and street improvements. Completion date is expected mid-2013. For more information please visit www.articinfo.com. The Anaheim Fixed-Guideway project is in its environmental study and public input phase. A “fixed-guideway” describes a system where transit vehicles operate on a dedicated alignment, such as rail or track. There are a variety of fixed-guideway technologies that could operate on this type of alignment such as monorail, automatic people mover, low-speed magnetic levitation, and personal rapid transit. This connection will link Orange County’s “backbone” Metrolink commuter rail system to Anaheim’s major employment and activity centers in the Platinum Triangle and The Anaheim Resort™. For more information please visit www.anaheimfixedguideway.com. For complete details and the press release from today’s press conference at Los Angeles Union Station, please visit the California High Speed Rail Authority Web site at www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov.Media Contact: Ruth Ruiz 714.765.5060 more city news
### ABOUT ANAHEIM - The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation's premier municipalities and is California's 10th most populous city. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 345,500 residents and more than 3,200 City employees. The municipal corporation's annual budget is $1.4 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., L-3 Communications, Pacific Sunwear, and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including Angels Baseball, Anaheim Ducks, the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winning U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, and the 2008 Olympic Silver Medal winning U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with the Anaheim Convention Center, the largest on the west coast, Honda Center, The Grove of Anaheim, The Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Annually, Anaheim welcomes millions of visitors to the city, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net. |
