Next Stop: Orange County
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| More Info: articinfo.com :: cahighspeedrail.ca.gov |
No longer will we Californians have to sweat it out for six hours on the I-5, holding our breaths through Bakersfield and stopping at Starbucks because they have the only semi-trustworthy restrooms. For the fliers, no more juggling luggage through security and stripping down to little more than socks and a T-shirt.
Say hello to our speedy, new friend: the 220 mile-per-hour bullet train.
President Barack Obama announced on January 28, 2010 that California would receive $2.25 billion to get started on phase one (San Francisco to Anaheim) of its high-speed rail, guaranteeing the start of its construction within the next three years.
What does this mean for Orange County? It means building the ARTIC, Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.
Here is what you should know about ARTIC: This will be a large state-of-the-art transportation hub built on a massive 16-acre site owned by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the City of Anaheim. This superstructure will be located within jogging distance ofthe Honda Center, Angel Stadium and shuttle distance from Disneyland. Construction is expected to start in 2011.
This will be a major stop for California’s High-Speed Rail Project, once completed. For a while, Anaheim will be the premier spot for those looking for fast ground travel to San Francisco and California’s Central Valley. Later, this new route is expected to extend as far north as Sacramento, and as far south as San Diego, with another local stop added in Irvine.
As our new decade ends, OC travelers can look forward to reaching the Bay Area through the new train system, with top speeds reaching 200-plus mph, in a projected time frame of two hours and 24 minutes. The train should also do wonders for our environment, as the supertrain is expected to cut down on CO2 emissions and traffic problems while running on renewable energy. Further plans for this station also include a possible bullet train to Las Vegas.
Many are optimistic about this ambitious project, including the Orange County Business Council, which released a study predicting an additional 23,000 jobs to result. More economic revenue is also expected to reach OC through tourism and ticket sales.
