There are meetings on the Topic of a High Speed Train that MAY pass through Grand Terrace and "May" have a stop in Highgrove. OR NOT...Putting in a rail line on an existing rail right of way makes sense at the first look. However, a High Speed Train and the old Electric Line Right of way have conflicting design requirements. A significant amount work would be required to make the route safe for a high speed train to run at high speed.
So how much of that will impact GT. Who Knows? If the past AES Power Plant is an example of how the GT City will be represented in the discussion we the citizens must be come informed and share that information with each other as the City Council and Mayor and City Managers of the Past have demonstrated a non interest in such important issues. They have demonstrated a collective impotence on such matters of the 215 / AES Power Plant and even a Commercial Kitchen at the Senior Center. These type of "Complicated" issues are left to State or County Officials and they don't even get informed or offer a public opinion on such important plans.
From the Email INBOX... PAWWW
So here are the Meeting Notices... If you attend please submit your reports and pros and cons..
By now many G.T. residents ought to have received by mail an invitation to complain about an environmental report circulating, which has talks scheduled for October and November in Riverside and San Bernardino areas. This is item number two on agenda and concerns a new proposed High-speed railroad route from San Diego to Los Angeles via the Inland empire. Item one on agenda was a funding for a new route UP Cajon pass for gamblers going to Las Vegas from Los Angeles areas (This has been written up since the dawn of the diesel age).
The original route for connecting San Diego to Los Angeles via the coast (just because it has been used for 100 years) is not of concern here.
Via another web site have found out recently that some group from San Bernardino spoke up and claims to represent "all" cities and persons to south of that big city (listen to us for we know what is going on here). The new inland route scheduled is to connect San Diego to Los Angeles via a divide about at Murrietta, approximating the older routes of the California Southern RR and the newer Santa Fe. One route goes north via Corona and the other via Colton.
This group is fighting to get the line extended via San Bernardino while the original concept was found more economical via Corona, and the Corona way is the favored route right now by the state of California. The situation is that the group in San Bernardino contends the right-of-way is already bought, via the old Pacific Electric route through Grand Terrace and Southern Highgrove.
Now RCTC owns and manages this route since the 1990's. Was a big stink that somehow Highgrove got left off the future list of depots for a stop by Metrolink as reported at the blog and via the newspaper. They are scheduled to be left off the stop-over list again. Now, if anyone has driven parallel to the old Pacific Electric route (of 1926) through G.T. and Highgrove they will find it goes up and down steep hills, around sharp corners, and and also hits Colton on ninth street at a bad location and in Riverside at the row of junkyards. Don't matter, it only takes money to correct this.
The original California Southern RR route via Highgrove as used today was not considered as due to the grades involved in an alignment in Box Springs area and the too closeness to RCR (too many protesters). It was mentioned to be too expensive via the State Commission. Too big of hills, too tight radaii, too little space for passing tracks, too few locations for a depot. And downtown Riverside was too far away.
As I understand the group in San Bernardino says NO to any stops in the whole of Riverside County area except for one "Possibly" in downtown Riverside and one near Murrietta.
There is no dollars for either route at this time, people can mention such at the upcoming meetings, but they may get shouted down and ignored. As the one route via G.T. is under consideration, it is not viewed too favorable by the State due to the concerns mentioned here, but the nearness to Moreno Valley is a good point. Hemet is mad as they are being left off the scheduled route now too. But then, they were not in running for any depot as per the San Bernardino group. Do not expect a decision to come out at the meeting, for I find the panel leaders often do not live near here, nor know much about the terrain. Looks good on paper..
