Transit Briefs: CHSRA, Denver RTD

High-speed rail station design is moving forward in Central Valley, Calif.—with community engagement and input helping lead the design process. The CHSRA recently held four open houses, releasing station designs, including this one (pictured) in Fresno. (CHSRA Rendering)

California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) releases new Central Valley station renderings. Also, Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) Transit Watch app reaches 10-year anniversary.

CHSRA

CHSRA on May 3 reported that its team has met with hundreds of Central Valley residents as part of a series of open houses to showcase station designs for Merced, Fresno, Bakersfield, and the Kings/Tulare County region. The public got to see new renderings, to meet the project team led by Foster+Partners and Arup, and to provide feedback on the stations.

California high-speed rail is currently under construction along 119 miles in the Central Valley (see map, right), where there are more than 25 active job sites, and CHSRA has begun work to expand construction. The 494-mile, Phase I system will operate from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim; 422 miles have already been environmentally cleared. The system could eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations.

According to CHSRA, following are what some open house participants had to say about the new station designs:

• “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

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

CHSRA on April 11 reported that it will solicit proposals for six high-speed trainsets, including two prototypes to support testing and trial running, from the two prequalified, shortlisted manufacturers: Alstom Transportation Inc. and Siemens Mobility Inc. The cost of the equipment plus a driving simulator is estimated at $533.68 million.

“Trainset design will be informed by formal feedback from hundreds of stakeholders,” according to the agency. Earlier this year, it released renderings and mock-ups of potential train interiors.

Further Reading

• CHSRA Releases Draft 2024 Business Plan
• Network Rail Consulting Lands CHSRA Contract
• Report: CHSRA’s Kelly Stepping Down

Denver RTD

Denver RTD is marking the 10th anniversary of its Transit Watch app, which is described as enabling “customers to be partners in safety” by allowing them to discreetly report suspicious and unsafe activity to RTD Police at any time. Customers who submit an incident report—including route and vehicle information, location, and a description of “an individual who may be causing an unsafe condition”—can remain anonymous or provide their contact information so that RTD Police Dispatch may follow up. The app, available in English and Spanish, is free for use with both Apple and Android smartphones.

The app launched May 4, 2014. RTD in 2017 received 289 notifications, and in 2023, received 5,231. “That’s an astronomical increase,” RTD Manager of 911 Operations Michelle Lawrence said. At the end of December 2023, 42,632 customers had downloaded the Transit Watch app, according to RTD.

Every customer contact via the Transit Watch app is logged and collated into data that, along with RTD operator feedback, helps factor into where RTD Transit Police allocate its officers for patrol, the agency explained.

Customers who do not have a smartphone can call RTD Transit Police at 303-299-2911 or text at 303-434-9100. In the event of an emergency, customers should call either RTD Transit Police or 911.