California High Speed Rail Update as Work Starts on Nevada Border [Video]

California’s two high-speed rail efforts are progressing, with environmental protections secured in the Central Valley and work starting on Brightline West’s Los-Angeles-Las Vegas route near the Nevada border.

Last Friday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which is working on the line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco via the Central Valley, completed a settlement agreement with several entities in the Grassland Ecological Area, which the rail line will pass through.

The agreement resolved potential California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) claims from the Grassland entities over the San Jose to Merced portion of the state’s high-speed rail project.

It ensures environmental safeguards in the Grassland Ecological Area, as well as in other sensitive areas, Coyote Valley and Pacheco Pass.

The Authority has committed to further mitigating noise and wildlife disturbance by incorporating wildlife crossings, avian enclosures, and sound barriers.