Resolution Number SD07.75

Support Of High Speed Rail

WHEREAS, the California High Speed Rail Authority has made significant progress since it was established in 1996 to create fast rail service between Southern California and San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and the Central Valley to give the public a travel choice between HSR, automobiles and airplanes -- thus relieving the growing highway and airport congestion in a state in which the population is expected to grow by 12 million to a total of 50 million by 2025; and

WHEREAS, high speed rail is already successful in Japan, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Australia, China, Taiwan and South Korea, and construction is underway in North Africa, Turkey, Mexico, and South America -- setting a standard for California, where HSR could carry passengers between downtown San Francisco and Los Angeles in about two and a half hours in more comfort and safety and in less time than it takes to travel to and from and check in and out at airports, thus enabling airlines to better serve long-distance travelers; and

WHEREAS, high speed rail will be a significant weapon against air pollution and global warming as it uses much less energy per passenger than cars and airplanes - and HSR will be even more essential if, as expected, petroleum supplies diminish in the future;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party asks that all California elected officials give full support to establishing High Speed Rail in California at the earliest possible date.

Submitted March 3, 2007
Adopted by Region 4 Delegates Meeting
San Francisco Democratic Party
AD 13 Committee
August Longo

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Adopted by the Democratic State Central Committee of California
AKA "California Democratic Party"
At Its Annual State Convention
San Diego Convention Center
April 29, 2007