The California High Speed Rail Project is a high-speed (up to 220 mph) conventional train system connecting San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, along with other intermediate cities. The route would pass through the City of Burbank and would include a stop near the Hollywood Burbank Airport. The California High Speed Rail Authority is the lead government agency overseeing the project.
California High Speed Rail
California High Speed Rail
City of Burbank staff has been monitoring the Authority’s ongoing progress as it develops the proposed project. As of Summer 2020, the High Speed Rail Authority is studying project alignments between Palmdale and Los Angeles. The Authority has broken up this segment of the project into two sub-sections affecting Burbank:
Both project sections include a station near the Burbank Bob Hope Airport. More information about each section can be found on the High Speed Rail Authority website via the links above.
In May 2020, the Authority released a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Burbank to Los Angeles section.
At this time there has been no formal recommendation or policy direction made by the Burbank City Council in favor or opposition of the California High Speed Rail Project.
For more information please visit the California High Speed Rail Authority website.
At their regular meeting of July 28, 2020, the Burbank City Council will be asked to submit a comment letter (PDF) on the Draft Environmental Impact Report / Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Burbank to Los Angeles Project Segment. The purpose of the comment letter will be to communicate to the Authority areas where the City believes the DEIR/DEIS may be inadequate, or where the City disagrees with the findings of the DEIR/DEIS. Providing a comment letter ensures that the Authority is required to address any deficiencies in their environmental document prior to finalizing the DEIR/DEIS.
On May 29, 2020, the California High Speed Rail Authority released a Draft Environmental Impact Report / Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Burbank to Los Angeles Section of the Project. The purpose of the DEIR/DEIS is to document the potential environmental impacts and potential mitigations to those impacts prior to the Authority making a decision on the project. As part of the DEIR/DEIS, the public and other stakeholders are given the opportunity to provide comments on the environmental documents. The public comment period closes July 31, 2020.
The California High Speed Rail Authority will hold a Community Meeting on May 18, 2015 at 5PM at the Buena Vista Library. The purpose is to discuss the latest project developments, including providing further information on the alignments they will study as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Report that studies the Palmdale to Burbank project section. This alignment includes a station alternative located near the Burbank Bob Hope Airport in the City of Burbank. More information about the Palmdale to Burbank Section and the Burbank to Los Angeles Section can be found on the Authority's web site.
At the May 4, 2011 Operations Committee Meeting and the May 5, 2011 Regular Board Meeting, the California High Speed Rail Authority will consider a staff recommendation to reconsider the I-5 / Grapevine alignment for inclusion in the final High Speed Rail Project Environmental Impact Report along with the currently-proposed alignment via the State Route 14 and 58 corridors through Palmdale. This alignment was dropped in earlier studies, but could be reconsidered if the Board approves its inclusion for further study. Constructing the High Speed Rail project along Interstate 5 would reduce travel times on the system and would allow for a station to be located in Santa Clarita instead of Palmdale. Unexpectedly higher costs to construct the State Route 14/58 alignment through Palmdale has led the High Speed Rail Authority staff to reconsider a direct alignment via Interstate 5. More information can be found on the California High Speed Rail website. A direct link to the staff report can be found here (PDF).
At the March 2, 2011 California High Speed Rail Authority Board meeting, the Board voted to carry forward three station alternatives for further study as part of an Environmental Impact Report for the Los Angeles - Palmdale segment. One of the station alternatives is the Burbank / Buena Vista station located along San Fernando Boulevard between Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Way in the City of Burbank.
At the July 8, 2010 California High Speed Rail Authority Board Meeting, Authority staff released the Draft Alternatives Analysis Report for the Los Angeles to Palmdale section of the project, including the segment that would pass through the City of Burbank. This report outlines the aligments and four station options that may be considered in the project's environmenta review. The report includes a recommendation to study a station in Burbank near the Bob Hope Airport, as well as three additional locations in the San Fernando Valley. In addition, the Authority Board directed the High Speed Rail planners to study a fifth station location in Downtown Burbank. Authority staff will be reviewing this additional Burbank alternative in a revised report to be released in Fall 2010. Ultimately some or all of these five station alternatives will be carried forward to the environmental impact report being prepared for the project.
The complete Draft Alternatives Analysis Report can be accessed on the California High Speed Rail Authority website via the following link:
Los Angeles to Palmdale Draft Alternatives Analysis Report
As part of this ongoing analysis, the City of Burbank has prepared a conceptual station planning document that reviews planning opportunities and constraints of two station options near the Bob Hope Airport. This planning document can be accessed via the following link:
High Speed Rail Opportunities in Burbank
On June 24, 2010, the City of Burbank hosted a second community meeting to provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the ongoing planning efforts by the California High Speed Rail Authority to construct a high speed train system that would pass through the City of Burbank. The Authority's planning team is refining the station location alternatives for a single station serving the San Fernando Valley. One of the alternatives being considered is a station located in Burbank near the Bob Hope Airport.
On February 24, 2010, the Burbank City Council and the California High Speed Rail Authority Project Team hosted a community meeting which, in concert with input from the Burbank City Council and other stakeholders, resulted in the High Speed Rail project team revising the proposed alternative locations for a High Speed Rail station.
On February 2, 2010 the California High Speed Rail Authority met with the Burbank City Council and staff for a Study Session. The presentation provided by the High Speed Rail Authority is provided below.
California High Speed Rail Authority Presentation (PDF)
In 2007 the California High Speed Rail Authority released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Los Angeles to Palmdale project-level environmental analysis. City staff drafted a comment letter to the NOP, which is provided below.
Comment Letter on Los Angeles to Palmdale Project-Level NOP (PDF)
In 2004 the California High Speed Rail Authority released its program-level environmental document (EIR/EIS), which was a broad preliminary analysis of the entire High Speed Rail System. At that time, staff presented this information to the Burbank City Council for review and comment. The staff report and comment letter are provided below.
City Council Staff Report on Program-Level EIR/EIS (PDF)
Comment Letter on Program-Level EIR/EIS (PDF)
For more information please visit the California High Speed Rail Authority website