55A - RESO ORANGELINE - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orangeline Project August 20, 2007 Page 2 of 3 would cover the 108 miles between Palmdale and Irvine in approximately one hour, making 18 station stops every 5-10 minutes throughout the day. Maglev is an advanced ground transportation technology under development for the past 30 years and is currently operating in Shanghai, China. Built in just three years and beginning operation in 2003, the Shanghai Maglev has carried over 11 million people along its 19-mile route connecting Pudong Airport with the city center. Maglev technology has several key advantages over conventional high speed trains and urban rail systems. It is quieter, more energy efficient, and more cost-effective due to lower operating costs and higher quality of service. In December 2005, the Authority entered into a public private partnership agreement with a private consortium led by the Dutch infrastructure engineering and development firm ARCADIS. The team contributed $1.1 million to a Phase 1 preliminary engineering and financial planning study completed in November 2006. The Authority has met with investment bankers and is currently focused on securing private funding to undertake Phase 2 engineering, environmental and financial planning work. The Authority has also submitted a funding proposal to the California Transportation Commission and is working with Legislative leaders and the Administration to secure state support for the project. Upon completion of this Phase 2 project development work, which is estimated to take 3 years, the Authority would sell bonds to finance the cost of constructing the 108-mile, $19 billion high speed maglev system. The system could begin operation as early as 2014. Orangeline officials have proposed running maglev service down the Pacific Electric (PE) Railroad right-of-way on much of the route between Los Angeles and Orange County. A map showing possible alignments through the City of Santa Ana is shown in Exhibit 2. The Orangeline could be extended as a subway segment from the PE Railroad right-of-way to the train station or via an elevated guideway along Seventeenth Street. By supporting the Orangeline the City of Santa Ana can play a major role in advancing a project that will directly serve the city and provide a viable alternative to the California High-Speed Train system that doesn't provide service to our city. It is also in the City's best interest to enter into the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement with the Orangeline Development Authority to ensure that the City maximizes its benefits from this project. Further, by joining the Orangeline Development Authority the City is able to participate in an already existing entity and increase the potential for private sector funding to achieve the goal of implementing the project. 55A-2