What is the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)?
The CHSRA is the agency created by the state legislature that determines all aspects of the design, construction and operation of high speed rail in California. As passed in Proposition 1A, the HSR system will run from Anaheim to San Francisco and will later be extended to Sacramento and San Diego. Members of the CHSRA board are chosen by the Governor and confirmed by the California Senate. Although Quentin Kopp of San Francisco and Rod Diridon of San Jose are on the Authority and Anaheim has two representatives, there are currently no representatives from the mid-peninsula. What is meant by alignment? Alignment refers to the vertical or horizontal placement of the tracks. Vertical alignment refers to track placement relative to grade (or ground): at grade, above grade (on a viaduct or berm), or below grade (in a trench or tunnel). Horizontal alignment refers to geographic placement: for example, through the Pacheco pass and up the peninsula from San Jose or over the Altamont pass, the
