Engineers in San Francisco are starting to craft designs for four high-speed rail stations in Bakersfield, Fresno, Hanford and Merced. It will be at least seven years before any of the stations open, but engineers last week released early design concepts.
The designs focus on physical elements that can be used at each station, like perforated metal canopies, with a pleated system that will extend and shelter commuters from the Central Valley’s intense summer heat.
Flat solar panels might cloak the canopies, where sections meet above the track. It’s all part of an effort to have each station generate more energy than it consumes.
Stephen John Sobonya, a Fresno resident said (Quote) “With California being a leading economy in the U.S., as well as internationally, a high speed rail would in fact benefit Fresno and the greater Central Valley.”
He added that he wanted to see the Valley thrive, but not at the cost of cutting through precious agricultural lands there.
The budget for high-speed rail has ballooned since 2008 from $33 billion to at least $88 billion. There is no set target date for when trains will shuttle riders between San Francisco and Los Angeles in three hours.
