The Hollywood Burbank Airport has done what no one in the Los Angeles area had dared to do: sue the California High Speed Rail project.
The Hollywood Burbank Airport has filed a lawsuit that could delay the California High Speed Rail project—it's the first such lawsuit in the Los Angeles region, although the project has previously attracted other forms of opposition.
"The suit alleges that the rail authority’s plans for tracks and an underground station near the airport could affect its operations and safety," reports Ralph Vartabedia for the Los Angeles Times. "It asks the state agency to reformulate its designs with a new environmental impact report that it would circulate for public comment."
The news of the lawsuit broke the same day that the California High Speed Rail Authority published the environmental impact review (EIR) for a key section of the project in Northern California. An EIR for the Burbank to downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station section of the project, approved by the California High-Speed Rail Authority in January 2022, triggered the lawsuit from the Hollywood Burbank Airport.
"If the airport succeeds in asserting the rail plan would harm its operations, it is unclear what mitigations the rail authority would be forced to make and how much delay it would cause," reports Vartabedia. "In the worst case, the suit could force the rail authority to move its right of way, requiring a new environmental analysis and considerable additional costs."
More details on where the Burbank to Downtown Los Angeles section fits into the planning and construction timeline for the beleaguered project are included in the source article below.
FULL STORY: Hollywood Burbank Airport files environmental lawsuit against California’s bullet train
California High-Speed Rail Recommits to Bakersfield-to-Merced Segment
The California High-Speed Rail Authority also certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the San Francisco to San Jose section of the route in August.
Lawsuit Uses Environmental Law to Challenge the Housing Element of L.A.'s General Plan
The city of Los Angeles in November wrapped up an update to a new Housing Element, as required by state law. A lawsuit will use a different state law to challenge the validity of the city's housing goals.
California Lawmakers Debate Killing High Speed Rail Funding
The cost increases and delays on the Central Valley project have some state lawmakers wondering whether funds should go toward local transit systems instead.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland