Date of Award

Spring 2020

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2020.

Department

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

First Advisor

Tracy Abbott

Second Advisor

Girum Awoke

Abstract

The California High-Speed Rail in California has exceeded its budget and proven that typical methods of laying out High-Speed Rail were inefficient and detrimental to residents. By analyzing routes where the High-Speed Rail could instead be routed through medians or dead space around existing freeways, the project team determined the feasibility and cost efficiency of such an undertaking. The team analyzed multiple routes and upon choosing the best route, completed a curve analysis on a portion of the alignment, as well as completed an analysis on typical bridges that would be required. The analysis proved that utilizing this median space was not only possible along the chosen route, but also had large cost savings. The team identified bridges and land acquisition as major cost components that massively increased project cost. The team, therefore, advises that the California High-Speed Rail Authority and other state agencies planning on building high-speed rail consider cooperating with their state transportation department as necessary to facilitate High-Speed Rail construction in medians of freeways where feasible to save on cost and reduce impacted areas.

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