The California High-Speed Rail Project Is Rolling

PlaceWorks will leave its mark on the California High-Speed Rail (HSR)–this time, on the Palmdale to Burbank segment. PlaceWorks is a subconsultant to SENER, which has designed and engineered HSR projects in Spain and other parts of Europe. As a member of the consultant team, PlaceWorks is responsible for the planning of the Burbank and Palmdale stations, as well as for providing technical support for environmental analyses and documentation. PlaceWorks is leading a collaborative team of planners, urban designers, architects, transportation planners, engineers, and economists to help develop plans establishing the footprint and layout of station platforms, facilities, parking, site access and egress, and intermodal connectivity, with illustrative cross-sections and three-dimensional visual simulations.

This is not PlaceWorks’ first encounter with HSR station planning. We analyzed potential HSR station sites in Burbank for this same segment, and two of our ongoing projects are for HSR station planning in the Cities of Gilroy and Millbrae. Our experience planning transit stations and transit-oriented development is an excellent background for planning HSR stations, and we are excited about this opportunity to be part of a momentous undertaking in the history of California.