Being a former resident of Orange County, (30+ years) , as well as a Commercial Truck Driver, I was quite familiar with the Late, Great, Golden State from Redding South. Altamont Pass is a no - brainer to me, being lower in elevation as well as fewer hills to negotiate than Pacheco Pass. And hey -- why not have the Bay Area Terminal in Niles, Livermore or Pleasanton where property is ( somewhat ) cheaper than near Oakland or San Francisco Airports ??? Passengers could connect through BART, ACE, &/or Amtrak California; maybe even an extension of CalTrain. Or maybe just use existing railroad lines at slower speeds in the urban areas, like in Europe. Does this just make too much sense for the HSR buffoons to understand ???
Regarding Tehachapi vs. Ridge Route, I never have understood any of the reasoning for the Tehachapi / Palmdale route. I know I made a smart - ass remark about this in another recent thread, but really the ONLY advantage to Tehachapi / Palmdale is the flat crossing of the Antelope Valley. Tunneling would be a requirement of either route, so why not build the shorter route along Interstate 5 over the Ridge Route ??? I do recall that one of the early members of the CA - HSR Board was a State Senator from Palmdale; of course that wouldn't enter into the decision would it ??? Not any more than the muckety - muck ( former Mayor ??? ) from Anaheim who is trying to have the HSR end @ The House of Mouse.