High Speed Rail Hearing Set for Tuesday Night in Mountain View

Have you been wondering what the next steps are for the high speed rail, and how other areas, like the San Francisco Peninsula, are dealing? Here's the scoop for those of you who live in Gilroy but commute throughout the South Bay and Peninsula.

Come Tuesday at 7 p.m. to the , where State Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) has set up a high-level briefing and a chance for the public and elected officials to ask questions.

The two-hour session includes State Senator Mark DeSaulnier, (D-Concord) chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, and State Senator Alan Lowenthal, (D-Long Beach) chair of the Senate Select Committee on High-speed Rail.

Right beforehand at 6:45 p.m. in the Civic Center's plaza, advocates of high speed rail will hold a press conference and rally in support. According to a press release, high speed rail "Is needed to meet California’s growing population and mobility needs," and will create jobs while protecting the environment.

Simitian's office presented the following schedule for the Legislative Budget hearing:

• The first portion of the meeting will feature speeches by High-speed Rail Authority chairman Dan Richard and board member Jim Hartnett, followed by discussion with the senators.

• The second portion, beginning at 8 p.m. will feature Will Kempton, chairman of the High Speed Rail Peer Review Group, also followed by discussion with the senators.

• At 8:30 p.m. the session will include testimony from the Legislative Analyst's Office. Farra Bracht and Brian Weatherford from the LAO's office will participate in the discussion.

• At 9 p.m., any of the elected public officials can comment, and finally, the public can comment.

All public comments will be limited to two minutes per speaker, because of the number of speakers expected, according to Simitian's office. The hearing will go on as long as necessary so that anyone wishing to speak has the chance. 

The Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts is located at 500 Castro St., Mountain View, Calif. 94040. Parking is available in the garage under the center, and in the open lot across the street.

For those who cannot attend but want to see the proceedings, Sen. Simitian's website, www.senatorsimitian.com, will stream the session live.