Abstract

Visualizing High Speed Rail
Track: Urban and Regional Planning
Authors: Troy Hightower, Heather Schuchard

As early as 2012, construction will begin on the Bakersfield to Merced section of the High Speed Rail. In addition to the over 100,000 new jobs it will bring, the 60-foot elevated platform and passenger station will change the face of downtown Bakersfield. Kern Council of Governments has developed 3D visualizations as a powerful public interface tool and has used them at public workshops county-wide. This presentation will identify the driving factors behind the project, logistics/connectivity challenges, and the steps performed to build a GIS based 3D visualization. Specific benefits will be discussed, such as quotes from the public, reaction from stakeholders and potential developers, and enhanced live/work/play accessibility. The visualizations are also consistent with the new Climate Change Law SB 375. The public saw more than high-speed rail coming down the tracks - they witnessed downtown revitalization.