TBJ Facebook TBJ Twitter TBJ RSS

Hanford council nixes rail station planning grant

Details
Published on 08/05/2015 - 11:17 am
Written by John Lindt
  • Print
View Comments

The Hanford City Council voted to pass on a grant that would help fund planning for a future high-speed rail station.The Hanford City Council voted to pass on a grant that would help fund planning for a future high-speed rail station.The Hanford City Council turned down a chance to secure a matching grant to begin planning for a regional high-speed rail station.

Hanford City Manager Darrel Pyle had urged the council to consider the planning grant, but opposition to the project remains strong in this Kings County community. The council opted Tuesday to not vote on the motion, reported the Hanford Sentinel.

The city was to receive $600,000 from the California High-Speed Rail Authority providing there was a $200,000 match, half of that to be provided by Tulare County. The planning study was to include a possible light rail route to be studied to connect back to Tulare County.

Now Tulare County will lose the light rail study. Ted Smalley, executive director of the Tulare County Association of Governments, said his board will take up the issue Sept. 21, but without a Kings County partner, the board is unlikely to proceed.

The California High Speed Rail Authority announced it would be building the Kings /Tulare station with or without Hanford’s input, with a design contract slated for end of this year. The proposed site would be in the eastern part of town.