Project Page CHSR
How can a once-in-a-generation opportunity support equitable,place-specific development for the Central Valley?
California High-Speed Rail
Central Valley Stations
SITELAB is supporting California High-Speed Rail station area design and planning for the four Central Valley stations, as part of a team led by Foster + Partners and ARUP. The initial segment will span 171 miles between Merced, Fresno, Hanford, and Bakersfield. High-Speed Rail presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect California and catalyze sustainable and equitable community development surrounding each station.
In addition to modeling a consistent standard of operational, architectural, and urban design excellence system-wide, the design team is pursuing opportunities to differentiate each station area by responding to its context, partnering with local organizations, and tailoring amenities to the needs of surrounding communities.
SITELAB is leading stakeholder engagement and early activation projects as part of our overall role in urban design and planning. SITELAB organized public open houses for each station in early 2024, asking residents what was important to them for their city’s future. Early activation public realm improvements in Fresno’s Downtown and Chinatown, funded by a Federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant, are moving ahead, with an anticipated completion date of 2027.
The Central Valley segment is scheduled to begin operation between 2030 and 2033, with connection from San Francisco to Los Angeles—and beyond—to follow.
Location / Date:
Merced, Fresno, Hanford, and Bakersfield, CA / 2023-Present
Status:
In-progress
Site area:
4 station areas, ranging from 30 acres to 130 acres
Client:
California High-Speed Rail Authority
Design Collaborators:
Foster + Partners, Arup, Studio MLA, Biostudio, HMH
In the News:
Foster + Partners and Arup Reveal Design for California High-Speed Rail’s First Stations
Merced. Building on the historical link between Merced and Yosemite Valley, this city with a rapidly growing university and college will benefit from high-speed rail connections to the Central Valley and the future connection to the San Francisco Bay Area. The new Merced station will incorporate a pedestrian bridge crossing over freight tracks that currently divide the city. The crossing will align with the existing city grid, directly connecting downtown with the station concourse and will significantly improve pedestrian flows across Merced. A new flexible outdoor plaza, on 16th Street, will provide a local community space and activate the station.
Fresno. The Fresno station will reconnect downtown and Chinatown, via an elevated pedestrian crossing that restores the city grid along Mariposa Street. Available to use throughout the day and night, the crossing will create a public connection between these two parts of the city and will act as a catalyst for future economic growth and investment in Chinatown. Landscaped plazas on either side of the crossing will provide new community spaces for early activation. The high-speed rail station site will also incorporate the restoration of the historic depot.
Kings Tulare. A short distance away from the city of Hanford, the Kings Tulare station is designed to create a streamlined experience for those arriving by bus, car, or bicycle. The elevated platforms and protective canopy will be added to the Hanford viaduct currently under construction. All of the station’s services and amenities will be located directly below, creating an easy and intuitive passenger journey. The adjacent public plaza will serve as a local community asset.
Bakersfield. The Bakersfield station will be the southern terminus of California High-Speed Rail’s Central Valley initial segment, with future connections already planned to Los Angeles and Anaheim to the south. The design creates a linear park that runs underneath a new viaduct, directly connecting downtown Bakersfield and the Kern River Corridor with a variety of shaded outdoor public spaces and recreation facilities. Looking ahead, there are plans for a transit-oriented development adjacent to the viaduct from the river corridor all the way to Chester Avenue.
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