,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddgg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #aj1 #bjad    
,mr4 ,mc,nerney introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to         
authorize the ,secretary of             
,transportation to make grants for      
engineering1 final design1 and          
construction of the ,altamont ,corridor 
,rail ,project1 ,california1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,altamont      
,corridor ,rail ,improvement ,act of    
#bjad4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds   
the following3  7#a7 ,the ,altamont     
,rail ,corridor serves a ,northern      
,california megaregion with a projected 
population of #ah1jjj1jjj by #bjbe4     
7#b7 ,the ,altamont ,rail ,corridor is  
the primary gateway between the ,central
 ,valley of ,california and the ,san    
,francisco ,bay ,area and parallels two 
of the most congested highway corridors 

in the region4  7#c7 ,the ,metropolitan 
,transportation ,commission completed a 
final report of the ,bay ,area ,regional
 ,rail ,plan in #bjjg that called for a 
dedicated regional rail line that would 
provide both intercity and commuter     
passenger rail service to improve       
connectivity and accessibility between  
the ,northern ,san ,joaquin ,valley     
population centers and the ,bay ,area4  
7#d7 ,the ,california ,high ,speed ,rail
 ,authority has identified the ,altamont
 ,rail ,corridor as a critical element  
to regional transportation needs and    
entered into partnership with the major 
governing and operating entities in the 
corridor to improve the regional ,,ace  
service in the near term and develop    
capability for joint use to accommodate 
intercity and commuter service as well  
as interface with the high-speed rail   
system in the future4  7#e7 ,the ,bay   
,area ,regional ,rail ,plan projects    
that the ,,ace train that currently     
provides passenger rail service in the  

,altamont ,rail ,corridor will average  
#di1jjj daily boardings by #bjej4  7#f7 
,the current situation of sharing       
,altamont ,rail ,corridor passenger     
service with the growing freight        
operations in the existing alignment    
will severely limit opportunity for     
service improvement or expansion as     
critically needed4  7#g7 ,the expansion 
and improvement of passenger rail       
service in the ,altamont ,rail ,corridor
 will have significant environmental and
 economic development benefits for the  
region4  #c4 ,project authorization for 
new fixed guide way capital project  7a7
 ,allocation of funds ,the ,secretary of
 ,transportation is authorized to       
allocate1 out of funds made available   
under section #ecji7m7 of title #di1    
,united ,states ,code1 a total amount   
not to exceed #dej1jjj1jjj for the      
period encompassing fiscal years #bjae  
through #bjbd to carry out any remaining
 preliminary engineering and final      
design and construction of the ,altamont

 ,corridor ,rail ,project4  7b7 ,use of 
environmental documents ,any            
alternatives analysis or environmental  
impact report relating to the ,altamont 
,corridor ,rail ,project that is        
prepared to comply with the requirements
 for capital assistance from the        
,federal ,railroad ,administration      
7including documents prepared before the
 date of enactment of this ,act7 may be 
used to satisfy the requirements for    
grant assistance under section #ecji of 
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code4