ENGR 100W LAB ASSIGNMENT Dr. Thalia Anagnos
Objectives of Assignment:
· Demonstrate understanding of the social, economic, and environmental complexities of implementing a public transportation system
· Practice business letter writing
Background: Mario Baratta, consultant to the Valley Transportation Authority spoke on Friday, March 13 about a number of transportation projects that will affect San Jose. These include the California high speed rail, BART extension to San Jose/Santa Clara, county light rail extensions, and work improvements to the ACE system. He discussed the delicate balancing act associated with these projects because of the complex interaction of economics, community needs, and environmental protection. The list of issues is quite long; a few of the issues are increased taxes, inflation, energy costs, rider demand, equity of service, right of way, geologic conditions, earthquakes, air quality, marshland and water crossings, construction disruption, noise, and of course, job creation.
Not all Bay Area residents are supportive of proposed improvements to the public transportation system. In particular, some residents of the San Francisco Peninsula are very unhappy about the proposed high-speed rail. Residents are concerned about the choice of route, noise, aesthetics, parking, and the power grid (Bishop, 2009; Sheyner, 2009a; Sheyner, 2009b).
Assignment:
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is seeking input from residents about issues that should be considered in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the high-speed rail (see for example http://www.redwoodcity.org/manager/news/2009/pr_mgr_chsr1.html). As an informed resident of the Bay Area, you would like to participate in this discussion. Write a business letter to Dan Leavitt, Deputy Director of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, providing your input.
Your business letter should include the following:
· an introduction that explains who your are and the purpose and scope of the letter,
· at least three issues you would like to have included in the EIR,
· a concluding section with your overall assessment of the benefits or detriments of the project and contact information if Mr. Leavitt would like more information.
Address:
Mr. Dan Leavitt, Deputy Director
ATTN: San Francisco to San Jose HST Project EIR/EIS
California High-Speed Rail Authority
925 L St., Suite 1425
Sacramento, CA 95814
Guidelines: The assignment must be turned in at the end of this class period and a copy MUST BE TURNED INTO TURNITIN.COM (if not -5 points). Complete the business letter with 12 point Times Roman font, 1 1/2 line spacing, and 1- inch margins.
Proofread your document before you print it. Submit an electronic copy to Turnitin.com. Hand in a hard copy.
Grading:
Quality of introduction 3
Quality of discussion of EIR issues 5
Quality of conclusion 3
Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, memo format 4
Total 15 points
References
Bishop, S. (2009, March 5). Residents question high-speed rail plans. Palo Alto Daily News. Retrieved March 15, 2009 from http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_11841457
Sheyner, G. (2009a, February 20). Not so fast: Residents rail against proposed high-speed train, demand transparency, involvement. Palo Alto Online News. Retrieved March 15, 2009 from http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=11300
Sheyner, G. (2009b, March 3). Palo Alto may sue state high-speed rail authority: High-speed train agency denies city's request to reconsider alternative routes for proposed rail line. Palo Alto Weekly. Retrieved March 15, 2009 from http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=3436
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