Cross Valley Corridor Plan Approved With Connection to Kings/Tulare High-Speed Rail Station

DINUBA, Calif. – Today, the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) Board voted to approve the Cross Valley Corridor Plan that will serve as a vision plan to improve transportation connections and guide future development of the Central San Joaquin Valley. The plan focuses on an existing rail corridor between the cities of Huron and Porterville, with direct and convenient access to the Kings/Tulare high-speed rail station.

“This plan represents an opportunity to transform public transit in the region,” said TCAG Executive Director, Ted Smalley. “Our goal here is to identify how the corridor can provide convenient transit service, but to also plan how the high-speed rail station will connect our communities throughout the state.”

In 2016, TCAG partnered with the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) to launch a corridor planning and community engagement campaign to identify how transportation can be improved using various modes, including taking a bus, riding a train to visit surrounding communities, driving a car, biking or walking. The plan also enabled TCAG to evaluate new public transit service alternatives that would accommodate future population and economic growth in Tulare, Kings and Fresno counties, while being compatible with existing land uses and future development opportunities.

The project area follows the existing freight rail corridor from Huron to Porterville, which also parallels portions of State Routes 198 and 65. The corridor would potentially link the cities and communities of Huron, Naval Air Station Lemoore, Lemoore, Hanford, Goshen, Visalia, Farmersville, Exeter, Lindsay and Porterville. Unincorporated communities of Armona and Strathmore may also be served by transit stops. The Kings/Tulare high-speed rail station is located in the center of this corridor near the intersection of State Routes 198 and 43.

“The approval of this plan marks a significant milestone in the ongoing progress of the high-speed rail program and the partnership between the Authority and the TCAG,” said Diana Gomez, the Authority’s Central Regional Director. “We look forward to working with them to enhance multimodal connections and promote economic development.”

To view the full contents of the Cross Valley Corridor Plan, please visit www.tularecog.org/cvcp. A hard copy of the plan is also available at the TCAG office at 210 N. Church, Suite B, Visalia, CA 93291.
#####