Managing and supporting the delivery of sustainability services for California’s high-speed rail system

A model for sustainable infrastructure

The project has achieved Envision Platinum certification, the highest standard in the framework for sustainable, resilient, and equitable infrastructure developed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). As a charter member of ISI, Arup has proudly been an early adopter of Envision and is committed to implementing holistic sustainability for the project, which is the largest transportation infrastructure project both in terms of capital investment and geographic area to earn an Envision award to date. Arup is assisting the Authority in its effort to maintain its Envision certification through a rigorous process of data collection and validation. 

To further the environmental benefits of the system’s design, Arup is committed to incorporating proven, innovative strategies that advance sustainability. The new high-speed rail line will be designed to operate with 100% renewable energy — the first in the world to do so — drawing on 35 megawatts of electricity for traction power generated by solar panels and 140 MwH megawatt hours of battery storage power for traction power.

To safeguard this critical infrastructure for the next generation, Arup is conducting hazard analysis and developing resilient design approaches to mitigate climate change-related risks. Dedicated to preserving natural resources, the Authority has thus far maintained and restored more than 4,400 acres of habitat and protected more than 3,400 acres of agricultural land from development. Holistically, climate adaptation efforts are developed with the ultimate goal of creating a resilient and reliable system for California.

California suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the country, which heavily impacts the project’s current construction area. Arup is helping implement Authority-driven sustainability strategies into the project specifications including requirements for contractors to solely use zero-emission vehicles for their on-road project fleets in all future construction contracts. As for off-road fleets, they are to be composed of newer, more efficient equipment models that meet the highest emission standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Tier 4) and transitioned to zero-emissions equipment as it becomes available. Since construction began, the Authority has steadily increased the percentage of Tier 4 equipment to over 90%.

Arup is also driving strategies to reduce the embodied carbon of the concrete and steel used to build the project and maintaining the Authority’s robust first-party in-state program for carbon offsetting. In conjunction with this, Arup has also been validating voluntary emission reduction management (VERA) agreements made with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District during construction to ensure community health is prioritized. This work has already resulted in cleaner air quality in the San Joaquin Valley, which is one of the most polluted areas in California.

Supporting California small businesses 

To elevate California businesses during construction and design of the California high-speed rail, Arup is supporting the Authority’s Small Business Program. Our team of consultants includes diverse, small, disabled, and disadvantaged businesses from across the state, driving business growth through job creation and workforce development. Since 2015, the number of small businesses working on the project has increased by over 165%, and the number of disadvantaged business enterprises has increased by 191%.

The consultants who are part of Arup’s team for the California high-speed rail sustainability program include Arellano Associates, BASE Landscape Architects, Bio Studio, Convey, ERP, Global ASR Consulting, ICF, Build Momentum, OCMI, PEC Water, Polytechnique Environmental, Strategen, OurEnergy, and Egon Terplan.