March 2011 Final EIS 

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1.0 Purpose and Need 

1.1 INTRODUCTION 

This Final EIS addresses the proposal by DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC, (Applicant or 

DesertXpress) to construct and operate a high-speed passenger railroad between 

Victorville, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada (the proposed action). The Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA) is the lead agency for the environmental review process for the 

DesertXpress High-Speed Passenger Train project. The Applicant will secure financing 

and own the system and be responsible for the project’s development, construction, 

operation, and maintenance. Approvals by several federal agencies, including the FRA, 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Surface Transportation Board (STB), Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA), and the National Park Service (NPS) would be 

necessary to implement the project, including the granting of permission to use public 

lands and/or highway rights-of-way (ROW). 

The FRA has authority to regulate the safety of railroads, including the proposed project 

under 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) 20101 et seq. FRA also manages financial assistance 

programs for rail capital investments, for which this project would likely be eligible. The 

BLM has approval authority over the use of public lands under their control under 43 

U.S.C. 1761, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). The FHWA has 

jurisdiction over the use of and/or modification of Interstate highway right of way under 

23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1.23. The NPS has authority over the management 

and use of the Mojave National Preserve under 16 U.S.C. 2. 

The STB is an independent federal agency with broad authority under the Interstate 

Commerce Act over matters related to the regulatory oversight of transportation by rail 

carriers provided as part of the interstate rail network, 49 U.S.C. 10501. The STB has 

jurisdiction over the construction and operation of new rail lines pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

10501(b). The STB’s jurisdiction over rail transportation is exclusive, expressly 
DesertXpress 1.0 Purpose and Need 

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preempting other requirements under federal or state law. The reach of federal 

preemption in this case is discussed in Section 1.4, Major Authorizing Laws and 

Regulations, below.1

 

This Final EIS has been prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508). This Final EIS is 

being prepared by the FRA in cooperation with STB, BLM, FHWA, and NPS. The 

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Nevada Department of 

Transportation (NDOT) are also participating in evaluating the DesertXpress proposal. 

This chapter of this Final EIS describes the purpose and need for high-speed interstate 

passenger rail transportation between southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. The 

purpose and need provides the basis for evaluating and comparing alternatives, and is one 

of the factors considered in selecting a preferred alternative. In addition to the purpose 

and need for the project, this chapter identifies major authorizing laws and regulations, 

discusses the relationship of the proposal to statutes, regulations, policies, programs and 

plans, and lists federal permits, licenses, and other requirements for project 

implementation. Figure F-1-1 shows an overview map of the proposed project. 

1.2 PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT 

The purpose of the privately proposed project is to provide reliable and safe passenger rail 

transportation using proven high-speed rail technology between southern California 

(Victorville) and Las Vegas that is a convenient alternative to automobile travel on the 

Interstate-15 (I-15) freeway, or air travel to and from Las Vegas, and that adds 

transportation capacity in the I-15 corridor. 

1.2.1 RELIABLE, SAFE, CONVENIENT MODE OF TRAVEL USING PROVEN HIGH 

SPEED RAIL TECHNOLOGY

Depending on the selected alignment, DesertXpress would extend approximately 183 to 

200 miles on a new, high-speed double track with no at-grade crossings, providing trains 

departing both ends of the line at least hourly and as frequently as every 20 minutes on 

Fridays and Sundays. DesertXpress would travel at speeds up to 150 miles per hour 

(mph). The 183- to 200-mile trip would take between 1 hour and 40 minutes and 2 hours 

depending on the selected technology, and would operate every day of the year. The trains 

 

1 STB’s preemption authority precludes any requirement for an environmental review under the California 

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). However, this document includes environmental analyses that would also 

satisfy CEQA requirements. Moreover, CEQA-related noticing procedures have been followed, including 

issuance of a Notice of Preparation to the California State Clearinghouse in July 2006. 
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March 2011 Final EIS 

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would be based on proven high-speed train technology used in Europe and customized for 

the unique setting of the high desert. Each car would be self-propelled to provide the high 

power-to-weight ratio needed to follow the alignment and negotiate its relatively steep 

grades as it travels through two desert mountain passes. 

1.2.2 INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF THE I-15 CORRIDOR

In its 2006 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP), the Southern 

California Association of Governments (SCAG) has programmed funding for several 

projects within and/or near the study corridor that will increase capacity and improve 

operation of I-15.

2

 The construction and operation of DesertXpress trains would further 

increase capacity and improve operation of the I-15 corridor, potentially reducing the need 

for programmed and/or planned but unfunded improvements. 

As originally conceived by the Applicant, the DesertXpress train tracks would utilize, to 

the extent feasible, existing highway and railroad ROW along the corridor to avoid 

impacting relatively undisturbed lands and the associated environmental costs while also 

reducing the need for property acquisitions. The approximate 60-foot ROW width 

required for the project would be narrower than the width of additional highway lanes that 

would be needed to carry a comparable number of people in automobiles on the I-15 

corridor. 

DesertXpress commissioned a ridership study in 2005, which was independently reviewed 

by qualified specialists under the exclusive direction of the FRA. The original study and 

FRA’s review are included in this Final EIS as Appendix F-D. Also refer to Section 

2.2.2 for a discussion of the DesertXpress ridership projections. 

The Applicant’s study incorporated a comprehensive travel demand model that divided 

the southern California area into zones (by postal zip codes), computed travel times and 

costs from those zones for the automobile and air travel modes, and then compared those 

modes to the time and cost of DesertXpress. The study also utilized an internet-based 

stated preference survey of selected southern California residents (carried out in July 

2005) to estimate how many existing auto and air trips to Las Vegas could potentially be 

diverted to DesertXpress. According to the study, the projected travel demand from 

southern California to Las Vegas in the year 2012 will be 18.2 million trips. 

 

2

 I-15 capacity and/or operational improvements programmed in SCAG’s 2006 RTIP are identified below: 

Barstow: new interchange at I-15 at Old Route State Route 58 (SR 58); 

Near Baker, from 5.9 km north of Afton Road to 2.3 km south of Basin Road: add truck climbing lane 

For a comprehensive list of anticipated capacity improvements in the project area, see Section 2.0 of the 

Traffic Impact Study, included as Appendix F-G. 
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The Applicant’s study assessed the sensitivity of high-speed train ridership to various fare 

levels, travel time, and service frequency. Ridership was also projected based on the use of 

either diesel or electric train technology options. The electric train set would employ 

longer and wider trains with significantly greater passenger capacity than the diesel train 

set. As shown in the ridership review and original ridership study, DesertXpress could 

divert 20-25 percent of private automobile trips from I-15, and would have a passenger 

capacity at least equal to a full freeway lane. 

During a typical peak hour in its first full year of operation, DesertXpress would carry 

approximately 1,350 passengers. Over time, as passenger demand increases, 

DesertXpress would have the capacity to operate trains as frequently as every five minutes 

in each direction, thereby achieving a peak hour capacity of approximately 5,000 

passengers per hour per direction, which is roughly equivalent to two lanes of freeway 

traffic. With this capacity, the DesertXpress project could potentially reduce the need to 

expand I-15, thus allowing Caltrans and NDOT to defer major expansion of I-15 and 

allocate future funding instead to other highway and transportation improvements in the 

two states. 

As further detailed in Section 2.3.1 of this Final EIS, various freeway improvements are 

projected for the I-15 corridor by the year 2030. These improvements are intended to 

accommodate projected growth in the southern California and Las Vegas regions. 

However, even with these proposed improvements, future operating conditions of the 

freeway mainlines are expected to be at unacceptable levels of service. 

The DesertXpress project would also maximize transit and ground transportation 

connections at the proposed station alternatives and would provide adequate parking 

facilities to accommodate peak capacity per the ridership projections. 

The Applicant’s study also states that DesertXpress is expected to divert an estimated 3.04 

million annual auto trips from I-15, reducing auto emissions and saving fuel. Increased 

demand for DesertXpress would be accommodated by adding more trains as demand 

increases. DesertXpress would have the capacity to quadruple its projected initial 

ridership over roughly a 30-year period. 

The ridership review conducted for FRA examined and evaluated the methodologies 

employed in the Applicant’s ridership study. The ridership review noted that numerous 

factors could alter the findings of the ridership study in both positive and negative 

directions. Following consideration of all of these factors and their relative potential to 

alter the findings, FRA’s ridership review adjusted downwards by a factor of 10 percent 

the passengers forecast in the Applicant’s study. These adjusted numbers are utilized in 

this Final EIS. 
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1.3 NEED FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT 

The need for a high-speed rail service stems from several factors: high and increasing 

travel demand amidst lagging capacity on the I-15 corridor and constraints to expansion of 

air travel, and frequent accidents in the I-15 corridor. 

1.3.1 TRAVEL DEMAND AND CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS

The rapid increase in travel demand between southern California and Las Vegas, coupled 

with the growth in population in the areas surrounding Victorville, Barstow, and Las 

Vegas, has placed increasing pressures on the highways and airports serving the region. 

For example, for the highway segment between Victorville and Barstow, the Average Daily 

Traffic (ADT) on I-15 grew from 50,000 to 60,000 between 1998 and 2005 and is 

estimated to increase to 75,000 by 2015 and to 100,000 by 2025.3

 

The 2005 ridership study estimated that one-third of the 38 million annual Las Vegas 

visitors and business travelers come from southern California, and an estimated 72 

percent of them drive to Las Vegas on I-15.4 In 2005, the total average person trips on a 

Friday to Las Vegas from California was 56,700 trips, which generates an estimated 

annual volume of 11.77 million passenger trips by automobile. In addition, the ridership 

study estimates that there are 1.57 million annual trips by air and 0.9 million by bus.5

 

Travel delays on I-15 during peak days (Friday and Sunday) range from 0.5 to 1.25 hours 

or more. As the only roadway directly linking metropolitan southern California to Las 

Vegas, I-15 conditions are often congested. 

Typical lane capacity for home-to-work commuter traffic on a freeway is between 1,600 to 

2,000 cars per hour or higher under ideal conditions, which assumes 100 percent 

automobile traffic on flat terrain, with no trucks, buses, or slower recreational vehicles. 

However, I-15 is also a major truck route with steep grades–Caltrans reports 15 percent of 

the average daily traffic on I-15 between Victorville and Barstow as truck traffic–and is 

also a popular recreational vehicle route. This diversity of traffic and terrain leads to 

greater speed differentials, more space occupied per vehicle, and larger gaps between 

vehicles than normal commuter traffic. These factors lead to decreased lane capacity of 

below 1,600 vehicles per hour per lane. 

 

3

 Initial Study/Environmental Assessment, Victorville to Barstow-Add Southbound Mixed-Flow Lane, 

Caltrans, FHWA, County of San Bernardino, May 2001. 

4 URS Corporation, 2005. 

5

 The 2004 air travel estimate is derived from commercial travel originating at one of the five major Los 

Angeles metropolitan area passenger airports: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Bob Hope Airport 

(BUR), John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA), LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), and Long Beach 

Airport (LGB). Air travel from San Diego International Airport (SAN) is not included in the estimate. 
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Under free flow travel conditions, the trip on I-15 from Victorville to Las Vegas is 192 

miles and takes about 3 hours to drive if driving at a constant, posted speed limit. Because 

of the estimated annual volume of passenger trips made by automobiles and the two-lanes 

per direction capacity of I-15 over the majority of its length, congestion is a growing and 

serious problem. 

The single worst hour to drive from Las Vegas to southern California is Sunday at 2 PM. 

The Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) and Ridership and Revenue Study prepared for the 

DesertXpress project estimated that the congestion delay on I-15 will grow from 1.25 

hours in the summer of 2002 to 3.19 hours in 2012, to 7.03 hours in 2022, and to 5.78 

hours in 2032, even with planned improvements in place.6

 These studies also assume that 

drivers will not modify their travel pattern or departure time. These studies further 

conclude that by the summer of 2022, 78 percent of the drivers will find the congestion 

delay intolerable on Sunday and will leave a day earlier (or not travel at all). In California, 

with no funds currently programmed by Caltrans to widen this aging highway over the 

majority of its length (which has only two general traffic lanes in each direction in most 

places), the situation can be expected to worsen in the future. 

On the Nevada side, between Primm and Las Vegas, the I-15 freeway experienced a 31.5 

percent increase in vehicle volumes in each direction for the ten year period between 1993 

and 2003. Were there no capacity constraints, current estimates are that 52 million 

vehicle trips would be traversing this corridor annually by the year 2015; however, the 

highways serving this market have an estimated annual capacity of only 38 million. 

Air travel between southern California and Las Vegas is also constrained, which causes 

travel delays and inconvenience to both business and leisure travelers. Major commercial 

Airports in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 

John Wayne Airport (SNA), Long Beach Airport (LGB) and Bob Hope Airport (BUR), are 

located within densely populated urban areas, where the ability to expand runways and/or 

airport facilities has been severely limited for more than two decades. Los Angeles World 

Airports (LAWA), which operates both LAX and LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), 

has focused recent expansion efforts on new facilities at the Palmdale Airport in northern 

Los Angeles County. The SCAG has proposed a rail link from LAX to Palmdale as a means 

of easing congestion at LAX. SNA is adding six additional gates as part of an airport 

expansion project. However, SNA will continue to operate within a stringent aircraft noise 

abatement area, which strictly regulates take off and landing protocols, while also limiting 

airport hours of operation. The number of daily flights at LGB is fixed by the City of Long 

Beach’s noise ordinance. In 2009, work began on a new passenger terminal, but rather 

than increase the capacity of this airport, the work is proposed to relocate currently 

 

6 DMJM Harris|AECOM, Traffic Impact Analysis Draft Final Report, February 2009. URS, DesertXpress 

Updated Ridership and Revenue Study Draft Final Report, December 2005. 
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outdoor passenger gate areas to enclosed spaces. Potential expansions at BUR have been 

set aside in the face of strong local opposition and insufficient distance between runways 

and the present passenger terminal. 

In the Las Vegas area, McCarran International Airport (LAS) accommodated about 48

million passengers in 2007. The Clark County Department of Aviation (CCDOA) has 

planned for the further expansion of LAS to accommodate increased demand, including 

the opening of additional gates in the D-Concourse and construction of Terminal 3. These 

improvements would increase the practical capacity of the airport to 53 million 

passengers, which is about 10 percent greater than actual capacity experienced in 2007. 

CCDOA anticipates that LAS will reach its practical capacity by 2017. While some general 

aviation flights are accommodated at nearby North Las Vegas Airport, LAS is the only 

large commercial airport that serves Las Vegas. LAS is surrounded on all sides by 

development, making significant expansion of the airfield much more difficult and 

impedes capacity expansion. CCDOA is thus proposing to construct the Ivanpah Valley 

Airport (also known as the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA), as a 

supplemental commercial service airport. The airport is proposed to be built in the 

Ivanpah Valley, approximately 30 miles south of Las Vegas between Jean and Primm. A 

subsequent act of Congress in 2002 established a 2,640 foot wide corridor between the 

Las Vegas Valley and the proposed Ivanpah Airport, in which to-be-determined 

transportation and utility infrastructure could be located.7

 As of 2010, CCDOA has 

reduced its level of effort on planning the SNSA. Accordingly, the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) suspended environmental work on the SNSA without identifying a 

date certain at which work would resume.8 

In addition to personal automobile and air travel between southern California and Las 

Vegas, both public and private bus transportation is also available. In regards to public 

bus transportation, the Greyhound Bus Line serves areas throughout southern California 

and provides both direct and stopover service between southern California and Las Vegas, 

including stops in Victorville and Barstow. Private charter buses also provide 

transportation between southern California and Las Vegas. While these charter buses are 

privately rented, they provide service for groups of individuals traveling to and from 

southern California and Las Vegas. These bus services would, however, experience similar 

traffic congestion as the private automobiles, as I-15 would remain the primary route for 

service.

 

7

 Title V, Section 501(b), Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002, Public 

Law 107-282, enacted November 6, 2002. 

8 Accessed at <http://www.snvairporteis.com/> on January 21, 2011 
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Additional surface passenger transportation capacity between Victorville and Las Vegas is 

needed and the project would provide capacity and would add connections between 

different transportation modes. 

The DesertXpress project would pass by the site of the SNSA, allowing for a potential 

airport rail link to be constructed.9 To serve the proposed SNSA in the future, 

DesertXpress would need to construct a spur track off the mainline into the terminal area 

and operate trains dedicated to airport service directly from the new airport to Las Vegas 

over the mainline DesertXpress tracks. The Applicant, airport officials, and Clark County 

may consider this possibility at some future date.10 

The project would also be in close proximity to the Las Vegas Monorail, which could be 

extended by the Las Vegas Monorail Company to the proposed DesertXpress Las Vegas 

station to provide a direct connection to visitor attractions and destinations in Las Vegas. 

No connection to the Las Vegas Monorail is proposed as part of the project and therefore 

is not evaluated in this Final EIS. 

The project could also be extended in the future to Palmdale, California (about 50 miles 

west of Victorville) to connect to the planned state-wide California High Speed Train 

System. Finally, the project could be connected to the Los Angeles Basin initially by

extending Metrolink Commuter Rail service from its present terminus in the City of San 

Bernardino to Victorville, or alternatively, DesertXpress itself could be extended to 

Ontario International Airport, San Bernardino station, and/or other communities in the 

Los Angeles Basin. These future connections are not proposed as part of the project and 

are therefore not evaluated in this Final EIS. 

1.3.2 SAFETY

Alternatives to automobile travel would likely provide improved safety conditions in the I15 corridor. 

 

9 Construction of a link to the proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport is not part of the current 

DesertXpress proposal and is not evaluated in this EIS. Construction and operations of such a link would 

require separate environmental review. In addition, as discussed above, the environmental review for the 

SNSA is currently suspended without any date identified for the resumption of work. 

10 Studies of the economic viability of the DesertXpress Project do not incorporate or rely upon an airport 

shuttle or other forms of transportation linking to the proposed Ivanpah Valley Airport. 
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On a national level, comparing miles traveled via commercial aircraft, train, and 

automobiles on highways, auto travel on highways has by far the highest rate of passenger 

fatalities per mile traveled. For the years 2000 through 2005, the average rate of 

passenger fatalities per 100 million miles traveled by highway was more than 25 times the 

comparable rate for travel by air and rail.11

By reducing the number of automobiles on I-15, the project could potentially reduce the 

accident rate thus improving traffic safety. Along the California portion of the I-15 

corridor between 2003 and 2005, the fatal accident rate has exceeded statewide averages 

for highway facilities, particularly for the portion of I-15 between Barstow and the Nevada 

state line.12

 Given the relatively low resident population in this portion of the corridor, the 

data suggest that a disproportionate number of fatalities are related to longer-distance 

travel between southern California and the Las Vegas Area. Since the publication of the 

Draft EIS and Supplemental Draft EIS, FHWA’s further review of more recent I-15 

corridor crash data confirms that these trends continue. 

In Nevada, traffic accident data gathered from 2003 through 2006 suggests that 

congestion is a key factor in the number and type of accidents. In the stretch of I-15 

between the Nevada state line and Spring Mountain Road, nearly 50 percent of the traffic 

accidents in between 2003 and 2006 were rear-end collisions. Congestion can be a key 

factor in increasing the rate of rear-end collisions. On a more lightly traveled freeway, a 

vehicle would more likely pass another rather than follow too closely.13

 

1.4 MAJOR AUTHORIZING LAWS AND REGULATIONS 

Several laws are pertinent to the proposed project. 

Under 49 U.S.C. 20101 et seq., the FRA has authority over the safety of railroads. Under 

45 U.S.C. 821 et seq., the Secretary of Transportation has authority to provide direct loans 

and loan guarantees to State and local governments, government sponsored authorities 

and corporations, railroads, and joint ventures that include at least one railroad. The 

Secretary's authority has been delegated to the FRA. Additionally, under 49 U.S.C. 24402, 

the FRA has authority to administer grants for capital investment grants to support 

intercity passenger rail service. 

 

11 Air: Internet site www.ntsb.gov/aviation (April 2007).Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Internet site 

http://www.bts.gov/xml/air_traffic/src/datadisp.xml (April 2007). 

Highway: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), National Center for Statistics Analysis (April 2007). 

1975-2004: Ibid, Traffic Safety Facts 2004, DOT HS 809 775 (Washington, DC: 2005), table 4, Internet site 

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSFAnn/TSF2003F.pdf (February 16, 2006). 

Railroad: Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Analysis, Internet site http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov 

(March 2007).

12 Korve Engineering, 2006. 

13 Korve Engineering, 2006. 
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Under 42 U.S.C. 4601 et. seq., if federal assistance is provided to a project, the Uniform 

Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, and 

its implementing regulations detailed in 49 CFR Part 24 will apply. 

Under 43 U.S.C. 1761 (FLPMA), the BLM has approval authority over rights-of-way and 

use of public lands under their control, including for rail transportation purposes, as 

outlined under the ROW regulations at 43 CFR 2801.9 et seq. 

Under 49 U.S.C. 10901, the STB has jurisdiction over the construction and operation of 

new rail lines. 

Under 23 U.S.C. 111, for the portions of the proposed rail line that would be within the 

existing highway ROW under the jurisdiction of FHWA, the implementing regulations in 

23 CFR 1.23 provide FHWA authority over approval of temporary or permanent 

occupancy or use within the boundaries of federal-aid highways. 

1.4.1 PERMITS, LICENSES AND OTHER REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

The federal agencies responsible for approval of the project may be responding to multiple 

needs based on their mandates, but the purpose is consistent across all federal agencies. 

Approvals by the FRA, BLM, STB, and FHWA would be necessary to implement the 

project. The construction and operation of the project will be entirely permitted through 

federal and state agencies. 

The proponents of the project, under the guidance of the FRA, will also be responsible for 

the following permits: 

 Encroachment permits from Caltrans and NDOT to ensure minimal impacts to the 

operation of I-15; 

 Procuring a Section 404 permit from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 

to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act (see Section 1.4.1.1 below); 

 Procuring a Section 401 Certification through the California Regional Water 

Quality Control Boards and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to 

ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act (see Section 1.4.1.1 below); and 

 Section 7 Consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) service to 

satisfy Endangered Species Act (ESA) Requirements.14 

 

14 The USFWS received the Draft Biological Assessment (BA) for the DesertXpress project on August 17, 2010 

as part of the Section 7 Consultation Process. A revised BA was submitted on December 16, 2010. A Biological 

Opinion is expected by April 30, 2011. 
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These permits will be obtained following the issuance Record of Decision (ROD) in 

accordance with the procedures and policies of the issuing agencies. In addition to the 

necessary permits, the Applicant will be required to assist with compliance of additional 

regulations, such as: 

 Carrying out the mitigation measures and commitments described in the Biological 

Opinion resulting from Section 7 Consultation. 

 Carrying out the terms of the Programmatic Agreement to satisfy Section 106 of 

the National Historic Preservation Act (see Section 3.7, Cultural and 

Paleontological Resources, of this Final EIS). 

1.4.1.1 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Concurrently with the NEPA process, the Applicant initiated the Clean Water Act (CWA) 

Section 404 permitting process with the USACE in May 2010. The CWA Section 404 

established a program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of 

the US, including wetlands. As part of this CWA Section 404 permitting process, the 

Applicant prepared two formal jurisdictional delineation reports for the Ivanpah Valley 

area and the Las Vegas watershed (see Section 3.8, Hydrology and Water Quality, of 

this Final EIS). Jurisdictional determination and issuance of a permit for the discharge of 

fill material into waters of the US associated with construction of the DesertXpress project 

will be part of the CWA Section 404 permit process administered by the USACE. 

In addition to the CWA Section 404 permit, the Applicant will apply for certification under 

Section 401 of the CWA.15 Section 401 Certification is administered in California through 

the Regional Water Quality Control Boards (in the case of the DesertXpress project the 

Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board) and in Nevada by the Nevada Division of 

Environmental Protection. Issuance of the CWA Section 404 permit by the USACE, and 

Section 401 Certification, are anticipated to follow issuance of the Record of Decisionon 

the project by the Cooperating Agencies. 

1.4.1.2 STB Preemption Authority 

In response to a request for a declaratory order filed by DesertXpress, STB issued a 

decision in DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC-Petition for Declaratory Order, STB Finance 

Docket No. 34914 (STB served June 27, 2007) (June 2007 Dec. Order) stating that the 

project would not be subject to state and local environmental review, land use, or to other 

permitting requirements. STB determined that DesertXpress would first be required to 

 

15 Under federal CWA Section 401, every applicant for a federal permit or license for any activity which may 

result in a discharge to a water body must obtain State Water Quality Certification (Certification) that the 

proposed activity will comply with state water quality standards. Most Certifications are issues in connection 

with USACE CWA Section 404 permits for dredge and fill discharge. 
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file an application under 49 U.S.C. 10901 for STB authority to build and operate the new 

line. DesertXpress intends to file this application when this environmental review has 

been completed. 

In its June 2007 Dec. Order, STB concluded that construction and operation of 

DesertXpress’ planned interstate passenger rail line would be within the agency’s 

jurisdiction under Section 10501 because DesertXpress would be a rail carrier providing 

interstate common carrier rail transportation. Accordingly, STB found that the broad 

preemption at 49 U.S.C. 10501 (b) would attach, and environmental review would be 

under NEPA and related federal environmental laws instead of the individual laws and 

regulations of California and Nevada, such as the California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA).16

 

STB also concluded that the federal preemption provision contained in 49 U.S.C. 

10501(b), as broadened by the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995, 

Pub. L. No. 104-88, 109 Stat. 803 (1995) (ICCTA), shields railroad operations that are 

subject to the STB’s jurisdiction from the application of most state and locals laws.17

Section 10501(b) expressly provides that the ―jurisdiction of the STB over transportation 

by rail carriers‖ over any track that is part of the interstate rail network ―is exclusive.‖ 

Section 10501(b) also expressly provides that the remedies provided under 49 U.S.C. 

10101-11908 are exclusive and preempt the remedies provided under state law. However, 

the broad Section 10501(b) preemption is not limitless, and, under Section 10501, STB and 

the courts have construed Section 10501(b) to harmonize it to the extent possible with 

 

16 Although the DesertXpress project does not require a CEQA review, the EIS includes the type of analysis 

that would have been conducted under the regulations and guidance of CEQA. See City of Auburn, 154 F.3d at 

1031 31 (9th Cir. 1998) (City of Auburn). Moreover, state and local agencies and concerned citizens have had 

ample opportunity to participate in the ongoing EIS process. A number of state agencies have participated in 

the ongoing EIS process, including Caltrans and NDOT. 

17 STB explained in its June 2007 Dec. Order that courts have found two broad categories of state and local 

actions to be preempted regardless of the context or rationale for the action: any form of state or local 

permitting or preclearance that, by its nature, could be used to deny the railroad the ability to conduct its 

operations or to proceed with activities that the Board has authorized, and state or local regulation of matters 

directly regulated by the Board (such as the construction, operation, and abandonment of rail lines). 

Otherwise the Section 10501(b) preemption analysis requires a factual assessment of whether a particular 

action would have the effect of preventing or unreasonably interfering with railroad transportation. See, e.g., 

City of Auburn v. STB, 154 F.3d 1025, 1029-31 (9th Cir. 1998) (City of Auburn) (state and local environmental 

and land use permitting are preempted); Joint Petition for Declaratory Order—Boston and Maine Corporation 

and Town of Ayer, MA, STB Finance Docket No. 33971 (STB served May 1, 2001), aff’d, Boston & Maine Corp. 

v. Town of Ayer, 206 F. Supp. 2d 128 (D. Mass. 2002) (state and local permit requirements and environmental 

review of construction and operation of railroad intermodal facility preempted). Moreover, the courts and STB 

have explained that the states’ police powers are not preempted by Section 10501(b) so long as their actions do 

not unreasonably burden interstate commerce or interfere with railroad operations. Thus, for example, 

railroads may be required to comply with some health and safety rules, such as fire and electric codes, and 

inspections. Flynn v. Burlington N. Santa Fe Corp., 98 F. Supp. 2d 1189-90 (E.D. Wash. 2000). 
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other federal statutes, including federal environmental statutes, such as NEPA, the Clean 

Air Act, and the Clean Water Act, as well as the National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA), and the regulation of railroad safety under the Federal Railroad Safety Act. 

Subsequent to the March 2009 publication of the Draft EIS, the California-Nevada Super 

Speed Train Commission and the American Magline Group asked the STB to reopen and 

reverse the June 2007 Dec. Order. STB held an oral hearing on the matter in October 

2009. In a decision issued on May 6, 2010, STB reaffirmed its 2007 decision that the 

DesertXpress project falls within STB’s jurisdiction and would require Board authority 

under U.S.C. 10901. 

Table F-1-1 identifies the required permits and approvals. 

Table F-1-1 Federal Permits or Approvals Anticipated for Action Alternatives 

Agency Permit/Approval

Federal Railroad Administration Safety Waiver or Rule of Particular Applicability

Bureau of Land Management Right-of-Way* 

Surface Transportation Board Authority to Construct and Operate Railroad

Federal Highway Administration Concurrence for Highway ROW Occupancy and/or Disposal

Access Justification Report or Access Modification Report18

Concurrence on Project Design Elements Related to Highway 

Operations

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sec. 404 Permit (waters of the U.S.)

Sec. 401 Certification

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 7 Biological Opinion

Note: *The BLM can only grant this right of way if it can conclude, in consultation with FHWA, that the project would not 

interfere with highway operation purposes. 

Source: CirclePoint, 2010. 

In addition to these federal agencies, the FRA also consulted with the Native American 

Heritage Commission and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Separately, the 

FRA, in cooperation with BLM, engaged in formal government-to-government 

consultation with representatives of Native American tribes (sovereign nations) in the 

region of the project area, including face-to-face meetings between tribal representatives 

and FRA decision makers. 

 

18 The current project design does not include creating new access points to the interstate freeway (I-15), nor is 

direct access to the I-15 freeway envisioned during construction or rail operations maintenance. However if 

project designs or plans change to require permanent access modifications to I-15 or temporary direct access 

for construction, approval of an Access Modification Report would be required. 
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As noted, the project is exempt from state and local land use and environmental laws. 

However, the FRA and Cooperating Agencies consulted extensively with state and local 

entities in the project area during development of the Draft EIS, as illustrated in Table F1-2. Detailed information about coordination and consultation can be found in Chapter 

4.0, Comments and Coordination. 

Table F-1-2 Federal, State, Regional, and Local Agencies Consulted in EIS Process 

Type of Agency Agency

Federal Resource Agencies Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

State Environmental Resource Agencies California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG); 

Nevada Department of Wildlife; California Air 

Resources Board (CARB); South Coast Air Quality 

Management District (AQMD); Nevada Department of 

Environmental Quality; California Regional Water 

Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region

Historic Resources Agencies State Historic Preservation Officers in California and 

Nevada

Transportation Agencies California Department of Transportation (Caltrans); 

Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT); 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern 

Nevada (RTC)

Councils of Governments Southern California Association of Governments 

(SCAG); San Bernardino County Associated

Governments (SANBAG)

State and Local Governments City of Victorville, City of Barstow, City of Las Vegas, 

San Bernardino County, Clark County

Source: CirclePoint, 2010. 

Portions of the project that propose to utilize rights-of-way owned by private railroads 

would require the Applicant to obtain easements or agreements with the railroads to 

construct and operate the railroad in such rights-of-way. Portions of Segments 1A would 

utilize a ROW owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF); portions of 

Option C within Segments 6 and 7 would be constructed within a corridor owned by the 

Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). The use of any private railroad ROW would be subject to 

approval by owner railroads. STB approval of the project would not convey the authority 

to force any private railroad to sell, lease, or otherwise allow DesertXpress to use the ROW 

of an existing railroad. 
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1.5 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY POLICIES, 

PLANS, AND PROGRAMS 

1.5.1 FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION 

The proposed project would use trains and other features that do not comply with current 

FRA safety regulations, including track and locomotive safety regulations. However, this 

inconsistency with the FRA safety regulations would be made consistent through 

promulgation of a rule of particular applicability or a waiver process that would set safety 

standards specifically for the project. As such, the DesertXpress project would not 

establish an adverse safety condition. 

The FRA is lead Federal agency for the environmental review of other high-speed ground 

transportation proposals in the project area and in southern California. While FRA has 

provided funding to other passenger rail projects in California and Nevada, no 

construction funding has been committed to any high-speed ground transportation 

project that could conflict with the project. While there is no Amtrak service that exists 

along the entire corridor, the Southwest Chief Amtrak route between Los Angeles and 

Chicago indirectly serves the project corridor between Victorville and Barstow. 

In addition, DesertXpress may become eligible for federal funds through the Railroad 

Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program (RRIF), which is administered by 

FRA. The RRIF program was established by the Transportation Equality Act for the 21st

Century (TEA-21) and amended by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and the Rail Safety 

Improvement Act of 2008. Under this program, the FRA Administrator is authorized to 

provide, in the aggregate, direct loans and loan guarantees up to $35 billion. In general, 

RRIF funds may be used to (1) acquire, improve or rehabilitate intermodal or rail 

equipment or facilities including track, bridges, yards, building and shops, (2) refinance 

eligible debt, and (3) develop new intermodal or railroad facilities. 

When an applicant applies for a RRIF loan, numerous preconditions to the issuance of the 

loan must be met. These include completion of the NEPA process and a determination 

that the applicant is eligible for financial assistance. Should DesertXpress receive 

financial assistance through a RRIF loan, it would be required to comply with various 

Federal laws including compliance with the requirements of the Uniform Relocation 

Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (Uniform Act) 

(42 U.S.C. 61) and its implementing regulations. 
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1.5.2 BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT 

The FLPMA governs the way in which the public lands administered by the BLM are 

managed. The FLPMA recognizes the value of the public lands, declaring that these lands 

would remain in public ownership. As stated in Title V, Section 501 of the FLPMA,19 ―the 

Secretary, with respect to public lands...are authorized to grant, issue, or renew ROW over, 

upon, under, or though such lands for...roads, trails, highways, railroads...or other means 

of transportation, except where such facilities are constructed and maintained in connect 

with commercial recreation facilities on lands in the National Forest System, or such other 

necessary transportation or other systems or facilities which are in the public interest and 

which require rights-of-way over, upon, under, or through such lands.‖ 

The public lands identified for the proposed rail line in Nevada are covered in the Las 

Vegas Field Office Resource Management Plan (1998) and other resource management 

plans, such as the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan (1980), two CDCA 

Plan bioregional amendments including the West Mojave Plan (2006) and the Northern 

and Eastern Mojave Plan (2002), and the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area 

Resource Management Plan. Specifically, objective RW-1 of the Field Office Resource 

Management Plan Record of Decision is to "Meet public demand and reduce impacts to 

sensitive resources by providing an orderly system of development for transportation, 

including legal access to private in-holdings, communications, flood control, major utility 

transmission lines, and related facilities." Further, management direction at RW-1-h 

states that, "All public land within the planning area, except as stated in RW-1-c through 

RW-1-g, are available at the discretion of the agency for rights-of-way under the authority 

of the Federal Land Policy Management Act." The constraints at RW-1-c through RW-1-g 

do not affect the proposed project or any of the alternatives moved forward for 

consideration. Any agreement for DesertXpress to utilize the public right-of-way would 

include numerous conditions. A key condition would likely include provisions in the event 

of the financial default of the proposed system. 

The CDCA Plan provides a regulatory framework for public lands in southeastern 

California. The plan sets forth goals, specific actions, and management needs for each 

resource in the desert. The CDCA Plan mandates a high degree of protection and restricts 

access. Two bioregional management plans amend and implement the CDCA, including 

the West Mojave Plan and the Northern and Eastern Mojave Plan. Both plans are 

intended to manage land containing habitat for sensitive species. Pursuant to the CDCA 

Plan, the BLM establishes areas of critical environmental concern (ACEC) in order to 

protect areas with significant paleontological, archaeological, and biological resources. 

The project would not use any ACEC directly but five ACECs are located within one mile of 

the proposed alignments. Within each of these planning areas are desert wildlife 

 

19 43 U.S.C. 1761 
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management areas (DWMAs) which have been established to manage habitat 

conservation. The DWMAs, managed by the BLM, are also considered ACECs. Section 

3.1, Land Use and Community Impacts, of the Draft EIS provides a detailed 

discussion of the DWMAs and Figure 3-1.2 of the Draft EIS shows BLM Resource 

Management Plan (RMP) areas and DWMAs relative to the study area. 

1.5.3 SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 

The construction and operation of a new rail line requires STB authorization in advance 

under 49 U.S.C. 10901 and 49 C.F.R. Section 1150. As explained in Section 1.4.1.1 

above, the STB’s jurisdiction over rail transportation and the remedies provided under the 

Interstate Commerce Act (as amended by the ICC Termination Act) is exclusive, expressly 

preempting other remedies under federal or state laws. This broad preemption 

established by Congress in Section 10501(b) of the Interstate Commerce Act (as amended) 

reflects the importance of and need for uniformity in the construction of the interstate rail 

system. 

1.5.4 FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

FHWA is charged by Congress with improving mobility and serving as a steward of 

national highways. FHWA approval is required for any project within the Interstate 

highway system ROW. FHWA’s formal role in project approval is to ensure that any use 

other than the Interstate highway use does not interfere with the free flow of traffic on the 

Interstate system.20 

FHWA’s primary focus in the approval process is the evaluation of the proposed project’s 

impacts on the operation, maintenance, and safety of the Interstate highway system, 

specifically decisions on allowing the project to occupy or use the Interstate rights-of-way. 

FHWA intends to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the project applicant to 

retain any necessary stewardship and oversight of the project during the design process, as 

well as to address design issues that avoid, minimize, and mitigate any remaining 

potential adverse impacts to Interstate operations, maintenance, and safety. 

A design safety working group consisting of FRA, FHWA, Caltrans, NDOT and the 

Applicant developed the Highway Interface Manual, included as Appendix F-B of this 

Final EIS, to begin addressing safety and security issues for the proposed project. It is 

anticipated that the Manual will be further developed and refined during the design 

 

20 23 U.S.C 111 and 23 CFR 1.23; personal communication, Edward Kussy, Deputy Chief Counsel FHWA and 

Harold Aiken, Assistant Chief Counsel FHWA, March 1, 2007. 
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process to ensure consistency with FRA and FHWA safety obligations. In addition, the 

Applicant shall complete an Emergency Preparedness Plan for FRA Office of Safety review 

and approval as required under 49 CFR Part 239. 

1.5.5 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Several statutory authorities provide the regulatory framework for operations of the NPS. 

The NPS was established and its original mission was defined within the Organic Act of 

1916 (16 U.S.C. 1-4). Since that time, numerous other laws have been enacted that 

together comprise the agency’s regulatory framework. An optional alignment for the 

DesertXpress project (Segment 4A) would traverse a 1.55 mile portion of the Mojave 

National Preserve, a unit of the NPS, south of the Clark Mountains and I-15, near 

Mountain Pass, California. As of January 2009, regulations specific to the Preserve do not 

include any ability for the NPS to grant a private transportation ROW through the 

Preserve. Nevertheless, this Segment is being carried through the environmental review 

process while various legislative/land exchange options are being considered by the NPS, 

BLM, and other key agencies. 

1.6 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND 

PLANS IN THE STUDY AREA 

This section discusses several transportation projects and plans in the study area. This 

section distinguishes between funded or otherwise reasonably foreseeable projects (such 

as are included in a state’s transportation improvement plan (STIP)) and plans which 

comprises proposed transportation improvements that are not funded or otherwise not 

deemed reasonably foreseeable at this time. 

1.6.1 CALIFORNIA-NEVADA INTERSTATE MAGLEV TRAIN

Since its inception in 1987, the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission has 

been pursuing development of the California-Nevada Interstate Maglev project, employing 

magnetic levitation train technology over a 268-mile alignment between Anaheim, 

California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The Commission’s Proposal includes the following 

components: 

 Proposed stops include Downtown Las Vegas and Primm in Nevada and Ontario, 

Victorville, Barstow, and Anaheim in southern California. 

 Express service from Anaheim to Las Vegas would have a travel time of 

approximately 87 minutes and ultimately provide high-speed maglev service at 

speeds of up to 310 mph. 
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 For the portion between Ontario, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, the proposed 

Maglev project is envisioned to operate in the I-15 corridor, similar to 

DesertXpress. 

 From Ontario to Anaheim the proposed project would continue through existing 

transportation corridors. 

 Portions of the alignment would be elevated and gradients would reach up to 10 

percent. 

 Maintenance facilities would be located at either end of the alignment and in 

Barstow. 

 Intermodal transportation features would be included at all proposed station 

locations. 

Most of the planning funds for the Maglev project have been provided by congressional 

appropriations through the FRA and sponsors have sought to secure additional Federal 

funding for planning, permitting, design, and construction. At present, the CaliforniaNevada Super Speed Train Commission exists only as a Nevada state entity, thus limiting 

its implementation authority to Nevada. 

The Maglev project is currently undergoing separate federally funded environmental 

review under the direction of the FRA, NDOT, and Caltrans. On May 20, 2004, FRA 

published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register to prepare an EIS for the 

Maglev project. Public and agency scoping for the Maglev EIS was completed in 2005. As 

of the date of this publication, limited Federal funding and a lack of private, state or local 

funds have delayed progress on the Maglev EIS. A recent allocation of Federal funds 

allowed for further studies of a new rail line using magnetic levitation technology between 

Las Vegas and Primm, Nevada, as a segment of the high-speed MAGLEV system between 

Las Vegas, Nevada, and Anaheim, California. Congress provided $45 million through 

Section 102 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 

Legacy for Users (Public Law 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144, August 10, 2005) (SAFETEA-LU) as 

amended by the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-122. 

122 Stat. 1572, June 6, 2008) to fund deployment of a maglev project between Las Vegas 

and Primm, Nevada. NDOT is working with FRA to define the scope of work for a funding 

agreement to support the preparation of an environmental impact statement analyzing the 

impacts associated with the proposed Maglev project.

Despite the allocation of initial funding for environmental review, implementation of the 

Maglev project is speculative due to uncertainty in financing to support actual 

construction and operation of the project. No private financing has been committed to the 

Maglev project as of the date of this publication, although the financial plan for the first 

segment includes private sector bond financing. 
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If Commission authority is extended into California in the future and the Commission 

procures financing to implement the project, the Maglev project and DesertXpress project 

could be considered competitive proposals in that they would both share ROW with I-15 

and are proposed to serve a similar travel corridor. For the purposes of this Final EIS, the 

Maglev project is not considered a foreseeable project; it is not included in the discussion 

of cumulative projects in Section 3.16, Cumulative Impacts. FRA is analyzing only 

the DesertXpress project in this Final EIS and only the California-Nevada Interstate 

Maglev project in the separate EIS pertaining to it because FRA believes there is no 

realistic scenario under which both proposed projects would be advanced and built. The 

two projects would serve similar markets and it is not reasonably foreseeable that the 

market would be large enough to support operations of both systems simultaneously. FRA 

also finds it appropriate to address each proposed project in a separate EIS because the 

projects are not interchangeable and are not two alternatives for the same Federal action. 

The DesertXpress project and the California-Nevada Interstate Maglev project are both 

sponsored by private entities and neither proposes or would contemplate using the 

technology proposed by the other. Similarly, because each project proposes a 

substantially different technology, the safety regime and project development time needed 

to implement each project is significantly different. This would involve unique federal 

actions over varying time periods. 

1.6.2 CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), established in 1996, has studied and 

proposes to implement high-speed rail service that would run from the San Diego, Orange 

County, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas north through California’s Central Valley to 

the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento regions. FRA and the CHSRA have 

completed two Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements/Environmental Impact 

Reports21 (EIR/EIS) and project-level EIR/EISs are underway for all segments of the 

proposed California High-Speed Train. 

In addition, CHSRA applied for funding under FRA’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail 

Program. CHSRA’s was selected to receive funding; FRA and the CHSRA have entered 

into a cooperative agreement to complete the project-level environmental analysis and 

preliminary engineering for all of the segments as well as final design and construction of 

an operable segment in California’s Central Valley once the necessary environmental 

studies are completed. These funds are being made available through the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Department of Transportation and Housing and 

Urban Development Appropriations Act of 2010. 

 

21 Environmental Impact Reports are required under the California Environmental Quality Act. 
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As the California High-Speed Rail project would serve only California cities, the 

DesertXpress project would serve a different market and ridership. The easternmost 

proposed California High-Speed Rail station would be near the ONT airport, about 45 

miles southwest of the proposed DesertXpress terminus in Victorville. Another relatively 

close proposed station would be at Palmdale, some 49 miles west of Victorville. An 

extended DesertXpress could connect with the California High-Speed Train at either 

location; such an extension, however, would have utility independent of either project and 

is not part of either the DesertXpress project or the California High-Speed Rail project. 

1.6.3 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION OF SOUTHERN NEVADA RAIL 

CORRIDOR STUDY

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), supported by 

Federal funding provided by the FRA, has prepared a study of potential rail corridor 

improvements between Las Vegas and Los Angeles to support conventional passenger rail 

service. This study has considered the existing rail lines between Victorville and Las Vegas 

(which do not follow the I-15 corridor but instead follow a southern route, through the 

Mojave National Preserve) and concluded that even with $1 to $3 billion of improvements, 

the conventional rail trip time between Las Vegas and Victorville would be approximately 

3 hours and 30 minutes, with an additional 2-hour ride to Union Station in Los Angeles. 

This type of service could not likely be privately financed and would probably require an 

operating subsidy. Many aspects of this study limit its comparability to the DesertXpress 

proposal. Most critically, the study examined potential shared use of the UPRR with 

freight trains; DesertXpress would use a new and exclusive double track system. These 

elements, in addition to the location of the DesertXpress alignment generally paralleling 

the existing I-15, would allow the DesertXpress project to provide higher frequency 

service, shorter travel time, and a more reliable service in comparison to the service 

contemplated in the RTC study. 

1.6.4 VICTORVILLE I-15 INTERCHANGE IMPROVEMENTS

Caltrans and FHWA are planning a project that would add a third mixed-flow lane on 

southbound I-15 and construct interchange improvements at six interchanges in 

Victorville, including the Stoddard Wells interchanges and those at D Street and E 

Street/State Route 18 (SR 18). The interchange improvements would restore standards 

and improve operation characteristics and safety. These improvements would be 

compatible with the proposed project, which would include a passenger station in the 

immediate vicinity. 
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1.6.5 I-15 CORRIDOR PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS

In addition to the improvements at the Stoddard Wells Road interchanges discussed 

above, a number of other projects are under consideration to improve capacity and/or 

operations of the I-15 corridor. These include: 

 Reversible carpool lanes between Interstate 210 (I-210) (Ontario) and U.S. Route 

395 (U.S. 395) (Victorville) 

 Northbound truck climbing lane between Bailey Road and Yates Road 

1.6.6 HIGH DESERT CORRIDOR PROJECT

Caltrans is proposing to construct a new 63 mile freeway/expressway connecting 

California State Route 14 (SR 14) in City of Palmdale within Los Angeles County and 

California State Route 18 (SR 18) in Apple Valley within San Bernardino County. The 

proposed route would run primarily in an east-west direction roughly following the 

alignment of the Avenue P-8 near SR 14 in Los Angeles County and Air Expressway near I15 in San Bernardino County. East of the I-15 corridor, the proposed route would turn 

south and terminate at SR 18. This project would provide improved linkage between the 

Victor Valley and the Antelope Valley through a variety of new facilities and facility 

expansions. 

FHWA, on behalf of Caltrans, issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the proposed 

High Desert Corridor—New State Route 138 Freeway/Expressway project in September 

2010. A Draft EIR/EIS is anticipated to be published in the fall of 2012. The City of 

Victorville received federal funds to develop a portion of the corridor between U.S. 395 

and I-15 and westerly to SR 18. 

1.6.7 US 395 REALIGNMENT AND WIDENING

Realignment and widening is under consideration for a portion of U.S. 395 between I-15 

and Farmington Road, approximately 6 miles west of the proposed Victorville station 

sites. Local and state agencies are studying several alternatives; no preferred alternative 

has been selected as of January 2007. This project will be tracked as the DesertXpress 

project EIS moves forward. The DesertXpress project would not conflict with this 

highway project that would increase local area highway capacity. The San Bernardino 
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County Association of Governments (SANBAG) is no longer the lead agency for this 

project. Caltrans is continuing to pursue this project; completion of the required 

environmental studies is anticipated in 2015.22

 

1.6.8 SOUTHERN NEVADA SUPPLEMENTAL AIRPORT

The CCDOA is proposing to construct a new supplemental commercial service airport in 

the Ivanpah Valley of southern Nevada. The new SNSA would provide additional capacity 

to serve the residents of the Las Vegas area and Clark County, Nevada area. It would not 

replace McCarran International Airport. In 2010, the FAA suspended environmental work 

on the SNSA without identifying a date certain at which work would resume. 

The DesertXpress project could potentially serve the proposed new airport. DesertXpress 

would pass by the site of the proposed new airport, allowing for a potential airport rail link 

to be constructed.23

 To serve the proposed airport in the future, a spur track would need 

to be constructed off the mainline into the terminal area that would allow trains dedicated 

to airport service to be operated directly from the new airport to Las Vegas over the 

mainline DesertXpress tracks. DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC, airport officials, and Clark 

County may consider this possibility at some future date.24

 

1.6.9 RESORT CORRIDOR FIXED GUIDEWAY MONORAIL EXTENSION

The Las Vegas Monorail Company (LVMC) is proposing an extension to the Resort 

Corridor Fixed Guideway Monorail System (Monorail), which is an automated (driverless) 

and elevated rail system, running along side streets east of the Las Vegas Strip (Las Vegas 

Boulevard). The 4-mile long route opened in 2004 and runs roughly north-south. The 

system has a total of 7 stations, associated with major hotels along the Las Vegas Strip.25 

 

22 Referenced at <http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist8/projects/san_bernardino/us395/index.htm>; accessed 

November 5, 2010. 

23 Construction of a link to the proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport is not part of the current 

DesertXpress proposal and is not evaluated in this EIS. Construction and operations of such a link would 

require separate environmental review. 

24 The economic viability of the DesertXpress Project does not rely upon an airport shuttle or other forms of 

transportation linking to the proposed Supplemental Airport. 

25 Available at http://www.lvmonorail.com/. 
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The RTC included the extension of the monorail south to McCarran International Airport, 

in its Regional Transportation Plan 2009-2030, Draft for Consultation, September 2008 

(Project #4200). The DesertXpress project has the potential to be complementary to the 

Monorail if Monorail service were extended to the selected Las Vegas area DesertXpress 

station. 

1.6.10 ACE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

In 2004, the RTC added the first Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) line to its transit 

system. Then in October 2005, the Deuce double-deck bus service began running on the 

Las Vegas Strip and in 2009 the RTC will launch the ACE Rapid Transit system starting 

with the ACE Downtown Connector. The ACE Downtown Connector project will provide a 

high-grade rapid transit link between downtown Las Vegas and the southern resort 

corridor. Project components will include dedicated transit lanes along a portion of the 

alignment along with passenger stations with station canopies, lighting, ticket vending 

machines and displays announcing vehicle arrival times. The stations will have unique 

artistic displays created by local artists as well as refurbished historic neon signs. 

The City of Las Vegas in partnership with the RTC have begun work on the project, which 

includes roadway and station platform improvements along Grand Central Parkway, 

Casino Center Boulevard, 3rd Street, and Paradise Road.26 

The RTC has started rapid bus transit service on two of several scheduled lines. In March 

2010, service began on the Gold and C Lines. The Gold Line serves Downtown Las Vegas 

and The Strip; the C Line provides express service from Northeast Las Vegas towards the 

University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) campus, northwest of LAX. Other lines in the 

system are expected to be operational by 2011. 

1.6.11 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION OF SOUTHERN NEVADA

The RTC is the regional transportation planning agency for southern Nevada and 

functions as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region. The RTC 

prepares the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) which is a comprehensive and longrange plan for the transportation system in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. It details the 

transportation investment needed between now and the year 2030. The RTP is also the 

guiding document for making the best use of federal transportation funds. The 

transportation analysis conducted for this Final EIS (see Section 3.5, Traffic and 

Transportation) utilizes traffic projections and transportation system network 

 

26 Available at :http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/mpo/downtownconnector/ 
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assumptions from the 2030 RTP. This Final EIS also assumes that the proposed 

DesertXpress project would be constructed primarily on elevated structure within the 

existing I-15 freeway right of way within the Las Vegas metropolitan area. 

The RTC is working on an update to the RTP (the 2035 RTP), which includes further 

widening of the I-15 freeway in the metropolitan Las Vegas area to meet future travel 

demand. At the time of this publication, the DesertXpress project is not included in the 

2035 RTP as a future transportation project. The project could be considered for the 2035 

RTP at a future date pending the status of the environmental review process and identified 

sources of funding.27

 

DesertXpress has tried to avoid or minimize conflict with the I-15 freeway through a 

variety of means. First, plans for portions of Segment 6 in the Las Vegas area were 

initially proposed to be on elevated structures to minimize the ―footprint‖ of the rail 

alignment. Following subsequent consultation with NDOT and FHWA, DesertXpress 

proposed modifications to Segment 6B which in effect shift the rail alignment west and 

outside of the I-15 freeway corridor. DesertXpress has continued to consult with NDOT 

throughout the EIS process, and has demonstrated to NDOT that the rail alignment can be 

accommodated throughout the I-15 corridor in Nevada taking into account existing 

conditions and planned improvements. 

In addition, the Draft EIS included rail Segments 6C and 7C that would avoid the 

urbanized portion of the I-15 freeway in the Las Vegas area by instead following the UPRR 

alignment from Sloan into a Las Vegas passenger station. 

1.7 ISSUES RAISED DURING SCOPING 

The FRA initiated the formal scoping process by publishing a NOI to prepare an EIS in the 

Federal Register on July 14, 2006. 

Three public scoping meetings were held as part of the public scoping process: 

Las Vegas Barstow Victorville

The White House Ramada Inn San Bernardino County Fair Grounds

3260 Joe Brown Drive 1571 E Main Street 14800 Seventh Street, Building 3

July 25, 2006 July 26, 2006 July 26, 2006

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

 

27 Personal communication, Martyn James, Director of Planning Services, RTC, October 28, 2010. 
DesertXpress 1.0 Purpose and Need 

March 2011 Final EIS 

1-26

These meetings provided an opportunity for the public and agencies to comment on the 

scope of environmental topics that will be analyzed in the EIS. Approximately 60 

members of the public attended the scoping meetings. The comments received during 

scoping are summarized along with the disposition of the comments are summarized in 

the Scoping Summary Report contained in Draft EIS Appendix P. 

1.7.1 PROVISION OF A BARSTOW PASSENGER STATION

The City of Barstow raised a concern during scoping that the project did not include a 

passenger station located in the City of Barstow. 

Ridership studies conducted for the DesertXpress project by the Applicant did not project 

significant ridership generation from the Barstow area that warranted construction of a 

separate station. In addition to the finding that ridership studies do not support a 

separate Barstow station facility, in order for high-speed trains to operate effectively it is 

necessary to maximize the distance between stations to allow for increased speeds and 

competitive trip times. The proposed station sites in Victorville are approximately 20

miles south of the center of the City of Barstow, (with Victorville Station Site 3 (VV3), part 

of the Preferred Alternative, at 23 miles south). The Applicant determined the Victorville 

Station alternatives were sufficiently close to provide convenient access for Barstow 

residents. 

In addition, in response to a request from the City of Barstow, the Applicant developed an 

alignment option (Segment 2C) that would follow the I-15 freeway through Barstow. 

Segment 2C was fully analyzed in the Supplemental Draft EIS and is part of the Preferred 

Alternative further described in Section 2.5.1 of this Final EIS. 
93

95

95

COLORADO R.

Lake

Mohave

LAKE

HAVASU

LAKE MEAD

Hoover Dam

 Joshua Tree NP

Mojave National

Preserve

 Lake Mead NRA

 Death Valley NP

KERN

LOS ANGELES

SAN BERNARDINO

INYO

MOHAVE

CLARK

NYE

Lancaster

Primm

Big Bear

Hesperia

Palmdale

Bullhead City

San Bernardino

Burbank

Paradise

Barstow

Baker

Yermo

15

40

15

215

395

395

Needles

DesertXpress

Final EIS Federal Railroad

Administration Project Location

Source: CirclePoint, 2011.

F-1-1

Legend

Preferred Alternative

Proposed Terminals

190

127

127

247

58

138

138

247 18

18

62

178

372 NEVADA

373 NEVADA

160

NEVADA

163

NEVADA

160

NEVADA

ARIZONA

68

Segment 1

Segment 2C

Segment 2A

Segment 3B

Segment 4C

Segment 5B

Segment 6B

Las Vegas

Victorville
DesertXpress 1.0 Purpose and Need 

March 2011 Final EIS 

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