PALMDALE — City Council has approved membership in a revamped mixed powers agency for a high desert corridor between the Antelope and Victor Valleys.
The Council on Wednesday voted 3-0. Mayor Steve Hofbauer was absent, and council member Austin Bishop recused himself for conflict of interest for doing business with Lancaster, one of the agency staff. The vote brings Palmdale into the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency, joining Los Angeles County and the cities of Lancaster, Adelanto and Victorville in organizing to help usher in the transportation corridor, specifically a high-speed rail project between Palmdale and Apple stations. Valley, connecting to Las Vegas.
LA Metro could also join the Agency and is expected to vote on joining in August, Palmdale Public Works Director Chuck Heffernan said.
The Agency succeeds the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority, formed in 2006 with Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County to continue funding and ensure the development of a highway connecting the Antelope and Victor Valleys. The cities of Lancaster, Palmdale, Adelanto and Victorville and the city of Apple Valley were represented on the Authority’s Board of Directors.
Over time, the corridor plan changed to include high-speed rail, once a privately funded rail line between Las Vegas and Palmdale was proposed.
In 2020, partly due to litigation and funding issues, the freeway portion was dropped from the plan, with the possibility of being considered in the future.
In March, San Bernardino County withdrew its membership in the Authority. This led to the revised Joint Powers Agency, which includes the cities and LA Metro as full members.
“It’s really a positive way to move forward to get a reliable public rail system,” council member Juan Carrillo said.
The Agency could be very beneficial in the effort to bring the Brightline high-speed train, already planned between Las Vegas and Apple Valley, to its proposed station in Palmdale, he said.
The city has been working on the Brightline project for several years and “I think it’s going to be a game-changer,” Carrillo said.
Carrillo was named director of Palmdale to the Agency’s board, with Pro Tem Mayor Richard Loa as alternate director.
