Please help us protect Westchester, Downtown, Central, and NE Bakersfield views from the adverse impacts of high-speed rail. At present, we have an approved alignment (known as the hybrid) which follows the path of the BNSF railroad tracks with a station next to Amtrak. The height of these tracks through central Bakersfield is approximately 40-feet tall (lower than many surrounding structures, e.g., County Administrative building). In December 2014, the City of Bakersfield asked the High-Speed Rail Authority to examine an alternative route (known as the Bakersfield F Street Station Alignment or BFSSA). This route parallels the Union Pacific railroad with a station in Westchester. Although we are awaiting the draft environmental report, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has confirmed that the estimated height of these tracks is ~70+ feet tall. The reason: high-speed rail along this route has to climb above the elevated portions of CA-178 and must maintain an elevated height for miles to avoid a roller coaster effect on train passengers. This multi-mile 70+ foot structure would have an adverse impact on views for everyone in Central Bakersfield and in particular NE neighborhoods. Additionally, high-speed rail along this route would place these elevated tracks directly above Sumner Street in Old Town Kern (right in front and above the Noriega Hotel and Pyrenees Cafe). I've included a picture of a similar sized high-speed rail track under construction in Fresno. This picture was recently taken by a San Francisco Chronicle photographer, Michael Macor. Please help our coalition stop this structure from tearing apart our community in the most destructive manner possible, destroying NE views, creating shadow effects, and hurting Old Town Kern.