ATTACHMENT A
Sample Letter of
Support
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Mayor Silva and Members of the Barstow City Council, I am writing to express strong support for the BNSF Barstow International Gateway (BIG) Project.
This project offers a tremendous economic opportunity for Barstow and the entire High Desert Region that will increase jobs, promote supply chain resiliency, and decrease trucking transport on our local highways resulting in reduced gas emissions.
BIG would enhance supply chain resiliency, efficiency, and cost-effective goods movement by rail as identified in the 2024 adopted California State Rail Plan to build toward an integrated statewide rail and transit network with investments in zero emission infrastructure.
BIG would shift cargo from heavy duty trucking to rail transport at a location away from dense population centers and was planned with the City of Barstow as part of the proposed General Plan to site industrial uses on the western edge of the City away from residential uses.
Over the next 20 years, BIG is anticipated to create approximately 62,000 direct, indirect and induced construction jobs, including union construction jobs and approximately 15,000 direct, indirect, and induced operation jobs. The construction economic benefit is estimated to be approximately $11 billion and operational economic benefit approximately $7 billion.
BIG would result in hundreds of millions fewer truck miles as a result of converting freight movements from trucks to trains. This substantial reduction in truck trips would in turn result in a net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.