High Speed Rail Authority approves what critics call 'train to nowhere'

[merig00]

Citing a need for jobs and fast approaching federal deadlines for funding, the California High Speed Rail Authority board Thursday unanimously approved construction of the first leg of the state's proposed bullet train - a 65-mile section in the Central Valley that would not carry passengers until more of the system is built.

Costing at least

Comments

Mod note.

[rex_dart]

This needs a cut, please.

Re: Mod note.

[merig00]

done

[normaltrouble]

We could sincerely use some stimulus money and more progress & cooperation on the Californian rails between San Diego through to Sonoma County, and in my dreams, all the way up through Portland, to Seattle...

This would be truly useful. I'd love to be able to go from Santa Rosa to Los Angeles, in what, 3-4 hours via the train? I think business people would also like to be able to be in SF from Santa Rosa in around an hour and half including a bus shuttle and ferry shuttle from the Bay.
More convenient and faster than a car.

Certainly better than the current bus systems--which always gets chipped away every 18 months or so around 1-2 % in scheduling times and seems to go up in price at the same time.

California could use a high speed rail,and connections north would be great, also. But I would think the San Diego-La-San Jose-San Francisco connections to be more important.

[grace_om]

Also connecting the Bay Area to Sacramento would be awesome! It is such a shitty drive...

[normaltrouble]

Plus tt's a common business/political/social connection--a train connection to Oakland, SF and Santa Rosa maybe a couple places in Mendocino, would make sense.

[doverz]

I'm just sad that the state of Wisconsin's stupid governor decide to ruin our chance of having a high speed rail. It obviously won't be a big thing in Wisconsin right now, but in the future, it would and it sucks that Scott Walker and dumb Wisconsin residents couldn't see that.

[whatisurdamage]

Oh man that would be amaaaaaaazing

Re: Strange definition of "nowhere"

[thecityofdis]

I think maybe "nowhere" is referring to the fact that the line won't carry passengers until more of it is built? Which I guess to critics, in the meantime, could make it look like this is just for decoration.

Re: Strange definition of "nowhere"

[saramiskismet]

This is just a step one project, geez. They'll fund more of it when they reach a point where they can build more of it. Silly critics.

Re: Strange definition of "nowhere"

[fenris_lorsrai]

That and if they did it the other way around, starting with the densest areas, people would bitch that nothing was happening as they tried to get the right of ways. They wouldn't break ground for years