Lawmakers in California approved billions of dollars Friday 
in construction financing for the initial segment of the nation’s first dedicated high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. Governor Jerry Brown said, “In 2008, California voters decided to create jobs and modernize our state’s rail transportation system with a major investment in high-speed rail and key local projects in Northern and Southern California. The Legislature took bold action today that gets Californians back to work and puts California out in front once again.
The Obama administration has been advocating for renewable energy and clean transportation alternatives view the approval as a major political victory for Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown who has promoted bullet trains as job generators and clean transportation alternatives.The bill authorizes the state to begin selling $4.5 billion in voter-approved bonds that includes $2.6 billion to build an initial 130-mile stretch of the high-speed rail line in the Central Valley. That will allow the state to collect another $3.2 billion in federal funding that could have been rescinded if lawmakers failed to act Friday.
California High-Speed Rail Authority Board Chair Dan Richard issued the following statement regarding the Legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 1029 which appropriates federal grant funds and Prop 1A funds for California High-Speed Rail:“Today’s vote to commence high-speed rail construction, like all major public policy decisions, is the result of hard work and collaborative effort. Credit must go to Governor Brown whose courage and steadfast leadership has improved the High-Speed Rail Authority’s plans and operations,” said California High-Speed Rail Authority Chair Dan Richard. “We also express deep gratitude to Assembly Speaker John Perez and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg for passing this measure through their houses. The Legislature’s action sets in motion a Statewide Rail Modernization Plan for California. Not only will California be the first state in the nation to build a high-speed rail system to connect our urban centers, we will also modernize and improve rail systems at the local and regional level. This plan will improve mobility for commuters and travelers alike, reduce emissions, and put thousands of people to work while enhancing our economic competitiveness,” said Richard.
This will be an expensive project for California, but the benefits will (hopefully) be worth it. Increased commerce and easier travel between the state’s 2 commercial hubs, technological innovation, and jobs are some of the advantages. On a larger stage, too, this signals that America IS interested in updating its rail transit, which has been in steady decline as the demographics of the US changes, and current rail lines become ever more obsolescent.
A good step in the right direction, I just hope that the project can be well-administered.
Hey Philip,
No doubt that it will be “administered”. Way to many supervisors and not enough people really doing the work. If more people would just accept change and get it done we would have a lot more projects in this field done already. This is not to say that I am not in favor of planning, but let’s get going already.