Once again, California High Speed Rail is Under Attack.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has notified the California High Speed Rail Authority that it intends to claw back $4 billion in federal construction funds.
This project is too important to let this happen.
Los Angeles – San Francisco high-speed rail will be the trunkline for a network of great trains and buses linking the entire state. Its payoffs will be felt in every corner of the state and every sector of the California economy.
And, success in California will create a tipping point for high-speed and regional rail across the country. That’s why the opposition has worked so hard to hamstring the project.
This project needs an all-in commitment by California’s governor and state lawmakers to get it done—as quickly as possible.
Here is what legislators can do to get the project on-track:
- Within the next 30 days, make a very public and unified commitment to getting trains running ASAP. Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, has made a good start.
- Create a steady, predictable funding source. Gavin Newsom’s cap and trade proposal is the immediate next step.
- “Clear the deck” for permitting and right-of-way acquisition.
Too much is at stake to delay. Let’s get high-speed trains running as soon as possible. The sooner that California starts enjoying the benefits, the better.
Tell your leaders in Sacramento to finish the job.
