With a train-friendly administration in Washington, supporters of the project hope that state leaders will make a stronger commitment to funding the full project.
California High-Speed Rail Authority (CASHRA) CEO Brian Kelly faced questions from state Assemblymembers in a joint hearing on March 10 as state leaders continue to debate the plan for building a 400-mile system connecting Southern California and the Bay Area via the Central Valley. As Melanie Curry reports in Streetsblog Cal, Kelly presented "the current business plan, which focuses on completing a usable 171-mile segment of electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield," connecting some of California's fastest-growing cities.
With a more train-friendly administration in the White House, HSR supporters hope the project will benefit from federal funding that was withheld during the Trump administration. At the hearing, Louis Thompson, head of the High Speed Rail Peer Review Group, "urged the legislature to make a decision on whether it will commit to the project going forward," saying that the project "can never be managed without adequate and stable funding." In order to get the most out of the project, he said, the state has to show "ongoing commitment." Without a commitment to building the full system, warned Kelly, the state "will have spent $14 billion on a system that does not get you eighteen trips a day, that will be forced to share tracks with freight corridors, and will not bring an increase in ridership."
Since "the original bond funding was never meant to fully fund construction of a high-speed rail project from Los Angeles to San Francisco," writes Curry, it's time for the legislature to make concrete plans for securing the funding needed to build an effective HSR system.
FULL STORY: High-Speed Rail: It’s Time to Commit
California High-Speed Rail Recommits to Bakersfield-to-Merced Segment
The California High-Speed Rail Authority also certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the San Francisco to San Jose section of the route in August.
California Budget Includes $4.2 Billion for High-Speed Rail
The recently approved state budget directs $4.2 billion in bond funding to the Bakersfield-to-Merced leg of California’s long-awaited high-speed rail project.
Environmental Review Complete for Key Northern California Section of High-Speed Rail Project
The San Jose to Merced Project Section Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement could be approved by April 21.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
Bend Eliminates Parking Minimums
The city is complying with an Oregon state mandate that some cities have challenged in court.
How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development
Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.
How Federal Policy Can Support More Affordable Housing in Exclusionary Communities
The recently funded “Yes In My Back Yard” federal grant program provides support for local and state governments to implement housing policy reforms, but it doesn’t go far enough to undo the exclusionary practices of wealthy communities.
Increased Service, Employer Tax Breaks Entice Transit Ridership in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland transit planners are hoping workers returning to the office in 2023 will rediscover the benefits of a public transit commute.
NYC Mayor Adams Proposes Ambitious Housing Agenda in State of the City Address
Housing is one of four “pillars” proposed by Mayor Eric Adams in his “Working People’s Agenda.”
Town of Reading
Meridian Consultants
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
City of Morganton
St. Louis County, MO
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
