Not a High Speed Train to Nowhere

California's high speed rail project has been criticized for starting its first section in the state's central valley and connecting to small towns. But this piece argues that's exactly the right way to do it.

1 minute read

May 26, 2011, 10:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The two small cities it will connect are actually on opposite ends of some bigger cities, meaning they will be connected to those larger job and commerce centers. This is how German high speed rail developed.

"If he meant Borden and Corcoran, the two rural end points of the line, they have a combined population somewhere north of 25,000. But the main stations along this first stretch of the system won't be in Borden and Corcoran. They'll be in Fresno and Hanford and, eventually, Bakersfield. Metropolitan Fresno alone (942,000) dwarfs Anaheim (354,000).

Population numbers aren't the point, though, because the short rural section is just a slow start to something large and complicated - which is the right way to build high-speed rail, if you look at the systems in Europe."

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 in Miller-McCune

courses user

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges. Corey D, Transportation Planner

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges.

Corey D, Transportation Planner

Ready to give your planning career a boost?

MARTA train tracks run in the middle of a six lane highway with an overpass and the Buckhead city skyline of skyscrapers in the background.

How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?

Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.

September 29, 2024 - Marcelo Remond

Aerial view of Rancho Mirage, California with homes in foreground and snowy San Gabriel Mountains in background.

First Model Homes Revealed in Disney-Built Community

Disney’s Cotino, in the Southern California desert, is the first of the company’s ‘Storybook Living’ developments.

October 2, 2024 - Newsweek

Abandoned concrete subway station and tunnel in downtown Cincinnati..

Cincinnati Seeks to Repurpose Its Unused Subway Tunnel

City officials are looking for proposals to use Cincinnati's long-abandoned subway tunnels, but not for transit; they already tried that.

October 7, 2024 - Cincinnati Enquirer

Close-up of lead water pipe with mineral crusts

President Sets New Deadline for Replacing Lead Pipes

U.S. cities are charged with replacing dangerous lead pipes and improving drinking water quality within the next 13 years.

October 9 - Associated Press

Large 400-year old oak tree in Stevenson Ranch, California.

400-Year-Old Oak Tree Designated as Historic Landmark

The tree’s landmark status celebrates its deep-rooted history and symbolizes the community's dedication to preserving local ecological treasures.

October 9 - Hoodline

Tribal leaders of Gila River Indian Community at inauguration event for solar-over-canal project.

Arizona Native Community Launches First Solar-Over-Canal Project

Covering an irrigation canal with solar panels doubles its utility, producing renewable energy while protecting canal infrastructure and reducing water evaporation.

October 9 - Arizona Mirror

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.