California High-Speed Rail Receives Additional $902 Million From Federal Government

WASHINGTON — Federal lawmakers say the state of California is getting another $902 million in federal funding to advance the design and construction of a high-speed rail system initially running from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

The funding announcement is being made in the days leading up to a high-stakes election featuring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican Carly Fiorina. One of the key battlegrounds in that race is the Central Valley, where the vast majority of the new funding is going.

California voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds for high-speed rail in 2008.

Boxer said high-speed rail would help boost the economy and reduce congestion and air pollution.

Comments

[mamacat]

04:48 AM on 10/28/2010

So, when does construction start? And, where will the trains be built?

If we are going to start building a hi-speed rail infrastructure, the manufacturing plants should be located nearby. Even if we use Asian or European designs, the plants to build them should be over here.

[SilentSolidarity]

01:26 PM on 10/29/2010

Construction of stations has already begun. Construction of the rails will begin 2011. Very very soon. Maintenance plants will be here. I think it's cheaper to ship them here. After all, California gets poor funding from the federal government. The ceiling is $42 billion.

We had the chance to create thousands of jobs by manufacturing High speed trains 30 years ago! But Reagan didn't care. Now Europe and Asia and Canada(!!) have an amazing lead in HSR technology.

[rollingrock]

01:53 AM on 10/27/2010

the GOVT is NOT a private corporation so why in God's name do people expect HSR to return a profit?? the roads and freeways we build don't make a profit, yet we still build them like crazy and no one complains about it!

[vetxcl]

10:14 PM on 10/26/2010

short shrift for significant news. that's ap for ya. what? the gov. didn't say something hateful? didn't obama shun the announcement? relatively short hops for high speed rail is a good application.

[Elizabeth Swigar]

10:04 PM on 10/26/2010

I wish we could get that in the Northeast. It would make everything so much easier.
- Elizabeth Swigar

[vetxcl]

10:33 PM on 10/26/2010

news you can use: http://www.google.com/images?q=high+speed+rail+plans&rlz=1I7GGLL_en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=F4_HTJrKCIO8lQeJl8WdAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQsAQwBA&biw=1579&bih=641

[113]

08:08 PM on 10/26/2010

That's good news but they need more more money for this project. We need high speed rail in this country ASAP.

[slimpunk]

07:12 PM on 10/26/2010

Not a waste of money - an absolutely perfect way to connect California more, and reduce pollution and traffic. It'll be cheaper than taking a plane, and faster than driving a car. Not to mention generating new revenue and commerce for cities along the route.

[morris111]

04:09 PM on 10/26/2010

Absolute waste of money. The train will do nothing more than divert much needed money fron education, health care, infrastructure maintenance, etc.

California high speed rail will NEVER be profitable and will be a perpetual taxpayer subsidised boondoggle. Remember Amtrak??

[Hitchcockcameo]

09:30 PM on 10/26/2010

It doesn't divert any money...as someone who claims to be from California you should know that these were voter approved bonds and a ballot initiative.

[vetxcl]

10:34 PM on 10/26/2010

news you can use: http://www.google.com/images?q=high+speed+rail+plans&rlz=1I7GGLL_en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=F4_HTJrKCIO8lQeJl8WdAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQsAQwBA&biw=1579&bih=641

and pictures for the tro// kiddies. yippeee!

[bannorhill]

12:41 PM on 10/28/2010

Then why is it getting $902 million from the Federal government to pay for a state project?

I didn't get to vote on the initiative.

[paddio]

10:47 PM on 10/26/2010

Remember Amtrak?????????? Remember the Tin Lizzie or the model T............uniformed head in the sand argument against High Speed Rail.........are the Chinese or every other country in the world using Amtrak as THEIR model?????? I think not.

[paulschechter]

11:53 AM on 10/27/2010

What do you mean remember Amtrak?? Are you saying that all passenger trains/high speed rails are bad just because Amtrak didn't have huge success in America? That's crazy talk!

Passenger trains are a fantastic idea and very much needed! Europe, India, China, and Japan are all perfect examples of where they work very successfully. As for Amtrak, first of all I wouldn't say it is a failure by any means--I use Amtrak a significant amount and it's great. However, it could be better if there were more destinations, etc. The reason Amtrak isn't as good as European rail is because cheap oil in America (which gets about half of it's costs paid for by our gov't) and huge car/oil company's media influence have created a tremendous car culture in America, more so than any other country. If you stop and think about it, it's ridiculously inefficient to have a 3000lb vehicle transport a single 150lb person. Further, the size of our vehicles are 33 to 50% larger than vehicles in most other parts of the world, because Detroit told consumers we 'need' this extra horsepower/towing ability. This creates more traffic jams, less parking space, and greater air pollution.

In contrast, rail is hands down the most efficient way to transport people. It is approximately 11.5 times more energy efficient than autos. Faster, less pollution, less materials to build (than cars needed to transport equivalent people), no parking spaces needed, an all around great investment!

[Backtalkisahorse]

03:56 PM on 10/26/2010

I'm 50 years old, a native Californian and I have heard this conversation for many many years. At least since the 70's. Ridiculous amount of time wasted. I won't hold my breath.

[vetxcl]

10:35 PM on 10/26/2010

you may want to reconsider that. or at least i hope you don't live in lala land.

[zc91377]

03:04 PM on 10/26/2010

what a complete and utter waste. pricing the train tickets to compete with round trip airfare would take around 275 years to pay off the train assuming the cost doesnt exceed 10billion and they sell 1000 tickets per day. i highly doubt 1000 people travel daily between frisco and los angeles and we didnt need to drop 10 billion to ship frieght via high speed rail.

[rowdybrowngirl]

03:24 PM on 10/26/2010

*giggle*

You obviously do not live in California or understand the corridor of traffic that runs from SF to LA. There are other major stops along the way and with BART connecting the entire Bay Area California will be well connected.

Gotta love the haters who just love to wallow in stagnation.

[morris111]

04:11 PM on 10/26/2010

I do live in Clifornia. This will do little or nothing to reduce traffic congestion or pollution.

No a hater, a realist.

[morris111]

04:16 PM on 10/26/2010

I do live in California. It's a bad idea.

Not a hater, a realist.

[shrinkbcoz]

03:53 AM on 10/27/2010

Telling the Huffpo Tides foundation liberals is no use. example this report on Solar power http://t.co/J1JUuRg which will cost billions but will only add 4% of our power use (that money could go for better endeavours but no) Al gore and his Manbearpig will have his way.
Also the Train will be build and assembled in Japan or Germany creating jobs there. Plus the process of laying track is automated needing just 10-15 people per mile.

The Phoenix Metro lightrail gave lots of jobs here for 2 years but the light rail survives mostly by people wanting to go to downtown areas and not drive drunk and school folk.
The high speed rail will be a fashion for a few years, It may work if gas prices shoot out of the roof. The Drilling moratorium across Europe and US due to cap and trade will ensure this.

Its all a plan to stifle individualism and the Dems are winning and labelling all dissenters asa racists or haters

[Papa Swamp]

02:54 PM on 10/26/2010

...and guess who makes the trains and the steel for the tracks...hint it ain't Americans...

[paddio]

03:38 PM on 10/26/2010

....guess who makes the critical under carriages for locomotives for the Chinese.....hint.....look to Pennsylvania......we also might be able to muster up the ability to make track

[vetxcl]

10:18 PM on 10/26/2010

and guess who rides the trains? and guess who spews polluting avgas on short jet plane hops that lose money? and guess who hates efficient uses of resources? (p.s.)
and more importantly, guess who didn't prove his rumor at all? hint: no proof = no fact.

[Papa Swamp]

01:28 PM on 10/27/2010

Guess who made massive assumptions.....you.
Please show me where I stated I didn't like mass transit or highspeed rail. No where...you assume. My point was that any mass transit project should have all parts and work come from US companies and workers not foreign ones. You know to help employ people in the US......keep the money in the US.

[Reyeshawk13]

02:40 PM on 10/26/2010

We desperately need HSR in Texas. Won't happen. Our governor would rather have foreign companies build new toll roads.

[paddio]

01:54 PM on 10/26/2010

The United States is the only nation that has not built nor has any plans to build "Real" High Speed Rail."Real" means 200mph or higher,not like the Accela 150mph for 30 miles or so .I hope the Calif. project is truly HSR.This gigantic hole in our economy could very well be our salvation. Industry in every state would benefit from a project on such an enormous scale. Roadsand bridges , at the end of the day employ no one after wards. HSR would through service and maintenance employ many once it is built. To the skeptics...Robert Moses built Jones Beach with 10 parking lots for a thousand cars each when there weren't 10,000 cars in the country. Put Americans back to work in America. Good honest working men and women are desperate. Many...(and you can see them on the road) are scrounging for scrap metal, just to make ends meet. College graduates...not in their twenties but in their 40',50's and 60's are taking any jobs they can find. Real HSR connected to commuter rail systems would make alternative fuel vehicles relevant, employ millions, spur new , greener technologies. Unless you put people back to work they will turn a deaf ear to new ideas.

[rowdybrowngirl]

01:58 PM on 10/26/2010

fanned & faved.

I don't have a whole lot of faith in politicians in general, but I think Jerry Brown will come through to help make this happen.

[steve11407]

01:25 PM on 10/26/2010

Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican Carly Fiorina. One has access to campain funds raised by her and her supporters. One has access to the Nation Treasury. Alls fair in love and war, huh. 1 Billion Dollars for a train frm san frn to los ang. Thievery. Calif if you want it you pay for it. Get off the Govs teet.

[rowdybrowngirl]

01:49 PM on 10/26/2010

California has the 10th largest economy in the world. If it weren't for us you could count yourself no better off than Mexico. Get off our teat.

[steve11407]

02:00 PM on 10/26/2010

Since I'm from Texas you may want to reconsider that elitist statement. We are hardly dependant on your bankrupt ecomony.

[vetxcl]

10:25 PM on 10/26/2010

leave it to a corp.bagger/repugnant to confuse government with business. it's how they roll.

[autochrome]

05:25 PM on 10/26/2010

California pays $1 to the fed for every 0.78 it gets back. In a ranking of what states get the most per dollar paid in taxes, CA ranks #43. In fact, of the 50 states, only 17 pay more in taxes than they get back, effectively subsidizing those who truly live at the federal trough. Texas and Florida barely break even, receiving 0.94, and 0.97 respectively, and with the exception of a distinctly blue voting Las Vegas helping Nevada pay it's bill, are the only Republican leaning states that manage to pay their own way.

Simply put. It's the true blue left leaning states that pay for all the right-wing whiners to complain about their taxes and federal earmarks while gobbling up resources graciously provided from New York, California and Minnesota.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/press/show/22659.html

[rowdybrowngirl]

07:21 PM on 10/26/2010

fanned and faved
cheers!

[Hitchcockcameo]

09:27 PM on 10/26/2010

Thank you. F&F

[ReligiousWar]

01:24 PM on 10/26/2010

This is absolutely fabulous except we should be evacuating California as everything west of the fault line is going to be going under the sea. Is there a map of this trains path in relation to the fault line? Is it earthquake proof?

[FPhoebe]

01:12 PM on 10/26/2010

I hope this is a success, and it becomes a nationwide development. They have high speed rails in France, the TGV, which are widely used. I believe they are also available in other parts of the world as well. The US really needs to get off the dependence on cars, and this would be a great way to do it.