The Obama Administration finally gave its formal approval to the California High-Speed Rail Authority to begin construction of the high-speed railway beginning in the Central Valley. The approval, which came in the form of a formal “record of decision” from the Federal Railroad Administration, gives the green light to the Authority to begin acquiring hundreds … Continue Reading
Unlike most of California’s Central Valley counties, such as Merced and Fresno, which have consistently supported the High Speed Rail (“HSR”) project, Kings County has been openly opposed to the plan to construct a high speed rail through its fertile farmland. That opposition reached a flashpoint yesterday as Kings County, and two Kings County … Continue Reading
In the face of growing opposition and concern over soaring costs, the California High Speed Rail Authority Board (“Authority”) is betting that the answer to this question will be “yes.” The Authority met yesterday for its August board meeting and focused on laying more groundwork for the “Initial Construction Segment” or “ICS” in the San … Continue Reading
The California High Speed Rail Project (“Project”) has recently been subject to operational scrutiny. The Legislative Analyst Office (“LAO”) released a report (link) early last month that highlights several issues with the project, including the lack of overall funding and the inadequate expertise of board members. After the report was issued, the state’s Senate and … Continue Reading
The California High Speed Rail Authority (“Authority”) announced yesterday that it has received $300 million in additional funding from the federal government. The money has been reallocated from the $2 billion that was set aside for the Florida high speed rail project, which was rejected by their governor earlier this year. In addition to the … Continue Reading
Today, Mike Mills and I attended the California High Speed Rail Authority’s (“Authority”) monthly board meeting at which the Authority’s board voted on several agenda items related to final route alternatives for the High Speed Rail Project. The Operations Committee presented a proposal to study the Grapevine as a concept in place of the Palmdale … Continue Reading
