Money to complete a high-speed rail system between Bakersfield and Merced — $4.2 billion for construction, electrification and trains — was included in the $308 billion state budget signed Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Along with new oversight for a project that has long struggled to stay on track, the budget frees up the final portion of a $9.95 billion bond sale approved by California voters in 2008 to pay for trains running more than 200 miles per hour between Northern and Southern California.
The release ended a legislative impasse that has held up funding for the project, but fell short of the tens of billions of dollars needed to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to the most recent schedule, by 2040. Now expectations are that the Central Valley segment, at least, will begin operating by the end of this decade.
Observers welcomed the budget wording that appoints an inspector general with powers to audit, review and oversee the rail project. But even that hasn’t silenced critics, who still complain that the project has been mismanaged for years.
Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, said in a statement that the project is a “far cry” from the plan voters approved 14 years ago. However, he disputed the characterization of the project as a “train to nowhere,” adding, “The Central Valley is somewhere important and I look forward to seeing the segment completed.”
Stronger criticism came from Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, who said in an interview that billions of dollars continue to flow to a structurally flawed project that lacks transparency and is plagued by failures.
“It’s absolutely clear that the governor and legislative Democrats have not heeded the warning of how problematic this project is,” Fong said, also noting that other measures in the budget are expected to reduce the capacity of California’s roads, with some highways being turned off.
The California High Speed Rail Authority said in a statement Friday that it is grateful for the governor’s and Legislature’s support for an electrified two-track segment with a new combination station in downtown Merced, connecting Amtrak’s San Joaquins service with the Altamont Corridor Express.
He also supported the appointment of an inspector general to the semi-independent state agency.
“The Authority supports the independent oversight and reporting requirements in this legislation to keep both the Legislature and the public well informed of project progress,” CHSRA states.
Recognition of the state’s latest investment in the project was also expressed by the US High Speed Rail Coalition, which praised Newsom in a news release Thursday.
“California’s political leaders have listened to voters and stepped up for the future of high-speed rail,” said coalition co-chair Ray LaHood, former secretary of the US Department of Transportation.
The coalition’s announcement noted that a recent poll by the University of California, Berkeley and the Los Angeles Times found that 56 percent of California voters continue to support high-speed rail.
Add Comment