Current Events > California high speed rail project needs $100 billion to complete it

(+) Yeah! (+)

The federal government should just step in and pay it, and get a small portion of the profits until it is paid off.

It would probably take a thousand years to pay off.

It's better for everyone to do it.

Hmm since people from that shithole always boast about being the most well off state, and the US would fall apart without them(lmao) they should pay for it themselves

It's like less than 400 miles from SF to LA.

The federal government should just step in and pay it, and get a small portion of the profits until it is paid off.

Tax the rich to help pay for it.

If they do this they could get an Urban Outfitters!

Rail projects are failing all over in dense urban areas because the costs keep rising exponentially over the costs that local bonds and whatnot are passed. Everybody wants it except the displaced property owners so you gotta have the money ready up front to get it done

My co worker drove from San Jose to LA two weeks ago when his kids were out of school for the week and it took him less than 4 hours to get there.

Need to eminent domain these projects. Just fucking build it.

If it was an highway, it'd be built in an instant but we have so much red tape for rail

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-bullet-train-project-funding-san-francisco-los-angeles/60181448

They need to cancel it and put the money into something else. 15 years and not one mile of track built. To think they said it would only cost millions when it was first pitched.

1. The bill was voted on in 2008, but they couldn't start right then and there, they needed funds, clearances, and the like. And they needed to get bids for contractors as well. The actual construction didn't start until 2015.
2. The cost for the initial pitch was $33 Billion. I have no idea where you're getting "millions" from.
3. No rails have been built yet, but 119 miles of infrastructure are currently being built. It's not just putting rails on the ground, the tracks are going to be elevated.

My co worker drove from San Jose to LA two weeks ago when his kids were out of school for the week and it took him less than 4 hours to get there.

It's like less than 400 miles from SF to LA. $100 billion to complete so $250 million per mile? Spain built a high speed rail network for like 10 million Euros per kilometer

This is nothing but corruption

But only a small insignificant fraction of the state would use it. Ticket prices would have to be $100+ for each ticket.

Could someone explain to me why many people say rail is not a fitting type of transport for the US? Is it because it is a union of states with their own regulations? Thats a thing in Europe as well and rail is one of our main forms of public transport. The US has a lot of non-urbanized areas but even then there is a lot of urban area as well and rail doesnt seem to be liked that much there either.

Could someone explain to me why many people say rail is not a fitting type of transport for the US? Is it because it is a union of states with their own regulations? Thats a thing in Europe as well and rail is one of our main forms of public transport. The US has a lot of non-urbanized areas but even then there is a lot of urban area as well and rail doesnt seem to be liked that much there either.

The general populace want HSR for medium distance travel but it's tough when you got billionaires who try to kill public transit projects wherever there are whispers. Shades of the 1950s where the automotive industry successfully lobbied cities to remove street cars and trolleys so they can sell more cars.

ex: Hyperloop and Elon's "will be faster and built for a fraction of the cost" claim was literally fabricated to sabotage California's HSR project

It's like less than 400 miles from SF to LA. $100 billion to complete so $250 million per mile? Spain built a high speed rail network for like 10 million Euros per kilometer

This is nothing but corruption

I'll note that it's not just billionaires who kill these projects. Many regular people do it by abusing zoning laws and environmental regulations to slow down building

Elon literally killed the one in California. His reasons were 'People really shouldn't be on trains with other people"

But only a small insignificant fraction of the state would use it. Ticket prices would have to be $100+ for each ticket.

TC living up to the tag as usual

So Florida has the only high speed rail in the country, right? I hear they are expanding Brightline to Tampa in the coming years.

I'm flying into Ft. Lauderdale to save a $100 over flying into MIA and I'm going to take a Brightline down the rest of the way in a few weeks.