Green Elephant: with no end in sight, CA bullet dream will cost another $100 billion and empty out state environmental funds
Image by NC3D
Before it can start saving the planet, CA’s high-speed environmental train still lacks environmental clearance. Only then can the rail authority expect to give an ETA for the SF and LA segments. Those should only cost $100 billion. But don’t worry, that amount doesn’t include $35 billion needed to wrap up the Bakersfield to Merced line—by around 2033. KCRA’s Ashley Zavala reports.
As the state faces economic headwinds, California's mega high-speed rail project between San Francisco to Los Angeles also faces major funding hurdles, the project's CEO Brian Kelly told state lawmakers Tuesday.
Kelly testified in front of the State Senate's Transportation Committee on the High-Speed Rail Authority's updated draft business plan. In Tuesday's hearing, Kelly told lawmakers the project has $28 billion dollars on hand, but noted it was still a few billion dollars short to complete the Central Valley segment between Merced and Bakersfield. Depending on how long the segment takes to finish, it could cost between $32 Billion to $35 Billion. Kelly said the project is hoping to fill the gap with federal funds. That segment of the project is expected to be fully operational between 2030 and 2033, Kelly said.
Project leaders estimate it will still need an additional $100 billion to finish what voters were originally pitched in 2008: a bullet train that runs between San Francisco and Los Angeles. A timeline on its completion has not been set as the authority waits for environmental clearances for those segments.
State Senators on both sides of the aisle expressed serious concerns with the funding gap. Democratic State Senator Ben Allen noted a significant portion of the state's funds meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are going toward the project. Republican State Senator Kelly Seyarto said "the air is being sucked out of the room by this one project."
Read the whole thing here.
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