California Bullet Train
Okay my current event is on the california bullet train. This train will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The state senate just recently gave 8 billion dollars for the first part of the 130 miles of track and also a couple other local transit upgrades. It was a tough win for democratic leaders because they got the bare minimum of 21 votes which were all democratic votes. This was a victory for Governor Jerry Brown and the Obama administration who have been pushing for this. It would also be the first bullet train in the U. S.
The train will begin construction in the central valley from Bakersfield to Madera, which will cost about 5. 9 billion. Out of the 5. 9 billion, about 3. 2 billion is federal money and 2. 6 billion is state bonds. The train will travel at 220 MPH and get you to L. A. in about 2 and a half hours. There is also 2 billion for other rail projects, like the electrification of Cal train in the bay area and improvements for the Metrolink in Los Angeles County. With the electrification of cal train, the trains would be much lighter, quieter and put out 90% less pollution then the current diesel engines.
They will be much safer, they will start and stop much more quickly then before, and will also be compatible with the rails they currently use. The proposition for the bullet train was first on the 2008 ballot and was then approved t, it gave 9. 9 billion to the project, since then the project has had delays and rising costs. In 2008 the total price of the bullet train was 33 billion, when voters okayed it. Now the estimated cost has more than doubled at 68 billion and the completion date was pushed from 2020 to 2028. A Los Angeles times poll in may showed that 59% of voters would reject the plan if it were back on the ballot.
There is still a lot of work in the way before they can begin construction and is unclear when it will begin. They have to fight off five current lawsuits against the project, they have to negotiate with property owners along the route especially big farm businesses, and have to comply with californias strict environmental laws. Republicans led by LaMalfa are creating a petition to put this rail line back on the ballot, but it is unlikely because the measure wouldn’t reach the statewide ballot box until November 2014, which is 18 months after construction is scheduled to start.
I chose this article because it I think this would be a great addition to our state because it would open up many jobs which we desperately need. It would also take many cars off the road which would be a nice change in congested areas and would also reduce the amount of flights from sfo to la. In the beginning it would be expensive but later on in the future it would pay off with much more I don’t know why we are building this now while we are in a recession and not back in better times.
I think they should have built this years ago. California needs more transportation like this and hopefully this could spark more trains to be built to replace the use of so many cars. I don’t think this article is biased because it is showing both points of view of people who want it and don’t want it. If I had the power to build this or not, I would have built this years ago because I think right now we need to put that money to better use such as education.
