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In 2008, Sacramento Democrats sold voters an idea about a bullet train that would be a fast and ‘efficient’ means of transportation, carrying passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours.
Fast-forward to 14 years later, this ‘efficient’ bullet train was supposed to be completed in the early 2020s, but it is nowhere near completion, while the cost has ballooned to $105 billion from $33 billion. In the 2022-2023 state budget, Legislative Democrats earmarked another $4.2 billion for the first phase of the project, which would run from Bakersfield to Merced.
Dan Walters recently stated in his CalMatters column that the ‘troubled bullet train project’ has been spared for now, and also pointed out – “It could be a decade, or more, before trains actually begin carrying passengers between the two cities, but without connecting Bakersfield to Los Angeles and Merced to San Francisco, the segment would be little more than an amusement park ride.”
Adding insult to California voters, the California High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) has published a website peddling myths about the bullet train. While they suggest they are trying to “dispel myths” and separate “fact from fiction,” their own website is rampant with more opinions than facts.
California Senate Republicans take a deeper dive and break down the real myths vs facts. Read about our findings here.
“The price of the high-speed rail has more than tripled, and counting. It failed to meet any significant deadlines, and the first leg is still years and years away from completion. Let’s be realistic. Californians deserve an accountable government – it’s time to slam the brakes on this project,” said Senator Brian Dahle (1st Senate District).
