Although I work in Chicago, I have spent the last few months laser-focused on California, communicating with dozens of assemblymembers and senators from all over the state. Why is a national nonprofit in Chicago so focused on your state? Because what happens in California is a precursor for what changes...
Feds Will Restore $1B for California’s Troubled Bullet Train
SACRAMENTO — The federal government has reached an agreement to restore nearly $1 billion in funding for California's troubled bullet train, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced. The U.S. Department of Transportation finalized settlement negotiations to restore the money for the high-speed rail project that was revoked by the Trump administration in...
After Bill Maher’s High-Speed Rail Rant, Valley Mayor Says ‘This Is the Future’
HBO's Bill Maher is described as irrepressible, opinionated, and of course, politically incorrect. On his 'Real Time With Bill Maher' show last Friday, he stepped into the topic of California's High-Speed Rail project and simultaneously slammed two Central Valley cities. “We’re six billion in the hole just trying to finish...
High-Speed Rail Construction Delayed by a Year. CEO Says He Needs Another $1 Billion.
California is again pushing back the deadline and raising the cost for its high-speed rail project, this time asking the Biden administration for a one-year extension on completing a section of track in the Central Valley. Brian Kelly, the project's chief executive officer, detailed changes to the project in a...
Taking 16-Week Course at This New HSR Training Center Could Lead to $50 an Hour Job
Students in safety vests seated behind socially distanced tables began their first day of pre-apprenticeship training at a new High-Speed Rail workforce development center on Monday. The training facility, located in Selma, now provides classes and hands-on construction industry training for residents across the Central Valley looking to work on...
California Bullet Train Cost Rises by Another $1 Billion
SACRAMENTO — The California High-Speed Rail Authority on Wednesday bumped its overall cost estimate for completing the rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles to $80.3 billion, blaming inflationary increases and better cost projections for a $1.3 billion boost that still is smaller than in previous years. After years...
In His Own Words: Gov. Newsom's First State of the State Address
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his first State of the State address before a joint session of the California Legislature on Tuesday, Feb. 12. Below is the text as prepared for delivery, with headlines and pull-outs added for reading clarity: Mr. Speaker, thank you for being a champion for all...
HSR Audit: Cost Overruns, Poor Management, Slow Trains
California's under-construction high-speed rail system is mismanaged, faces budget shortfalls, and will operate slower than promised. Those are some of the conclusions reached by the state auditor in a report released Thursday (Nov. 15) morning. The report is the latest saga in the state’s effort to build a bullet train...