![]() ![]() Even for supporters, waiting decades for such a project to be finished not only feeds the flames of criticism, but weakens the already tenuous political will behind it. ![]() It’s not terribly controversial that a high-speed line between San Francisco and Los Angeles would be beneficial to the state (though detractors would make you think so). “Why is it taking so long?” is the knee-jerk question to such news. If nine years feels like a long time to wait, it will be decades more before completion of the whole Los Angeles to San Francisco route. The Environmental Impact Report for the San Jose to Merced route was recently approved, signaling another milestone for the project.ĭespite this progress, rail passengers still won’t see the San Jose to Merced route finished until 2031. The California high-speed rail project between San Francisco and Los Angeles continues to make strides, even if its progress is achingly slow. The real question is: Will it ever be finished? The California Project There is at least one project still pushing toward that dream: The California High-Speed Rail project, which, despite ballooning costs, a slow pace, and constant political backlash, still continues to make progress. The realities of American car culture, as well as the vast open spaces and relatively low population density in the United States, are the main issues brought up when explaining the country’s lack of HSR infrastructure. ![]() There are reasons to point to, of course. The country has been able to build endless expanses of interstates and highways, yet somehow neglected to implement an effective, well proven transportation technology for moving people quickly and efficiently. The first response to the country’s lack of high-speed rail (HSR) is… why? After all, the United States is one of the richest nations in the world, and could easily afford it. Meanwhile, the fact that the technology still hasn’t come to the United States has deflated a generation of hopes. Over that same time period, the United States has built zero miles of high-speed rail (save a few short stretches of the Acela line in the Northeast United States that achieve speeds of about 150 mph). 515 km) of track, eventually achieving the three-hour service it had projected. During a five-year construction period, the project completed 320 miles (ca. Believe it or not, it’s been 58 years since the Shinkansen, the world’s first bullet train, first debuted in Japan in 1964. ![]()
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