The entire route from LA to San Fran was to cost $9.95B when they suckered the voters into it. This is just for the first phase which is rural flat ground from Merced to Bakersfield. Mountains and urban areas would be the next phases, what are the odds they can do it in budget?
Leftism is a curse upon mankind.
The extra $2.8 billion comes on a 199-mile segment in the Central Valley that is partly under construction. The California High Speed Rail Authority board discussed the increase Tuesday.
The added cost is due to delays in obtaining rights of way and barriers needed along parts of the track, among other things.
It boosts the overall cost of the project to nearly $67 billion, which officials say they hope to recover later.
Cost Climbs By $2.8 Billion For California Bullet Train
I know someone personally who was on the board back in the 80's designing the Bart route ( Bay Area Rapid Transit)
There was a man on the board who owned many of the car dealerships..
This man made sure that it wouldn't be easy to get around the Bay area unless if you have a car..
It has taken more than 30 years to design bart to connect ( still under construction ) so people don't have to drive..
Damn corruption..
If you look at the commuter planes from SF to LA they are full..
This bullet train will open up the roads, connect the cities and with that less fuel and smog..
.
The ticket prices they charge don't come anywhere near to paying the operating costs of the system, let alone the cost of the capital used to build it.
Have you ever flown from SF to LA? I have, and to San Diego too many times. For example, driving to SFO, parking (for a fee), taking the shuttle and being (nearly strip searched) to get into the airport, flying 90 minutes + to LA, de-plaining and getting to the Rental Car (seems like miles from the terminal) and then getting into traffic on LA Streets to get to the LA Freeway System (many times gridlocked) was my experience.
It doesn't take a high school graduate to understand how rail can open up other opportunities along its route, sadly the doom and gloom crowd lacks such a vision.
I hate to state the obvious but if you are supposed to be on high speed rail you will be blowing by those "other opportunities" along the route. You do understand that...don't you? And get used to the strip searches at the train station too. As more people take the train the onerous security measures will follow just like clockwork. Have to keep those government drones employed don't ya know.