$53B HSR reaction: California High-Speed Rail Authority

“This is the kind of bold investment in the future of our nation’s infrastructure that will get the attention of the private sector and make high-speed travel a reality in the United States,” said Roelof van Ark, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. “Californians are already doing their part to invest in and develop a fast, clean and low-cost transportation system, and we are pleased to have the partnership of our federal government.” Construction will begin on California’s high-speed rail system in 2012, creating nearly 100,000 jobs over five years with the federal funding already awarded. In December of 2010, the Authority Board selected a 120-mile initial construction segment, which spans an area 20 miles north of Fresno south to Bakersfield. 
 “True high-speed rail that travels faster than 200 miles per hour over long distances between California’s major metropolitan centers will mean strengthening our state’s economy in the long term,” said van Ark. “In the near term, development of this system will mean tens of thousands of jobs at a time when we need them the most and a huge boost that will assist our state’s economy.”