Recent Streetsblog SF posts about High Speed Rail

Appeals Court Lifts Bond Restrictions on CAHSR, Funding Picture Clears

By Roger Rudick | Aug 1, 2014 | No Comments

A California Court of Appeals has removed the most significant legal impediment threatening California’s High-Speed Rail project. The unanimous decision of the three-judge panel, rendered on Thursday, reversed Judge Michael Kenny’s Nov. 25, 2013 ruling, which had blocked the state from issuing bonds under Prop. 1A, the High Speed Rail Act of 2008. Justice Vance Ray, the […]

Deal Reached on CA’s Cap-and-Trade Spending Plan

By Melanie Curry | Jun 13, 2014 | No Comments

Earlier this evening, the bicameral Budget Conference Committee approved a compromise between state legislators and Governor Brown on how to spend $850 million in revenues from the state’s cap-and-trade system for the next fiscal year. The new plan largely stuck to the Governor’s original proposal for the first year of the expenditure plan, but it […]

CA High-Speed Rail Authority Certifies EIR for Fresno-to-Bakersfield Segment

By Melanie Curry | May 7, 2014 | No Comments

The California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA) Board voted unanimously today to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the project segment between Fresno and Bakersfield in the Central Valley. This section of CAHSR can now move to the “final design” stage that precedes construction. This is the second segment of the project to have […]

Longer Trains May Be No Match for Growing Caltrain Crowds

By Andrew Boone | Apr 3, 2014 | 108 Comments

Caltrain’s rush hour trains have never been more crowded, which isn’t just uncomfortable for riders — it also discourages potential commuters who instead drive along Peninsula highways, and makes rides more difficult for elderly passengers and riders with disabilities. Commuters could see some relief in 2015, when Caltrain plans to extend the length of some of […]

Why CA High-Speed Rail Isn’t as Doomed as Media Reports Say It Is

By Roger Rudick | Dec 9, 2013 | No Comments

Last week, the media reported, once again, that the California High-Speed Rail project is in its death throes. The latest batch of articles are based on a Nov. 25 decision by Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny, in which he ordered the CAHSR Authority to revise a 2011 funding plan before it issues state bonds under […]

Will Technology Save Us From Another Train Crash Like Spain’s?

By Tanya Snyder | Jul 31, 2013 | No Comments

The Spanish train crash in Santiago de Compostela that killed 79 people last week has sparked questions about whether high-speed rail is safe. In fact, it’s among the safest ways to travel, and technology that already exists can make the type of human error that led to tragedy in Spain nearly a non-issue. Future high-speed […]

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