Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

By: Anne Consroe

Along with the presidential elections held this past Tuesday, voters saw several local issues on their ballots. Voters in California voted in support of the most ambitious high-speed rail system in the country. The $9.95 billion bond passed with 52 percent support last week, green lighting the first phase of the 800-mile project.

The rail system will initially link Anaheim, Los Angeles, Fresno and San Francisco with 200 mph bullet trains, eventually including Sacramento, San Diego, and Oakland. It will take approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles; a 6 hour trip by car. The system is expected to carry about 100 million passengers per year by 2030.

Built with state, federal, local and private money, the high-speed train system will cost two to three times less than expanding freeways and airports to accommodate for California’s expected population growth by 2030. High-speed trains use one-third the energy of an airplane and one-fifth of an automobile trip. Electric-powered high-speed trains will reduce California’s oil consumption by more than 12.7 million barrels per year by 2030 and reduce greenhouse gases by 12.7 billion pounds annually.

This rail system will be huge for California. In addition to benefitting traffic congestion and the environment, the new rail system will stimulate California’s economy by creating 450,000 new jobs.