Biden: California Rail a 'Priority' for Federal Funds

Vice President Joe Biden announced to reporters earlier this month that California is especially well-prepared to receive a chunk of the $8 billion of stimulus money that has been earmarked for high-speed rail. Earlier this year, President Obama identified 10 regions nationwide that could benefit from high-speed rail. But because California voters approved $9 billion in state bonds last November, Biden believes the state is well-equipped to receive at least 10% of those funds.

The first phase, which is to run from Anaheim to San Francisco, will cost upwards of $34 billion and construction will last at least 10 years. But the ultimate vision of the plan is a $45 billion, 800-mile network linking San Diego in the south to Sacramento up north. Not only does California high-speed rail have the backing of its voters, it has long-running support from Governor Schwarzenegger and the legislature, and is in advanced planning stages... which is much more than most states can say. Biden, who has been dubbed 'Amtrak Joe' for his vibrant support of rail, added that the administration wants to "get shovel-ready projects out the door as quickly as we can."

But because of the pressing need of improved transportation and construction activity, and the lengthy red tape federally-funded projects must wade through, two segments of the proposed line under considerably high demand might be contracted out by 2012 and open for riders by 2017. These segments are the $3 billion run from Anaheim to Los Angeles and the $4+ billion run from San Jose to San Francisco. This second segment is particularly controversial because it is proposed to run along an existing commuter rail right-of-way and through some very dense, primarily affluent areas. According to the Wall Street Journal, Florida is the other leading candidate for federal money.

Obama Endorses CA High-Speed Rail, Among Others

California voters who approved proposition 1A last November will begin to see the outcomes of their decision, now at the federal level. At a press conference today, President Obama delivered a speech expressing his support of a national high-speed rail network, and outlining a plan for its implementation. Flanked by Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Obama identified 10 regions across the nation where high-speed rail is needed and where it can work. The California High Speed Rail Authority's routes from San Diego to San Francisco and Sacramento were included in that list. Absent was the belligerent and fantastical MagLev route from Anaheim to Las Vegas.

The President announced a system-wide earmark of $8 billion in initial funding, to be followed by $1 billion per year for five following years. While the sum is barely a drop in the massive $787 billion stimulus package proposed by the administration, the passage of prop 1A late last year secures an additional $19.4 billion for California's share of the rail. Whether the state can even fathom an amount that high right now is another question. But California is the only state of the roughly 18 identified that has already passed legislation in support of the project at the state level.

In Sacramento, the prospect of the rail line is a pressing and popular matter. The Rail Authority has already identified the route of the line and are in the process of securing the land and composing the EIR. City leaders from almost every jurisdiction along the route have expressed avid support for the line. Racked by traffic congestion and hungry for added jobs, many cities have already developed plans for area TODs (transit-oriented development). With an added 13 million people by 2050, California's population density will begin to mirror countries like France, Germany, and Japan - countries that already have extensive high-speed rail lines hurtling their citizens along at speeds sometimes upwards of 200 mph. One question - who do they expect to board at a station in Sylmar?