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The high-speed rail debate resolved?
Californians want high-speed rail, but can't seem to decide on a route — a problem America 2050 may have solved. The group has created a map of potential high-speed rail routes and scored each of them on their ability to attract riders away from private vehicles and commercial air travel. (An explanation of the methodology can be found in the executive summary.)
The State of California may not want to hear it, but the best single route in our state would go from Sacramento to Oakland and/or San Francisco and onward to San Jose, then over into the Central Valley to connect Fresno and Bakersfield before dipping back to the coast at Los Angeles, finishing at San Diego.
A two-route option could branch off the Sacramento-Bay Area spur and head south through the Central Valley, while a a coastal route would continue on from the Bay Area to Salinas, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara before meeting the other track in L.A.
The report, which was national in scope, observed that California had the greatest potential of all the states to reduce air travel by offering well designed high-speed rail alternatives.
| January 15 2011 at 07:40 AM
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