California High Speed Rail Authority Moving Forward in Los Angeles
Despite continued efforts to derail the bullet train and the decision to build the train to San Jose first, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has been authorized to acquire its first two pieces of property in downtown Los Angeles. Last Friday, the state Public Works Board, which oversees the acquisition of property and fiscal… Read more »
Los Angeles River Revitalization Moves Forward With Crucial Land Purchase
In an effort to restore an 11-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River, the L.A. City Council voted, unanimously, to close escrow on a 42-acre rail yard, known as G2 plot, for $59.3 million. Mayor Eric Garcetti believes the land is the crown jewel in their plan to enliven the Los Angeles River. The… Read more »
California’s Bullet Train May Cost Much More Than Originally Planned
A confidential report obtained by The Times shows that California’s bullet train is seven years behind schedule and may cost taxpayers 50% more than estimated. The report projects that the first 118-mile segment through Central Valley, which was supposed to be the easiest part of the route between L.A. and San Francisco, could cost $9.5… Read more »
California High Speed Rail Rejected for $15 Billion Loan
The California High-Speed Rail Authority can’t seem to solve their most pressing problem, one that has hung over them since the conception of the project. The state doesn’t know where to find all of the $64-billion it will cost to complete the bullet train that will run from San Francisco to Los Angeles. So,… Read more »
Billions to Be Unlocked After Approval By The High Speed Rail Board
Through a unanimous decision, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s board, approved to unlock billions of dollars in state bonds funds that it needs to continue construction in the Central Valley and San Francisco-San Jose segments. The board approved $3.2 billion in funding from the nearly $10 billion that voters approved for a California high-speed… Read more »
Does the High Speed Rail Have Enough Funding?
Demand for the California pollution permits rebounded in the latest carbon auction after plummeting earlier this year, according to an article in The OC Register. However, the permits did not sell out. Buyers purchased just 88% of available credits, whose sales are meant to supply funding for the high-speed rail project. This is a… Read more »
What Happens If The Bullet Train Fails?
There’s a possibility that California’s bullet train project never gets beyond the current work in the San Joaquin Valley — a couple of stations and about 100 miles of track. The high speed rail project is having trouble securing the funding for the $68 billion project, and that, of course, could mean the demise of… Read more »
Proposition 53 Threatens Major California Projects, Including High Speed Rail
The political arena in California heated up over the last week as Gov. Gerry Brown stepped up his campaign against Proposition 53, which will be on the Nov. 8 ballot. Dean Cortopassi, a wealthy Central Valley farmer and tomato cannery owner, contends that proposition 53 is necessary because politicians refuse to either fully disclose or… Read more »
A California Bill Just Made Using Eminent Domain Easier
Only four years after signing legislation to dissolve more than 400 redevelopment agencies, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill — AB 24942 — that just made it easier for local government to seize homes and small businesses. This recent legislation will move California closer to the old Kelo-style laws that ignited a political firestorm. Redevelopment… Read more »
A Crucial Piece of Land for the L.A. Revitalization Project in the Process of Acquisition
A key piece of land — a piece of Union Pacific Railroad property in Glassell Park — for the City of Los Angeles’ Los Angeles River restoration project is being negotiated for $59.3 million. The plan is to turn the former 42-acre rail yard, also known as G2 plot, into park space, wetlands and other… Read more »