California High Speed Rail Authority Board (formerly)
Retired Superior Court Judge and former chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority Board; former state Senator who wrote the bill creating the HSRAPROFILE
Quentin Kopp
Guest
FROM Quentin Kopp
Which Way, L.A.?
High-Speed Rail, Friend or Foe? As a State Senator from San Francisco, Quentin Kopp co-wrote the law launching the bullet train project in California. He served as chair of the state agency overseeing the system. Now a retired Superior Court judge, he has testified on behalf of agriculture interests who've sued to halt the development of high-speed rail.
Which Way, L.A.?
Trouble on the Tracks for High-Speed Rail Some states are returning federal money for high-speed rail, claiming it’s a boondoggle that taxpayers can’t afford. In California, even some supporters have their doubts now that the first segment is scheduled for the Central Valley—far from the terminals in LA and San Francisco. Tonight, we’ll hear about a plan to replace political appointees who make the decisions with experts in all the specialties involved.
Which Way, L.A.?
California Gets Big Money for High-Speed Rail In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama announced an $8 billion high-speed rail initiative, and California will get the largest piece, $2.25 billion. In Tampa, Florida today, he reiterated his intention , which could prove important for the future of transportation in California. "There's no reason why other countries can build high-speed rail lines and we can't."
Which Way, L.A.?
Proposition 1a: High Speed Rail, On or Off? The Department of Transportation says Americans are driving less and riding more on public transit; $4 a gallon gasoline has led Congress to finally authorize $14 billion for Amtrak, intercity passenger trains and high-speed rail. If the Senate and President Bush go along, that could mean money for California, if voters pass a November bond issue that would provide $10 billion to begin building a bullet train from Orange County to Sacramento. The first leg would be from Anaheim to the Bay Area, and some of the proposed route would share right of way with the Union Pacific. Last week we heard that the railroad is making last-minute objections, raising safety concerns in case the new technology collides with the old one.
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