John Petro

The Race Is On for High-Speed Rail

Who will build it first? California or the Northeast corridor?

In November California voters will have the opportunity to vote for high-speed rail linking San Francisco with Los Angeles.

High-speed rail in the Northeast also came closer to reality in July when the House of Representatives passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, which includes provisions that support the development of high-speed rail for the Washington, DC to New York corridor.

Both initiatives are still a long ways from becoming reality. If the California ballot proposition is passed, the state will still have to locate federal and private funding sources.

The California line would take two and a half hours from San Francisco to L.A. and cost $55. A quick search on Expedia.com shows me that a flight between the two cities takes about an hour and fifteen minutes and costs between $118 and $188. When you factor in the amount of time you spend getting to and waiting at the airport, the high-speed rail option seems like it will be very competitive.

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Posted at 12:00 PM, Sep 11, 2008 in Transporation
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