“This letter from major national unions, public interest groups, businesses, and public servants expresses our conviction that now is the time to turbocharge work on this vital project,” said former US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who signed the letter.
The letter argues that approving the proposed budget funding could likely mobilize even more financial support at the federal level which, taken together, will accelerate work to complete the project’s initial operating segment in the Central Valley while advancing construction on critical bookends in the Los Angeles Basin and the Bay Area.
Excerpts from the letter included, “High-speed rail is a key part of how we break free from oil – as well as the enormous burdens it places on consumers, communities, and the climate.
“America’s effort to decarbonize transportation depends on the completion of the California High-Speed Rail project. Once the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line is up and running, it will slash emissions by an average of 2 million metric tons annually – equivalent to saving 225 million gallons of gas and taking 432,000 cars off the road every single year.
“To achieve sustainability, we need high-speed rail. There is no cheaper or better alternative to addressing the state's transportation and oil dependency challenges.”
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is responsible for planning, designing, building, and operating the first high-speed rail system in the nation. California high-speed rail will connect the mega-regions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs, and preserve agricultural and protected lands.
High-speed rail in California will run on 100% renewable energy and will be all electric all the time. It will also help achieve California’s climate goals by reducing transportation emissions and being part of a sustainable transportation network.
In Phase One, currently being worked on, high speed rail will connect Los Angeles and San Francisco. Phase Two will see the line extended to Sacramento in the north and San Diego in the south.