California has expended over $600 million on environmental assessments for an unfinished high-speed rail initiative, as indicated by documents scrutinized by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The state disbursed a grand total of $618,038,924.01 to multiple construction companies for the execution of environmental evaluations related to the high-speed railway project, according to the disclosed records.
Although California voters sanctioned the funding for the project’s development in 2008 with the aim of linking Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Central Valley via a high-speed rail, it has faced setbacks and budget overruns over the past 15 years since the initial voter approval to finance the venture with bonds.
Edward Ring, a senior fellow at the California Policy Center, commented on the situation, remarking, “With the amount of regulatory paralysis the project confronts, it’s no surprise that almost nothing has been accomplished in over 15 years since voters approved it.” Ring continued by suggesting that the state either streamline the process significantly or cancel the project, as it is currently progressing so slowly that it may not be completed in the foreseeable future.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) was established in 1996 by the state Legislature to commence assessments for the project. In 2008, when voters initially approved approximately $9 billion in bond financing for the venture, CHSRA officials anticipated that the entire railway system would be operational by 2030.
Early proponents of the project argued that a major high-speed rail system would alleviate traffic congestion and contribute to combating climate change, delivering an estimated $11 billion in benefits.
Initially estimated to cost around $33 billion in 2008, the Los Angeles to San Francisco segment of the project is currently projected to cost roughly $128 billion. The CHSRA still plans to proceed with the project to its conclusion, although a significant portion of the coastal corridor of the railway has not yet received full environmental clearance, with about 78 miles of the 500-mile route awaiting approval.
In 2019, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a scaled-down version of the project, focusing on a 171-mile segment in the Central Valley, connecting Bakersfield and Merced, with an initial projection of around $22 billion, which has since grown to approximately $35 billion as of March 2023.
The railway has received over $3.5 billion in federal funds and is pursuing additional federal funding through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, having submitted applications for $1.3 billion in grants and expecting to apply for more.
However, the project faces several key challenges, as highlighted in a letter from the California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group, an independent oversight council for the project. The letter emphasizes the uncertainty of project costs, schedules, and ridership estimates, as well as the project’s underfunding and unstable financing, which raise costs and complicate effective management.
The CHSRA is committed to connecting Merced to Bakersfield by 2030, although there is a built-in risk period of three years due to uncertainties in permitting and construction processes, potentially delaying completion until 2033.
Concerns also exist regarding the project’s impact on wildlife, particularly in the Coyote Valley and the Pacheco Pass, where it could further fragment animal habitats, posing risks to species like mountain lions.
Additionally, there are doubts about the project’s immediate contribution to California’s climate goals, with some studies suggesting that it would need to operate for 71 years at medium ridership levels to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated during construction.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is identified as a major factor contributing to cost overruns and delays. CEQA, along with other legislation, demands extensive analysis and predictions, leading to prolonged project timelines and conflicts among various regulatory agencies.
The CHSRA spokesperson emphasized the importance of considering the costs of not delivering California high-speed rail, pointing out that the state’s existing highway system and airports are facing capacity crises.