California may have to pay back a couple billion.

[bluerules009]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-government-to-cancel-funds-for-california-high-speed-rail-11550618638?mod=hp_lead_pos5

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration said Tuesday it would cancel almost $1 billion in funding for the California high-speed rail network, casting doubt on whether the state will be able to complete even the first phase of the troubled project.

In a letter to state officials, Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory said the administration is planning to revoke its grant agreement with the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and halt $928.6 million in future grant payments it was expected to make to fund the project through 2022.

 

The FRA is also considering a legal effort to recover $2.5 billion in federal funds already spent on the project, which was originally set to link Los Angeles and San Francisco.

[CPslograd]

41 minutes ago, bluerules009 said:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-government-to-cancel-funds-for-california-high-speed-rail-11550618638?mod=hp_lead_pos5

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration said Tuesday it would cancel almost $1 billion in funding for the California high-speed rail network, casting doubt on whether the state will be able to complete even the first phase of the troubled project.

In a letter to state officials, Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory said the administration is planning to revoke its grant agreement with the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and halt $928.6 million in future grant payments it was expected to make to fund the project through 2022.

 

The FRA is also considering a legal effort to recover $2.5 billion in federal funds already spent on the project, which was originally set to link Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Good, CA should have to pay that back, sets a bad precedent if they dont

[Old_SD_Dude]

I’ve long been an opponent of the HSR. The rationale being cited by DOT (headed up by turtle head’s wife) though, are being selectively applied. The reporting and progress standards being applied are rarely met by any transportation project partially funded by the Feds. I’ve worked on many such projects and, like it or not, I cannot remember a single one for which numerous allowances or extensions were not granted by FHWA or FTA.  If these standards were universally applied every state and most localities would be returning vast amounts of federal funding. 

[Guest #1Stunner]

12 hours ago, CPslograd said:

Good, CA should have to pay that back, sets a bad precedent if they dont

Are they really moving forward completing the line between Fresno and Bakersfield? 

Seems like such a waste.   I guess some farmers can ride the high speed rail....

[CPslograd]

23 minutes ago, #1Stunner said:

Are they really moving forward completing the line between Fresno and Bakersfield? 

Seems like such a waste.   I guess some farmers can ride the high speed rail....

Well, Gavin didn’t really cancel the project, he just shelved future stuff for now.  He was intentionally vague about the future of the project.  There are quite a few articles about it, if you are curious.  Sorry I just don’t have the time or interest in writing an essay to postulate Gavin Newsom political calculations here.

supposedly they are going to finish Merced To Bakersfield, but we will have to wait and see.

love your location in your profile btw, made me chuckle.

[soupslam1]

Newsom complaining about Trump holding back $1B and playing politics is hilarious. 

[smltwnrckr]

The cancelling of the $1B funding is a mutually beneficial situation for Trump and Newsom. I wouldn't even be surprised if they planned it together.

Newsom cancels the project but technically says it's suspended with intention to finish the Merced-to-Bako line. Thus, he does not open the state to as much liability and he keeps the HSR supporters (are there any of those anymore besides the unions?) from going too nuts. Trump cancels the remaining money, which may be the most sensible thing he's done as president. Newsom gets to complain about Trump, Trump gets to complain about California. It's called having your cake and eating it too.

Forcing California to pay back the federal money is bananas. Every state in the union would be up sh*t creek if every federal dollar that did not result in the completion of a project as proposed needed to be paid back. 

[bsu_alum9]

High speed trains seem outdated to me. With self-driving electric cars that can go 155 mph (2.5 hours SF to LA), why not just make an extra lane for autonomous high speed vehicles and spend a few billion on publicly  owned cars and charging stations and charge by the mile or something.

[Boise fan]

1 hour ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

I’ve long been an opponent of the HSR. The rationale being cited by DOT (headed up by turtle head’s wife) though, are being selectively applied. The reporting and progress standards being applied are rarely met by any transportation project partially funded by the Feds. I’ve worked on many such projects and, like it or not, I cannot remember a single one for which numerous allowances or extensions were not granted by FHWA or FTA.  If these standards were universally applied every state and most localities would be returning vast amounts of federal funding. 

Yeah, it sounds like this is more of political move - Trump punishing California, say, for maybe suing over the border wall?  Or just being a thorn in his backside?  

While I liked the idea of HSR in California, I thought the cost overruns and planning were simply craptastic. 

[Jackrabbit]

After using the European HSR system I really like it. 

As we see, modern regs and property values make new infrastructure projects un affordable....perhaps it is too late for us.

[CPslograd]

The Feds should never have given the money in the first place.  There should have been controls in place to make sure it was a viable project.  That falls on the Obama administration and the fed beauracracy in general 

[Old_SD_Dude]

15 minutes ago, CPslograd said:

The Feds should never have given the money in the first place.  There should have been controls in place to make sure it was a viable project.  That falls on the Obama administration and the fed beauracracy in general 

Virtually every project receiving DOT funds takes a lot longer and costs a lot more than original projections. It's the nature of large-scale infrastructure given our system.

[Old_SD_Dude]

1 hour ago, Bob said:

CA is just extravagantly right people and illegal Mexicans

Thanks. I do frequently feel extravagantly right.

[smltwnrckr]

41 minutes ago, CPslograd said:

The Feds should never have given the money in the first place.  There should have been controls in place to make sure it was a viable project.  That falls on the Obama administration and the fed beauracracy in general 

The Feds should never throw a cent at anything approved through the proposition process. Ever.

[CPslograd]

29 minutes ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

Virtually every project receiving DOT funds takes a lot longer and costs a lot more than original projections. It's the nature of large-scale infrastructure given our system.

Come on man, they didn't even have a route figured out before they started building 

[modestobulldog]

3 hours ago, #1Stunner said:

Are they really moving forward completing the line between Fresno and Bakersfield? 

I have inside information, this is a secret plan by Fresno State president, Joseph Castro, to acquire CSU Bakersfield, and renamed it Fresno State - South campus.

[Old_SD_Dude]

53 minutes ago, CPslograd said:

Come on man, they didn't even have a route figured out before they started building 

I'm not defending the project. I'm only addressing the DOT rationale for cancelling the funding. I can point to many, many examples in multiple states where the overruns/delays were even worse. The difference of course is that this project was an order of magnitude or two more costly. If I blame anyone it's Brown. I thought he was an excellent governor his second time around, but he definitely had a massive blind spot when it came to HSR.

[bluerules009]

2 hours ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

Virtually every project receiving DOT funds takes a lot longer and costs a lot more than original projections. It's the nature of large-scale infrastructure given our system.

Government incompetence is okay then?

[bluerules009]

Trump should use the money California is forced to pay back to build the wall!  HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!HA!

[pokebball]

7 minutes ago, bluerules009 said:

Trump should use the money California is forced to pay back to build the wall!  HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!HA!

He's kinda making the illegals pay for the wall then?