State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

CA: Some tough choices - and pushback - along the proposed bullet train route

Los Angeles Times: Urban neighborhoods, protected wetlands, olive orchards, a federal reservoir and a few sleepy towns will go by the passenger windows of the first California bullet train when it pulls out of San Jose on its way to the Central Valley.

But before that inaugural journey planned for 2025, state officials — already facing financing and technical challenges — will have to deal with opposition from land owners and expensive mitigation demands from others along the way.

The bullet train’s exact route will not be set until environmental impact reports are issued, scheduled for next year. Still, the 30-mile stretch from downtown San Jose to Gilroy is a microcosm of the problems the California High-Speed Rail Authority has encountered up and down the state.

Over the last half-dozen years, the project has been bombarded by a dozen lawsuits and sharp protests — including a 2015 demonstration that drew hundreds to a downtown Los Angeles rail authority board meeting. The pushback has caused extended delays and led to costly political compromises.

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