Introduction
The issue of transportation in California is a critical one. With the world's 6th largest economy and an ever-growing population, rapid travel between major cities and population areas is becoming increasingly important. 
In the 1980s promoters pushed high-speed rail, a concept already in use in Asia and Europe, as a possible alternative to overcrowded highways and expensive air travel. In the 1990s the attention on high-speed rail led to the creation of the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), a Board charged with designing a high-speed train system for the state. CHSRA introduced a plan in 2000 for a system that would link all of the states major population centers including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego. The Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century was presented to the legislature in September of 2002 as Senate Bill 1856.
The bill would provide for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds, $9 billion of which would be used in conjunction with available federal funds for funding the planning and construction of a high-speed train system. It was originally slated to go before the voters as a proposition in 2004, but was postponed at the request of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Proposition 1A reflects changes to Proposition 1 due to passage of AB 3034, which prioritizes the San Francisco to Anaheim route but allows other routes to compete for funding.
Proposition 1A
Proposition 1A would provide for a bond issue of $9.95 billion to establish high-speed train service linking Southern California counties, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area. When completed, the rail network would span 800 miles and enable travel from Northern to Southern California at speeds of 220 mph.
At least 90% of the bond funds would be spent for specific construction projects, with private and public matching funds required, including, but not limited to, federal funds, funds from revenue bonds, and local funds. The system would be one of the largest public works projects in California history.
Reports and Studies
Drowning in Debt: Bond Measures Threaten California’s Already Precarious Debt Situation
By Adam B. Summers and Anthony Randazzo, Reason Institute, October 2008
Propositions 1A and 3: Should California authorize high-speed rail and children's bonds? California Budget Project. October 2008.
Document Library and Repository
California High Speed Rail Authority
California High-Speed Rail: Economic Benefits and Impacts in the San Francisco Bay Area
Bay Area Council Economic Institute. October 2008.
The California High Speed Rail Proposal: A Due Diligence Report
By Wendell Cox and Joseph Vranich. Reason Foundation. September 2008.
High Speed Rail and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the U.S.
Prepared jointly by the Center for Clean Air Policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology. January 2006.
Proposed Routes
Click the image below for a larger version of this map.
