California bullet train cost surges by $2.8B

Re:California bullet train cost surges by $2.8B by microdrum on Wednesday January 17, 2018 @07:21PM (#16173456)

You forgot that control of private people and their property is what projects like this end up being about in a single-party state like California. It isn't about transportation: it is about control.

Southwest airlines does not solve the problem, because it does not give politicians or public sector unions or public sector unions' pensioners control over money. Only a train project can do that for them.

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Re:California bullet train cost surges by $2.8B by wahern on Wednesday January 17, 2018 @08:03PM (#16173718)

Airports and roads are all funded by public monies. A new runway for SFO was projected to cost over $2 billion in 1999 (in 1999 dollars).

Highspeed rail was projected to cost less than expanding highways and airports. Not sure what it looks like with the increases. OTOH, the budgets for those other modes also tend to balloon over time.

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