high speed rail

Postcard from Barcelona

Looking at the Catalonian path to sustainability

Flying into Barcelona, it becomes immediately obvious that this is a city with its eye on a sustainable future. Right along the waterfront is a large photovoltaic array, perched on four giant supports. It is emblematic of a broader set of initiatives that, for a short time, placed Spain at the forefront of renewable energy …

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UCLA / UC Berkeley Law Report on High Speed Rail Policies for California’s San Joaquin Valley

The environmental law centers at UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law are releasing today a new report on policies to maximize the economic and environmental benefits of high speed rail in the San Joaquin Valley. “A High Speed Foundation: How to Build a Better California Around High Speed Rail″ is the eleventh report in …

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Did Kenny Kill High Speed Rail?

On Friday, California Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny ruled that California’s plan for the initial construction segment of high speed rail in the San Joaquin Valley violated the terms of the 2008 voter-approved initiative that launched the project. Petitioners and some in the media are calling it a major setback for the system. However, the …

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Legal Planeteer Rick Frank Appointed to California High Speed Rail Authority

Congratulations to co-blogger Rick Frank for his appointment to the California High Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors. As an expert on California environmental law, Rick will bring invaluable expertise to the Authority board as they implement this enormous infrastructure project. For a blast from the past, read his Legal Planet take on high speed …

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Fresno High Speed Rail Lunch Event — Tuesday August 20th

Forget Elon Musk’s Hyperloop — high speed rail is coming to California.  Construction is slated to begin in California’s San Joaquin Valley in the next few months (and possibly sooner). What will the impact be on the Valley’s cities, farms, and pocketbooks? How can Valley leaders ensure that the system maximizes the economic and environmental …

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High Speed Rail’s A-Coming to California

With the California Legislature’s recent approval of the sale of voter-approved state bonds to fund high speed rail, it looks like the bullet train is actually coming to the state. Since voters approved the bonds in 2008, the economy has collapsed, and the details of the proposed route has made enemies out of many communities …

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Los Angeles’ Expo Line: A Cautionary Tale For Building Rail

This weekend, the long awaited Expo Light Rail Line will finally open in Los Angeles, connecting the traffic-choked Westside with the rest of the city’s rail network, more than two decades after the region’s first modern rail line opened.  The relatively short light rail line (8.6 miles, 12 stations) took an absurdly long amount of …

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Stopping High Speed Sprawl

California Governor Jerry Brown has doubled down on his support for the state’s proposed high speed rail system, despite the uncertainty about how to pay for it and growing public opposition.  But who can blame him?  If the rail system does get built, it will be the defining infrastructure project in the state for generations …

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The High Speed Rail Sacramento Smack-Down

California has been going about planning high speed rail all wrong, and Sacramento appears to be taking notice. Yesterday, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released a report recommending major changes in the way California implements high speed rail. In addition to a complete reorganization of the governing structure of the High Speed Rail Authority, …

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Chris Christie: A Moron AND A Hypocrite!

The New York Times reports this morning: The Christie administration, lenders and a new developer have reached a deal to revive the vast Xanadu entertainment and retail complex, which sits forlorn and unfinished along a stretch of New Jersey highway after having burned through two owners and $1.9 billion, people involved in the negotiations said …

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