Bowing to the reality of delays, out-of-control costs, and accusations of corruption, payback, and favoritism, California Governor Gavin Newsom reversed former Governor Jerry Brown’s steadfast support of the doomed rail system in his first State of the State speech on February 12, 2019.  Newsom stated that the high-speed rail project (a saga which began with a voter-approved bond during the Schwarzenegger administration) “would cost too much and take too long” as currently planned. Instead of forging ahead with a train designed to connect the northern and southern portions of California, Newsom wants to focus on a “high-speed rail link between Merced and Bakersfield.”

Newsom noted that the Central Valley has long been neglected by lawmakers and that the proposed train could somehow “unlock[] the enormous potential of the Valley.” Newsom did not provide additional details of how that would happen as a result of the train.   Responding to critics of the project, he also promised more transparency in the rail project moving forward, and appointed Lenny Mendonca, Newsom’s Economic Development Director, as the next chair of the High-Speed Rail Authority.

Full text of Newsom’s State of the State can be found HERE.
See the article in the Sacramento Bee HERE for more information on the State of the State.

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