One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
All Aboard! DesertXpress From SoCal to Vegas Gets OK from Bureau of Land Management
The Desert Xpress — a proposed high-speed rail that would zip between SoCal and Las Vegas on that sometimes-unbearable stretch of the I-15 — has been given the OK from the Bureau of Land Management.
As expected, the federal agency gave its approval since most of the rail parallels the I-15 and utility lines that are already messing up that part of the desert. (You can find public commentary here.)
Construction is estimated to begin in early 2012. The Federal Railroad Administration estimates that the project uses 821 acres of public land for the rail, plus an extra 95 acres for the construction. The project also includes about 2,800 acres of private land. The administration estimates the project will bring 45,000 construction jobs and 722 permanent jobs once the rail is up and running.
Yeah, the project doesn't actually go to Los Angeles, and it means that Angelenos trying to catch the train might be spending more time in Victorville than they ever expected to. But the fact that it doesn't go through the San Gabriels or very much inhabited land at all is probably why its costs are so cheap. It is estimated that the 190 miles will cost $6.5 billion dollars, which puts it in roughly the same ballpark as the Westside Subway extension. Desert Xpress believes that SoCalians will be willing to buy a ticket to bypass 190 miles of traffic in 80 minutes.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
