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On Monday, the state's Legislative Analyst’s Office released its report on California's planned $42.6-billion state high-speed rail network. Concerns included ridership, income, risk assessment and a backup plan in case ridership can't support operation.
"For a project that is still very much in development, especially in terms of the full funding, none of that should be a surprise," noted Robert Cruickshank of the independent California High Speed Rail Blog. "The 2009 Business Plan is a snapshot of a project in evolution. Any expectation that all the financial details would have been ironed out in a year is absurd and unrealistic, but then, HSR often gets burdened with absurd and unrealistic expectations, particularly from skeptics and critics. Certainly the things the LAO points to deserve resolution, and we fully expect they will be resolved. But to use this report, as some want to, as evidence of a flawed project is itself a flawed analysis."
Nonetheless, the anti-HSR movement has taken this document to call for an end to the train system. The San Diego Union Tribune is calling for Prop 1a, which last year was passed by the voters approving a nearly $10 billion bond for the system, to be recalled.
