Bullet Train

California's bullet train agency is facing a series of new regulatory and political problems that could jeopardize its July construction kickoff, which already has been delayed more than six months. The new challenges are coming from a private railroad that controls a key right of way, a legislative committee delving into contracting issues and a powerful federal agency asserting authority over the project. The rail agency is beginning to make purchase offers for land around Fresno and says it still plans to start building this summer.

The California bullet train agency on Thursday defended its bidding criteria for selecting the winner for its first construction contract, saying that the process held down prices and was handled properly. The California High-Speed Rail Authority has come under fire from critics who assert changes to the bidding criteria could jeopardize the quality of the project. The authority tentatively chose a team led by Sylmar-based Tutor Perini to build a 29-mile segment of track through Fresno even though it had the lowest technical score.

Re "Vote keeps bullet train alive," July 7 Having a high-speed rail system is a tremendous goal that many Californians would like to see achieved. However, come November, funding it will spell the defeat of the tax initiatives on the ballot. In a recent Field Poll, respondents said that they would overwhelmingly oppose both options if high-speed rail were a budget priority. After all, why would the state beg for billions, then blow it on this project? The impact on public education would be catastrophic.

California's bullet train agency is facing a series of new regulatory and political problems that could jeopardize its July construction kickoff, which already has been delayed more than six months. The new challenges are coming from a private railroad that controls a key right of way, a legislative committee delving into contracting issues and a powerful federal agency asserting authority over the project. The rail agency is beginning to make purchase offers for land around Fresno and says it still plans to start building this summer.

California's bullet train is appropriately named -- not because it will ever be as fast as a speeding bullet but because it has taken more potshots than a Montana stop sign . Critics deride the line as a train to nowhere that will never attract the funding needed to run all the way from Sacramento to San Diego (with a spur to San Francisco) as originally envisioned. What's more, they say, the train's planning has been so undermined by special interests that it has no chance of running fast enough to fulfill its promise to get from L.A. to San Francisco in 2 1/2 hours.

Construction for high-speed rail through the Central Valley is supposed to start in July. But the state of California still hasn't purchased any of the land along the route. How will the train get from one city to the next? Magic.  ALSO: Photos: Unbuilt L.A. Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons The feline killer that stalks the streets Follow Ted Rall on Twitter @TedRall

Re “ Bullet train leg to finish later ,” Nov. 16 It has been my experience that high-speed rail has brought untold benefits wherever it has been developed. The early decision to solve Japan's transportation needs with bullet trains had many side benefits, including the development of both industrial and commercial centers that were and are major supporting elements to the success of the system. The same can be said for the TGV in France. Jobs, growth and more freedom of movement are but a few of the positive elements from this long-overdue project.

Re "High-speed rail's strongest backers have concerns," March 27 It is time to put a bullet into California's bullet train. What is the justification, in the present difficult economy, to build a staggeringly expensive rail line that only a small percentage of the people will ever use and, according to this article, likely won't be a true high-speed system? The state should instead take a fraction of the $68 billion for this project and upgrade airports and highways. In the long term, California should invest in research to develop a cost-effective high-speed transportation system for the 21st century.

Hop a ride to the future -- but hope that cattle migration doesn't interrupt your commute. California's high-speed rail project has been approved, though the initial phase would only link two cities in the Central Valley. These are not exactly major centers of business and culture. ALSO: Divvying up California's water Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons California, look to Wisconsin for budget lessons Follow Ted Rall on Twitter @TedRall . Follow Opinion L.A. on Twitter and Facebook .    

Re“ Rail line's Big Dig ,” Nov. 13 FOR THE RECORD: Bullet train: In the “Train to somewhere” letters to the editor on Nov. 16, the word “million” was missing in this quote: “Fully operational, the bullet train will need an estimated 2.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity every day.” I am old enough to think that not much can astound or surprise me. But the article on the bullet train construction did just that....

Re "Bullet train bid rules altered," April 19 Thanks to The Times for letting us know that a troubled bid led by Sylmar-based Tutor Perini might win the contract to build the first phase of California's high-speed rail system against much more experienced contractors. A nyone who has taken Spain's high-speed train knows how superb these machines are, and two companies with extensive high-speed rail experience in Spain (Ferrovial and Acciona) also submitted bids. But our High-Speed Rail Authority rewrites rules, plays with our safety and might entrust this project to a firm that has been troubled by lawsuits and bids that were way off interim and final costs.

Re "Scout officials endorse dual tack on gays," April 20 Aside from being annoying and insulting, the recommendation of top Boy Scouts of America officials to allow gay boys to become members while continuing to bar gay men from being leaders is completely illogical. The basic mission of the Boy Scouts is to help young boys become upstanding adult men. By extension, that means helping self-identified gay male youths, likely now to be among the Boy Scouts' ranks, to become upstanding gay adult men. How can that possibly occur when those gay youths see that precisely who they are supposed to become are personae non gratae once they are adults?

State high-speed rail officials acknowledged Thursday that they changed their rules for selecting a builder for the bullet train's first phase in the Central Valley, a shift that subsequently made it possible for a consortium led by Sylmar-based Tutor Perini to be ranked as the top candidate despite receiving the lowest technical rating. The California High-Speed Rail Authority announced last week that the Tutor Perini-Zachry-Parsons joint venture was the top-rated contender among five bidders seeking to build the initial 29 miles of track between Madera and Fresno.

A lawsuit alleging that approval of the high-speed rail system's first sections in the Central Valley violated state environmental laws was settled Thursday, eliminating a legal obstacle that could have delayed construction. A Sacramento County Superior Court judge approved an agreement that calls for the California High-Speed Rail Authority to further reduce the project's effects on farming operations, preserve agricultural land and provide additional compensation for landowners.

There's a short piece of Bay Area freeway, Interstate 380, named for Quentin Kopp, which is ironic considering that he's beaten the drum for public transit - specifically bullet trains - for years. But then again, he's always been a contrarian, as a Superior Court judge, a San Francisco supervisor and a state senator. He also headed the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The man nicknamed the "Great Dissenter" is dissenting now over the course of his beloved bullet train, created on paper in 2008 with a bond measure, Proposition 1A. Its prospects have been slowed considerably by lawsuits, the latest from the state itself, a preemptive bring-it-on legal action called High-Speed Rail Authority vs. All Persons Interested.

Gov. Jerry Brown's trade mission to China this week is intersecting with one of the most controversial issues of his governorship: California's $68-billion bullet train. The governor has staked part of his legacy on the rail network, a centerpiece of his vision for California. He is hoping that China, which is enjoying an economic boom and spent $77.6 billion on overseas investments last year, according to official figures, will pump some of its cash into the troubled project. Joins us at 9 a.m. as we discuss Brown's trip with Times reporter Anthony York.

So, the California High-Speed Rail Authority was wrong. The bullet trains from Anaheim and Los Angeles to San Francisco will not cost $34 billion as originally estimated, or $43 billion as the authority insisted just two years ago, but closer to $100 billion. Critics say the agency's new $98.5-billion estimate is low, and the authority admits it might go as high as $117.6 billion, but for sake of argument call the cost $100 billion. The authority is offering us less for more.

The top candidate to build the first 29 miles of California's bullet train in the Central Valley bid just under $1 billion, below the state estimate of the cost, project officials announced Friday. The California High-Speed Rail Authority said Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons, a joint venture of U.S. firms, submitted a bid of about $985 million and was ranked first out of five competitors. The team offered the "apparent best value" based on price and technical proposals, evaluators said.

The top candidate to build the first 29 miles of California's bullet train in the Central Valley bid just under $1 billion, below the state's estimates of the cost, high-speed rail officials announced Friday. The California High Speed Rail Authority said the Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons joint venture submitted a bid of about $985 million and was ranked first out of five competitors. The team offered the “apparent best value” based on price and technical proposals, officials said.