USDOT says it will evaluate the funding currently committed to the construction of California’s high-speed rail project, which has run years behind schedule and billions over its projected budget.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will “review” federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project, a decades-in-the-making rail line designed to connect the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles.
According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle by Rachel Swan, “The review would ‘help determine’ whether the money should ‘remain committed’ to the railway’s first segment between Merced and Bakersfield in the Central Valley, spokespeople for the U.S. Department of Transportation said in a news release, casting the future of the project in jeopardy.” In a press release announcing the audit, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the project “massively over-budget and delayed.”
The project has 171 miles of track already under construction in the Central Valley, where the first segment is expected to open. “In the coming years, state officials hope to link high-speed rail to two other bullet train lines – the High Desert Corridor in Los Angeles and the privately-owned Brightline West route from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga (San Bernardino County).”
The project gained approval for the final southern segment of its route from the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors in July of 2024 and was counting on a $3.4 billion federal grant to extend the line from San Jose to San Francisco.
FULL STORY: U.S. Sec. of Transportation to audit California’s high-speed rail project
Amtrak Expanding Service in California’s Central Valley
Amtrak is planning a major expansion to the passenger rail lines connecting the Central Valley and the Bay Area.
Federal Grants for Passenger Rail Top $8 Billion
The Federal Railroad Administration announced the grants to dozens of projects for expanding or building new rail corridors.
Starpower Hired to Design California High-Speed Rail Station
The planning, engineering, and design team will develop the first four Central Valley stations on the train line.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service