Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Rail

High-Speed Rail Looks Golden in a Good Night for Transit

1:23 PM EST on November 5, 2008


A promo for California's victorious Prop 1A touts the connection between high-speed rail and smart growth.

Last night The Overhead Wire's Jeff Wood gave a heroic play-by-play of several transit ballot initiatives, live-blogging results into the wee hours. The big-ticket item -- California's bond issue for a high-speed rail line spanning most of the state -- passed with about 52 percent of the vote. Plenty of other measures passed too, with notable exceptions in Missouri, where Kansas City voters rejected a light rail line, and St. Louis opted not to increase funding for transit operations and expansion.

New transit systems and expansions were approved in Los Angeles, Seattle, Honolulu, West Sacramento, Marin County, and Aspen. Voters in Milwaukee and Berkeley signed off on new funding streams for operations, while another measure in Berkeley that would have made it tougher to launch BRT lines went down to defeat.

In a press release, CALPIRG cautioned that the high-speed rail line is not yet a fait accompli:

This vote confirms California's commitment to building high-speed rail. Now California leaders must continue fighting for the project in order to start laying the tracks as quickly as possible. Before we spend bond funds on construction, Congress and private companies will have to match California's commitment to the train. We need that to happen quickly because this project cannot be delayed any longer.

Damien Newton has more on California's transpo ballot measures over at Streetsblog LA.

Video: California High-Speed Rail Blog

Ben Fried
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Carnage

Report: Road Violence Hits Record in First Quarter of 2024

Sixty people died in the first three months of the year, 50 percent more than the first quarter of 2018, which was the safest opening three months of any Vision Zero year.

April 25, 2024
Department of Sanitation

Street Sweepers Could Nab Illegal Parking Under State Bill

Smile for the street-sweeper!

April 25, 2024
Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines: The Way of Water Edition

The "Blue Highways" campaign wants the mayor to convert a downtown heliport into a freight delivery hub. Plus more news.

April 25, 2024
Delivery trucks

DOT Will Spend $11M to Boost Off-Hour Deliveries

April 25, 2024
MTA

Gotcha-Heimer! Anti-Congestion Pricing Jersey Rep. With a City Speeding Ticket Drove to Manhattan on Wednesday

New Jersey's most vociferous opponent of congestion pricing parked illegally and once got a speeding ticket.

April 24, 2024
See all posts