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The decision to start the state's high-speed rail network in the Bay Area, as opposed to SoCal, could boost the area's economy.
While the project will eventually need to connect to Los Angeles and elsewhere in SoCal to fully realize its benefits, the decision to start with the San Jose-Fresno-Bakersfield portion was driven mainly by high construction costs through the mountains and some political opposition in SoCal. Five parts of the system are already under construction or soon will be thanks to a nearly $10M state bond issue and $3.4M in federal funds, according to the San Francisco Business Times.
The added public transportation in the next decade could attract businesses, spur development and ease employee commutes into Silicon Valley from elsewhere. Trains will reach from San Jose to San Francisco using Caltrain's route, and the system is expected to be ready for riders by 2025. [SFBT]
