Sacramento’s CBS affiliate reports:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday he’s abandoning a plan to build a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a project with an estimated cost that has ballooned to $77 billion. “Let’s be real,” Newsom said in his first State of the State address.
“The current project, as planned, would cost too much and respectfully take too long. There’s been too little oversight and not enough transparency.” The idea long championed by Newsom’s predecessor, Jerry Brown, is years behind schedule. The latest estimate for completion is 2033.
Gov. @GavinNewsom says he’s cutting off LA & SF ends of $77 billion California high-speed rail project but will complete the segment through the Valley to help region’s economic development https://t.co/fTV3BL3dp6
— Bill McEwen (@Fresnomac) February 12, 2019
Newsom says CA must fight “fear mongering” from the White House, and “must stand up for those maligned, marginalized, and scapegoated,’’ and for CA values. Cites #LGBT rights as an example. pic.twitter.com/H483yPNEp6
— Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) February 12, 2019
Gov. @GavinNewsom is scaling back California’s high-speed rail plans, saying the state should focus only on the Central Valley segment of the planned S.F. to L.A. train.@akoseff has more from Newsom’s State of the State: https://t.co/3EDkPcYnqj pic.twitter.com/95ehm6Ndwd
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) February 12, 2019