Taking high-speed rail from LA to San Diego makes no sense,
Let’s say I want to take a weekend vacation — see the Zoo and Sea World. I travel to downtown LA, having to take public transportation, which believe me is no fun. I get on the train, another form of public transportation which has it’s own irritations, and arrive in downtown San Diego. All this will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, compared to the 2 1/2 to 3 hours it would take to just hop in the car and drive.
So now I’m in San Diego. With no car.
You want me to rent a car when I have a perfectly good car at home that could have made the trip? You want me travel to my hotel and the zoo and sea world and restaurants and the shoreline by public transportation?
Are you nuts?
If you had a job that required travel from downtown LA to downtown San Diego, it would make a convenient, but expensive, commute. But how many people do that?
My guess is — none.
high Speed rail might make sense for a weekend trip to Vegas, where a large percentage of places you want to go are reached by the monorail or by walking. Outside of that, I can see no use for it.
All this will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, compared to the 2 1/2 to 3 hours it would take to just hop in the car and drive.
That's 5~6 hours for the round trip... up to 10 if traffic is heavy and congested.
You just wasted most of the day traveling in your car.
Take the high-speed train. You'll arrive relaxed and refreshed and on time without getting tied up in traffic. And still have plenty of time available to do whatever you went there to do.