The Trans-Continental Railroad, built between 1863 and 1869, was a similar ‘boondoggle’........................
I’m always cautious about people who are too quick to denounce an idea as a ‘boondoggle’ as opposed to making a rational and reasoned argument in opposition to the idea.
CAHSR as proposed by the French back in the 1990’s would have been a great idea. They were going to build it on mostly state-owned land or cheap land on the west side of Interstate 5 and the plan was for a 90 minute trip from SF to LA.
They would build it, pay for it, and run it for 50 years and then give it to the state of California.
Southwest Airlines successfully lobbied to kill that idea and then the Democrats saw an opportunity to grift untold billions from the taxpayers and thus the High Speed Fail Authority took shape.
Now they’re looking at a four hour trip from SF to LA if it ever gets built.
May as well fly.
Just six years to go across an untamed wild continent…and CA can’t build one train inside CA in 25 years!