Governor Schwarzenegger has recanted his earlier declaration that he would not, in fact, sign legislation designed to strengthen the verbiage of the high-speed rail measure on the November 4th ballot. (He had previously insisted against approving the bill until a state budget was signed, sealed, and delivered— we're two months overdue on that one, natch.) The new-and-improved language allows for the allocation of funds to guarantee that the line begins and ends at the Transbay Terminal; back in July, the High Speed Rail Authority's governing board gave official approval to the 200 mph train's route, choosing a path through Pacheco Pass that will ultimately function as a direct route from L.A. to S.F. The bill will also allow the state to haul in a panel of experts on high-speed rail systems in Europe and Asia to evaluate the state's construction plans. The 700-mile system is projected to cost $40 billion to complete.
· Calif. gov agrees to sign high-speed rail measure [Forbes]
· Thumbs Up On High Speed Rail Path [Curbed SF]
· Senate Says: We Want High Speed Rail! [Curbed SF]
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