Editorial: High-speed rail will bring sustainable future

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
By Editorial Board

Last week, the Editorial Board voiced our support for timely construction of a high-speed rail line through California in accordance with the proposition that voters approved in 2008. Recently, the federal government provided a boost to California’s plan by announcing $2.5 billion in support of this plan. Despite the substantial institutional support for this project, there are several community organizations throughout California that have expressed their reservations about going through with this plan. Those in opposition claim that high-speed rail authority has overestimated the projected ridership on these rails, and are increasingly skeptical of the proposed project’s profitability.

The Editorial Board also has concerns about what this project will hold for the short-term financial stability of California, but we reiterate that the object of this rail is not profitability but rather creating an efficient and sustainable mode of transportation for California. One of the greatest challenges facing the United States today is its heavy dependence on oil, especially foreign oil. This is a problem that has deep a environmental as well as economic impact on us all, and this project is a unique opportunity to decrease this dependence.

Comparing the energy required by each mode to carry a passenger one mile, a California high-speed train needs only about one-third of the energy required by an airplane and roughly one-fifth of the energy required by a commuter automobile trip. Proper implementation of this rail project can reduce the vehicle miles traveled in the state by 2.3 percent and reduce approximately 12 billion pounds of CO2 emissions, according to the High-Speed Rail Authority of California. This will mean long-term sustainable advancement for California, which will be merely a byproduct of a more convenient mode of transportation.

In order to construct this rail, the greatest challenge facing the state is building new railing that is fitted for a train running on electric power, and not the gasoline diesel trains that currently operate throughout California. There are many different ways to provide power to this project, and the state can utilize solar and wind power to operate these trains. Investing in these alternate power sources is an investment in our state’s future as well as the future of this planet. We remain confident that the citizens of California are among the most progressive people in the world. We are confident that the people of California will take this opportunity to join the rest of the world in revolutionizing their transportation model.