The California High-Speed Rail Authority just received environmental approval to connect downtown Los Angeles to the Bay Area with a bullet train capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, KTLA5 reported.
KTLA5 called the approval "a historic milestone in a state notorious for holding up construction projects for environmental review."
The California High-Speed Rail system is an ambitious project that has technically been in the works for decades, but it has progressed in fits and starts. Recently, however, construction began on several parts of the system. The initial segment, connecting Merced to Bakersfield in the Central Valley, could be open as soon as 2030, with much more to follow, KTLA5 reports.
High-speed trains can sometimes get you from point A to point B faster than planes when you factor in the time it takes to move through an airport, with security and boarding. They also produce less noise pollution, lessening their negative impact on surrounding communities. And they are, of course, much cheaper for consumers.
In addition, the high-speed rail system, if and when it opens to passengers, will be a huge deal for California residents, the quality of the state's air, and our planet. Studies have shown that high-speed rail is the most planet-friendly and efficient method of long-distance travel, producing far less planet-overheating air pollution emissions per passenger than cars or airplanes.
Unfortunately, the incredibly car-centric United States lags far behind many other nations — most notably, China — in high-speed rail. But as the California project shows, it is not too late to begin catching up.
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The recently approved section of the Bay Area-Los Angeles line will be "transformational for Los Angeles County, connecting Palmdale to Burbank in a way that's never been possible before," outgoing California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Brian Kelly said, per KTLA5.
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