Poll: Californians reconsider HSR support
Written by Douglas John BowenA poll published Tuesday by the Sacramento Bee indicates declining support for California’s high speed rail proposal among the state’s citizenry, which voted to approve the attempt three years ago.
Growing reluctance to fund the nearly $100 billion, 700-mile plan reportedly cuts across party lines, the poll found.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority last month revised the estimated cost of construction up from roughly $44 billion for full build-out over a 20-year period. “These were supporters of high-speed rail to begin with,” poll director Mark DiCamillo said. “More than a third are now on the ‘no’ side.”
About 64% of those polled want the state legislature to call for a re-vote, and if such a move took place, 59% of voters say they would reject the $9.9 billion bond package used as the startup funding, the poll says. California Gov. Jerry Brown remains an ardent supporter of the project.
