(The Center Square) – After years of delays, the California High Speed Rail Authority has finally laid the first track in the long-awaited $135 billion high speed rail project that will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Members of the community and Gov. Gavin Newsom gathered in Kern County where the initial operating segment is taking place. Leticia Perez, chairwoman of the Kern county board of supervisors, said that this project is important for residents of California’s rural Central Valley, providing a 171-mile system from Merced to Bakersfield.
“What is represented today is a game changer, a transformative moment for the Kern County workforce – our access to UC Merced, our access to other parts of the state,” Perez said.
“As a resident of Fresno County, the high speed rail built right here in the valley has been a dream come true,” said Structures Superintendent Anthony Canales who has been working on the project since 2015. “This is not just a transportation program, it’s a transformation project.”