California High-Speed Rail Board of Directors Meeting, February 16, 2023

1. Consider Approving the November 17, 2022, Board Meeting Minutes

2. CEO Report

4. Consider Providing Approval to Release a Request for Qualifications for the Rail Systems Engineering Services Contract

5. Finance and Audit Committee Report

[TomDooner]

8:17 - Public Comment
30:12 - Item #4 - Consider Providing Approval to Release a Request for Qualifications for the Rail Systems Engineering Services Contract
50:49 - CEO Report. Some highlights:
* Construction Package 4 scheduled for completion in June or July 2023. 96% of the right-of-way is in hand for the initial segment!
* Budget increasing by 38% to $35.3B due to inflation, scope increase, and contingency (1:02:25)
* Comparison of costs to other megascale projects (1:14:15)
* The "good news" slide, if you can call it that (1:22:40)
* The funding can hopefully be secured by receiving $8B from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which would only leave $2B unfunded.

2:17:36 - Finance and Audit Committee Report

[toniderdon]

It is very nice to hear that so many people support this awesome project, I hope you can complete it in the next few years!

[lucaspakele]

You should subdivide the track bar of the video into sections for easy tracking.

[toniderdon]

2:00 Do they have to do this? This feels so weird

[geoespar]

Well and good they have these meetings, but the truth of the matter as it concerns HSR no one seems to know HRS is still being worked on in the state. I’ve had discussions with people and they laugh and their response is that still being worked on? Instead of having these meeting with this exclusive group, invite high powered politician, the like the president, and senators to participate and promote HSR. I was flabbergasted when people thought HSR was dead. HSR needs better PR, because at the moment it’s not good people don’t know HSR is progressing from San Francisco to the Central Valley of California.

[darthmaul]

Let’s get high speed rail built. Let’s not have Mexico beat us to high speed rail

[LucidStew]

Just figured out they're still using 2031 and 2034 completions for YOE calculations on the Northern and Southern California segments respectively, both of which are essentially impossible. As such, the current $106 billion estimate should be treated as pure fantasy, with the $128 billion high estimate within the realm of possibility, but that's if they managed to get fully funded by 2030 or something like that, which isn't happening either. I'd currently estimate final cost of this being in the $140-156 billion range with completion between 2045 and 2050(this assumes it will be completed and 3% inflation)

[Davidpirate]

I am concerned about how the project will get funding AFTER it is built.
Relying on ticket fairs only will mean min-maxing the costs of service, maintenance and transportation with profits. I am not saying it will happen, it just naturally happens, it's why the New York Subway is known to be dirty, and BART is known to be unreliable.

The Rail authority should diversify it's revenue sources. Create malls, shopping centers, and offices inside and around stations, and lease those locations out. Getting profits from those locations, would naturally encourage business around the stations, and encourage CAHSR to improve service and maintenance to increase the value of the stores around the stations, which would increase lease values, and more profit.
We need to create business not just around the bullet trains stations, but inside them as well. Or issues like what the NY subway has and BART has are far more likely.

[peterrobinson]

2' 22"! Give me the Executive Summary!

[davidjackson]

How dare the authority threaten the FRA to not build the 50 mile extention without an $8 Billion grant.

[davidjackson]

These ridership numbers are unbelievable and full of falsehoods.

[davidjackson]

The misleading CEO presentation is purposefully deceiving. He uses the 5.6 million ridership for the whole state as a basis for the Central Valley ridership which is 1 million. He uses a false comparison with the Northeast Corridor. NEC population is 60 million. The Central Valley population is 4 million. The number of trains in the NEC are so much more than the Valley could ever have, yet these untruths project 50% higher ridership. This garbage must be called out. At most Valley ridership would be 2 million vs. 1 million now in the beginning not the bogus 18 million. Costs are more to replace old infrastructure in the Northeast. The only good ride will be non-stop at 220 mph in 45 minutes. That would be fun worth hundreds of dollars. After first year curiosity the lack of returning riders will be reality.

[davidjackson]

The disabled CAHSR must have more disabled people work on this system. Brilliant social project for no good.