The Pros And Cons Of The First Blanket Train In The United States

The first rail line in the United States is set to be built in California (the most populous state.) In 2008 residents of the state voted for the nation’s first bullet train to be built. Since the building of the train got approved there has been many questions regarding the cost, the route and the disadvantages of the train. The residents in California are aware that the train will help the state in many ways, but also bring some problems. Many people will benefit from this project, but there are also those who will be affected in a negative way. Having the bullet train project approved has been a long process and has been on the governments mind for a while. In 1996 The California High Speed Rail Authority was established and began planning
and designing the train. Not until 2008 was the bullet train voted to actually be built. The train is estimated to cost $68 billion dollars, and when it was approved for construction there was $9 billion authorized to go to the train from state bond funding. In 2012 the California legislature took over $4 billion in state bond funds. The bullet train will be the largest way of transportation to be ever built in the nation. Construction for the train will be in phases. The first phase is currently being built from north Fresno to north Bakersfield. The 130-mile-long path is expected to be completed by 2017. The second phase is to be started in Merced and run all the way to San Fernando Valley, making the path 300 miles long. By the year of 2026, it is estimated that 410 miles will be connected from San Jose to San Fernando. In 2019 when the train is expected to be complete the train will run from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The first construction phase is predicted to cost $6 billion. The California High Speed Authority has only secured less than $15 billion for the building of the train. The project is relying on investments of state, federal and private funds to pay for the rest of the expenses. Bullet trains have been built all over the world and have been a successful investment. The most commonly known bullet train is the one in Japan. It is one of the fastest train that exists. The train helps people in Japan by providing them with jobs and by helping the economy. The train connects almost all cities in Japan so many people use the train since it is faster and easier to get around. It also keeps cars out of the highways which makes the environment stay clean. Many of the people who travel by train find it better than to travel by car or airplane. The building of the train will help many and hurt others.
It will allow locals to travel across the state of California in a cheaper and faster way. The train will travel at approximately 220 mph making the trip half the time. It will also help cut pollution from smog filled roadways. The building of the train will be an investment that will help many in the state. President Barack Obama states that “… building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding an already overburdened aviation system-and everybody stands to benefit.” (Klein, pg. 3) The state of California will profit from the making of the train and will allow jobs to be created. Workers will be need to construct the train. People will be needed to completely design and operate the train. As long as the train is running there will always be help needed to run the stations. Officials say design and planning already has created 632 jobs, and that the workforce will rise to 20,000 over the next five years. (Smith, par. 11) The construction is starting in Fresno and is affecting farmers, business owners and locals because their land will have to be used for the train to travel through. Although there are many benefits to the bullet train there are also negative effects that affect locals near the construction sites. The train will have to go through farm land and private property and the locals are not happy about it. Business owners will have
their restaurants and stores torn apart because the train will need to travel through the land. A restaurant owner who had his business for over 45 years says, "I just wish it would go away, this high-speed rail. I just wish it would go away," (Williams, Par. 5) Farmers will have to find new ways to water their crops because the train will travel right through their land. The bullet train is a great investment that will help many but also destroy people’s lands.