Report: Overhaul Needed For Calif. High-Speed Rail
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The state's independent analyst is calling for major changes to California's high-speed rail plans, including delaying the fast-tracked project and taking control away from the independent board that now controls it.
A report Tuesday by the Legislative Analyst's Office calls on lawmakers to reject $185 million in funding for the estimated $43 billion project, which is scheduled to start construction next year.
The report says oversight is inadequate to guarantee that the first phase linking San Francisco and Anaheim would be developed successfully, especially with the federal funding requirements that construction start soon and in the Central Valley.
Lawmakers should slow down the project, which is supported with nearly $10 billion in voter-approved bonds, and shift oversight from the High-Speed Rail Authority to the state Department of Transportation.
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