A modest tax increase is at least better than a small program, which is what we are facing if the no-tax, sequester, governing-by-created-crisis madness continues to bleed a program that used to have bipartisan support.

California’s state legislature authorized the first sale of $4.6 billion of the $9 billion voter-approved 2008 Proposition 1A High-Speed Rail (HSR) bonds. That matches and commits the state’s $3.4 billion federal HSR stimulus grant.

Congress should make it easier to use private contractors, consortia or financing so that agencies can better develop the best strategies that work for them.

In July, Congress passed a new two-year bill – MAP-21. Highlights contained include an expanded TIFIA program as well as streamlined New Starts and project delivery processes.

While funding and technology integration remain key issues, some U.S. rail operators are looking to meet the 2015 Congressional deadline, including Southern California’s Metrolink, which aims to have its system in place by next year.

Some critics of the proposed California high-speed rail system have used the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office report, which recommended that the program not be funded, as its rally cry.

Several studies have come out showing that both developers and their potential customers are increasingly demanding walkable transit-accessible neighborhoods.