Of Course People Will Ride California HSR

On Friday, four years after California residents voted to fund a high-speed rail line from Los Angeles to San Francisco, the state Senate finally approved the release of billions of dollars for construction to begin. The Senate vote, which was by no means assured, came a day after the state Assembly passed the bill and just in time to meet a deadline attached to more than $3 billion in federal funding. If the state clears the remaining hurdles that stand in the way of the line's completion, the passage will stand as a significant event in American intercity transportation history.

Of course that is a rather big if. Even the biggest proponents of the system recognize any number of political obstacles that might delay or even deny the country's first dedicated high-speed rail line. Major questions remain as to how the later stages of the line will be financed. And some basic logistical matters, such as the route of the train, will be subject to intense legal debate.