Los Angeles Engineering Jobs, Many Other Positions from High-Speed Rail
A nationwide effort to build high-speed rail lines in various states will help create Los Angeles engineering jobs and construction jobs, as well as hundreds of thousands of temporary and permanent positions throughout the state.
Officials recently announced that California will receive $2.34 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for high-speed rail projects. That is the highest amount of funding any state received from the $8 billion to be spread throughout the nation, although it is lower than the $4.7 billion the state asked for.
However, it will cost a total of $42 billion for California to build the 800 miles of train tracks, causing some critics to question whether the cost will be worth the end result. But state officials think the plan will help promote electric transportation, reduce emissions, cut down on traffic and create jobs.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority estimates that the project could create 600,000 construction-related positions and 450,000 permanent jobs during the next 10 years. ARRA terms state all stimulus funds must be spent by 2017.
During 2008, California voters approved a $10 billion bond measure for the high-speed rail project, meaning the state will not need to use money from its general fund. More help may come in the form of additional federal support and funding from local authorities and public-private partnerships.
According to an article by The Wall Street Journal, the rail authority hopes to begin construction on a path from Anaheim to Los Angeles by 2012 and complete most of the network by 2020. Once completed, it will take two hours and 40 minutes to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles, which is much quicker than the six hours it takes when traveling by car.
A total of four to eight segments could eventually run throughout California, from San Diego to Los Angeles, and north to Sacramento and San Francisco.
Overall, 12 other high-speed rail projects are slated to take shape throughout the country. So far, more than 30 rail-equipment manufacturers have agreed to help stock American facilities to provide supplies for the projects.