The High Speed Rail Authority has already upped the estimate from a voter approved $33.6 billion to $42.6 billion. And they haven't even broken ground.
Big government programs like this almost always have cost over runs. So the real question is, what will this really cost us. Take a look at some similar (though decidedly smaller) programs:
- The Big Dig in Boston, estimated at $6 billion, ended up at $22 billion.(read more)
- The Bay Bridge replacement, started at $780 million, currently estimated at $6.3 billion. (read more)
- Denver International Airport, originally promised to cost $1.7 billion, cost $5 billion. (read more)
The bottom line is that the high speed rail in California will doubtless cost far far more than the $42 billion we're hearing about now.
