Land = The Challenge for High Speed Rail

If funding & ridership isn’t the challenge to high speed rail, what is? Land

What specifically is the land challenge? No designated right of way

All well and good, let’s look at examples?

• California saw costs double to acquire right of way in San Joaquin Valley
• Texas, home to privately built high speed rail, is seeing challenges in acquiring right of way in 2 ways:
  • legal battles and the use of eminent domain
  • the use of eminent domain for “gain of private interests”
• Florida, the private investors behind the brightline line, are not acquiring right of way but rather are negotiating with Florida Department of Transportation and the Central Florida Expressway Authority to lease right of way access
• California to Las Vegas, private investment managed by Virgin Group, will run along the I-15 median and has leased right of way access from the California Department of Transportation

What to know. Want a successful path to privately building high speed rail? Follow in Virgin’s footsteps in FL & CA and lease from the state your right of way access

Governing | High-Speed Rail’s True Barrier Isn’t Money. It’s Space.