California high-speed rail project under full evaluation as federal funding remains uncertain
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The new CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, Ian Choudri, spoke Tuesday night at Fresno City College.
He says 119 miles of rail are under construction, 50% of which are complete.
As of Tuesday, over 99% of the land needed to complete the project has been acquired.
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The latest timeline outlines a plan to begin building materials this year and start laying tracks as early as next year.
He says even as the project faces an internal review, progress will continue.
"We're trying to fix this in the flight, not that we're stopping anything. The reevaluation is a paramount effort that we are undertaking," said Choudri.
The rail project is constantly under review in Fresno's Chinatown, where business owners are coping with the ongoing construction.
Owners of Judging by the Cover Bookstore say they've had to adapt to road closures since opening in October, getting creative using delivery services to reach their customers.
While they're optimistic for the revitalization of the area, they're calling for more transparency.
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"I know they want to say it's coming, it's happening, but if it's slowing down, tell us. Being optimistic when it's not realistic is not helpful," said Ashley Morales Guerrero, co-owner of Judging by the Cover Bookstore.
Crews were out working Tuesday on an underpass on Tulare Street.
Ashley and Carlos Morales Guerrero say once it's finished, it will be a critical artery connecting downtown to Chinatown.
"People will be able to ride their bikes over here. People will be able to come and enjoy the food, bringing the downtown function just slightly over to the right, a little bit to Chinatown," said Carlos, co-owner of Judging by the Cover Bookstore.
Mayor Dyer says while Downtown and Chinatown have been devastated by private investors sitting on properties waiting for the rail to be built, he is not turning his back on the project.
"I see it as short-term pain to have long-term gain for our city," says Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.
Dyer says once the project is complete, the city will be a trailblazer and the first in the nation to have a high-speed rail stop.
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"I know there's been delays, there's been construction delays, there's been cost overruns, a lot of issues and problems with High-Speed Rail, but I'm willing to give it another chance because I understand the benefit that it brings to Fresno and the Valley," says Mayor Jerry Dyer, City of Fresno.
The rail project is billions over budget and years overdue. Choudri says it's also faced many setbacks, including challenges with land acquisition, utilities, and red tape. But now more than ever, it is at a crossroads as the Trump administration threatens to cut federal funding. Choudri says the federal partnership is necessary to get the project to the finish line.
"77% of the money came from California taxpayers. We do want to continue to look for opportunities to work with the federal government and continue to generate more funding," says Choudri.
Choudri says the latest evaluation of the project is expected to be released to the public by this summer, either by the end of June or July.
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