Radio Rothbard California's Bullet-Train Delusion
May 8, 2025
William Anderson, a California economist and senior editor at Mises.org, critiques the state's ambitious bullet train project. He argues it disregards economic realities and faces insurmountable geographical hurdles. Costs have skyrocketed from $33 billion to over $135 billion, raising questions about its feasibility. Anderson highlights the political motivations and bureaucratic challenges complicating the project. He advocates for market-driven solutions to transportation planning, emphasizing the need to address actual regional demands instead.
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Origin of California Bullet Train
- Arnold Schwarzenegger originated the California bullet train project between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
- The route attempts to connect two major population centers across challenging geography and political enthusiasm for trains.
Geographic Challenges Limit Rail
- California's terrain makes a high-speed rail between northern and southern cities extremely difficult.
- Mountains and earthquake faults prevent a straightforward, viable bullet train route from being built realistically.
Bureaucracy Impedes Progress
- California's state-wide engineering projects face conflict with environmentalism and heavy bureaucracy.
- Permitting delays and opposition create logjams that slow or block infrastructure builds like the bullet train and water projects.