The Mercury News (Editorial, Jan. 25) suggested scrapping California high-speed rail, a short-sighted idea. Abandoning the bullet train would cost more in the long-term and result in decades of gridlock, economic decline and carbon emissions, which may have driven many of the state’s recent natural disasters.

California high-speed rail is an expensive project. As its costs rise above $70 billion, an audit is justified. But don’t forget that California’s population will grow to 50 million people by 2030. To move as many people as high-speed rail, expanding highways and airports would cost many times that $170 billion, if it’s possible at all.

Delays and cost overruns are a natural part of all infrastructure projects, especially in lawsuit-happy California. When projects to widen roads run into the same problems, how often has the editorial board of this paper called to stop them entirely?

This paper’s editorial board should join us and become a voice that supports California high-speed rail.

Andy Bosselman

San Francisco

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