From time to time, California Today readers have written to ask for an update on where things stand.

We checked in with Karen E. Philbrick, executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University, who has studied the plan and responded to questions via email.

• How is the work going?

Currently, construction is happening in the Central Valley with three construction packages awarded and executed to build the first 119 miles of the system.

• How does the funding picture look? And what’s the burden going to be for California taxpayers?

The funding picture consists of federal grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, California Proposition 1A funds (which are bonds that were voter approved), and cap-and-trade proceeds. The good news is that there has been a reduction in overall capital costs from $67.6 billion to $64.2 billion and this trend may continue.

• Some critics are calling the project a boondoggle that should be halted. What’s your take?

Work should absolutely continue. The state is growing quickly and our aging infrastructure can’t accommodate the concomitant population increase. It is simply not feasible to add more freeway miles or additional runways to airports like San Francisco International Airport. High-speed rail and transit alternatives are the answer to terminal gridlock.

• What does a Donald Trump administration mean for the project?

President-elect Trump has proposed a transportation plan that will fund the development of the nation’s infrastructure. But what that means on a state level, and to high-speed rail specifically, remains to be seen. We do know that Mr. Trump has “wondered” why the U.S. does not have such a system, which seems to be a positive sign.

• Besides faster trips, what are other upsides of the rail line?