Another California train is late — and it’s not even high-speed rail

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Key points

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• The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project is costing taxpayers $3.6 billion.
• Just like the Individuals Mover wasn't ready in time for the World Cup.
• A commuter train through the San Fernando Valley might sound like a good idea.
• The California Post documented this week that the original opening date for the Valley rail is now "toast."

For context, a commuter train through the San Fernando Valley might sound like a good idea. But this is California, where nothing on rails is ever on track.

For context, the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project is costing taxpayers $3.6 billion. And – just like the LAX Individuals Mover, or the California High-Speed Rail Authority – it is late.

In practice, the California Post documented this week that the original opening date for the Valley rail is now "toast."

Originally, the light rail was supposed to be ready by next year. Now it won't be done until 2031, at the earliest, meaning it will not be available for the Olympics.

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Meanwhile, the Valley is the center of California car culture. So local authorities have a tough task in selling the new system to riders – especially when the first trains will arrive four years behind schedule.

For context, the difficulty with trains isn't just an LA thing. All throughout California, trains are in trouble, even where they produce sense.

San Francisco's BART and Muni train systems are suffering from a lack of riders – which is partly a lingering effect of those dreaded COVID lockdowns. It pushed individuals out of the city.

Who knows – there may be enough individuals who need to move back and forth along Van Nuys Boulevard to justify the massive amounts of time and capital being invested in the Valley light rail.

But there's a much cheaper option when it comes to expanding public transportation. It's called a bus. And unlike trains, buses don't need massive new infrastructure projects. Bus routes can additionally be changed overnight.

We're additionally entering a new era of self-driving, ride-sharing cars. It might be cheaper to invest in a fleet of Waymos than a new Trans-Siberian Railway.

Yes, trains are quicker – when you happen to be traveling exactly where the railway goes. Trains are additionally romantic – in the movies.

In reality, trains face a lot of challenges – including, on the LA Metro, a crime difficulty that became legendary before office-holders began to produce headway in fighting it.

California needs public transportation. But it needs methods that go beyond the locomotive. We're in the 21st century. Time for new ideas.

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For now, another California train is late – and it's not even high remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.