ABSTRACT
Over the last half century, a number of proposals have been floated to build high-speed rail (HSR) in California. Some proposals aimed to connect the metropolitan areas of Northern and Southern California. Others were regional, serving heavily-used corridors in the southern part of the state or travelling eastward to connect Los Angeles with Las Vegas. Many of the proposals were never more than exploratory, while a few received serious attention from policymakers and investors. Eventually, however, each one was shelved – until the 1990s, when concern about congested transportation infrastructure and a new wave of growth led public officials to take another look.
