California bullet train project must be finished

It’s unfortunate that the Marin IJ editorial board chose to use its bully pulpit to advocate scrapping the high-speed rail system in California when it recently published the Bay Area News Group’s editorial (“End California bullet train boondoggle, once and for all,” Oct. 19).

Billions have already been spent on this project. It’s also unfortunate that it started in the least populated part of California instead of the corridor from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It should be finished.

The state wastes tax dollars on all kinds of boondoggles, but this is a project that will benefit many Californians. The replacement for the east span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge cost several times the original estimate, but we needed a bridge and, 25 years later, we got one.

I’ve had the pleasure of riding high-speed trains in Japan, where the experience is far superior to any airline. I boarded in city centers and got off in city centers, making it very convenient to ride without the hassle of going to the airport. I’ve also used the trains in Europe with the same positive outcome. For example, in Amsterdam, I walked toward the airport exit, went down a flight of stairs and was on the train in minutes.

California’s population is more dispersed than Japan’s or Europe’s but it can still be a much needed alternative to the airlines, which have conspired to make the experience of flying downright painful with excessive charges, cramped seats and long waits, as well as canceled and rescheduled flights.

We should all be writing to our legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom to advocate for funding to keep this project on track to be finished as soon as possible. I won’t live long enough to ride it to Los Angeles, but future generations will benefit from the forward thinking of today.

— Diane Lynch, Tiburon