CALIFORNIA BRIEFING
Proposed high-speed rail projects in California can provide a competitive alternative to airlines, especially in the highly traveled corridors between the Los Angeles area and San Francisco, as well as between Las Vegas and southern parts of the state, a new study shows.
The research by the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., bolsters the argument for building the north-south California high-speed rail project and a so-called maglev or conventional rail system that would link Anaheim or Victorville with Las Vegas.
The study, which was released Wednesday, found that high-speed trains have time advantages over airlines for trips of less than 400 miles.
The study also found that the proposed rail systems would probably attract a substantial number of airline passengers who fly short distances.
Researchers said the corridors between the Los Angeles area and San Francisco, and the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas, are the two most-traveled short-haul airline routes in the nation, making them prime candidates for high-speed rail investments.
-- Dan Weikel
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