10 years ago, every major politician in California trotted down to Fresno to break ground on the state’s first high-speed rail project. The ambitions for Fresno have been large. But while the project has hit some success despite the several obstacles, it’s over a decade behind the initial schedule projections, without a clear timeline to connect Central Valley residents with the Bay Area or LA.
The stakes for the project couldn’t be higher right now. The Trump Administration initiated an audit of the project last month. And state leaders are not yet locked in on whether high-speed rail is guaranteed money as they discuss renewing California’s tax on polluters, or cap and trade.
We need to talk about it.
On Tuesday, April 22, join us in an evening discussion with:
- Ian Choudri, CEO, California High-Speed Rail Authority
- Jerry Dyer, Mayor, City of Fresno
- Dr. Joaquin Arambula, Assemblymember, California State Assembly
- Yousef Baig, California Voices Editor, CalMatters
- Dr. Carole Goldsmith, Chancellor, State Center Community College District
The discussion will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Fresno City College, Old Administration Building Auditorium. RSVP to reserve your seat here. Parking is free after 6 p.m.
Earlier that afternoon, we’re pulling together community leaders to go into what we’ve learned from the project so far.
Creating a More Equitable Economy Through High Speed Rail
Tuesday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. at Sun Stereo Warehouse (RSVP here)
Featuring:
- Dillon Savory, Executive Director, Central Labor Council
- Martha Espinosa, Deputy Director, Fresno Workforce Connection
The Future of Fresno’s Chinatown
Tuesday, April 22 at 2:15 p.m. at Sun Stereo Warehouse (RSVP here)
Featuring:
- Morgan Doizaki, Owner, Central Fish
- Meg Cederoth, California High Speed Rail Authority
- Veronica Stumpf, Stumpf and Company Real Estate
We’ll discuss what the high-speed rail project means for Fresno – and what its future holds. Could it still transform downtown, or our economic prospects? Can we still finish the project, even if the funding is uncertain? How can the project get built faster? What needs to happen to make sure Fresno residents benefit from a faster rail connection outside of the Valley?
