This business plan has a sticker shock of 98 billion dollars for the full 800 mile project but much of this reflects adjustments for inflation with a longer construction window adding to the inflation. In 2010 dollars the final bill is between 65.4 to 75 billion.The reality is infrastructure is expensive. San Diego County has just released its proposed transportation plan up to 2050 with a 200 billion dollar budget. Of that 43 billion is for transit which includes almost 5 billion for commuter and intercity rail service in future inflation dollars. Los Angeles County is proposing to spend 40 billion dollars on 12 transit projects, most of them rail transit in the next 10 years with borrowed money and pay off the loans over 30 years with local sales tax money.
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