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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 10 March 2018

California bullet train costs soar to $77B; opening delayed

bumpy," the agency's new The ultimate goal is to con-
chief executive, Brian Kelly, nect San Francisco and Los
told The Associated Press in Angeles — and eventu-
an interview in advance of ally Sacramento and San
the plan's release. Diego — but the immedi-
The plan brought fresh fire ate focus is opening track
from critics who doubt the between San Francisco
project will ever be com- and the Central Valley, an
pleted. The last plan, pre- agriculturally dominant,
sented in 2016, estimated less-populated portion of
the project would cost $64 inland California.
billion and be open by Rail proponents say linking
2029. "Let's cut our losses the two areas would be an
and use the billions not yet economic boon, as hous-
wasted on (high-speed rail) ing costs are exploding in
to instead improve free- the San Francisco Bay Area
ways, highways and roads and the Central Valley is in
and perhaps improve ex- need of jobs.
isting rail systems through- That portion of track is now
out California," Republican set to be finished by 2029,
state Sen. Andy Vidak said. also marking a four-year
If completed, it would be delay, and significant chal-
the nation's fastest train, lenges remain.
carrying people between One is how to cross a sec-
the two major cities in less tion of mountains — a criti-
This photo shows one of the elevated sections of the high-speed rail under construction in Fresno,
Calif. The California High-Speed Rail Authority will release its latest business plan for the bullet than three hours. Kelly has cal segment to link Silicon
train, which has been beset by delays and cost increases, Friday March 9, 2018. promised to be more trans- Valley to the Central Val-
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) parent about the project's ley. Right now, the agency
challenges, including by doesn't have a detailed
By K. RONAYNE according to a business first gave it the greenlight in assigning costs to every po- plan or enough money to
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) plan released Friday. 2008. tential risk, such as trouble do that. The state is looking
— The projected cost of The two-year plan present- Among the challenges in acquiring land or securing to build from San Francisco
California's bullet train be- ed by the California High- the latest plan: A lack of environmental clearance. to the west edge of the
tween San Francisco and Speed Rail Authority pres- money and the difficulty While $77 billion is the base- mountains and from Ba-
Los Angeles has jumped to ents the latest setbacks for of weaving through moun- line cost estimate, the plan kersfield to the east edge
$77 billion and the open- a project that's been be- tain passes between Silicon estimates total costs could of the mountains by 2027
ing date has been pushed leaguered by delays and Valley and the inland Cen- be as low as $63.2 billion or before connecting the
back four years to 2033, cost overruns since voters tral Valley. "It's going to be as high as $98.1 billion. two.q

White nationalist's lawsuit against university set for trial

By DAN SEWELL the University of Cincin- nati area attorney who re- He spoke Monday at Michi- Ohio State pointed to
Associated Press nati campus. The school, cently took over the case, gan State University , where deadly violence in the
CINCINNATI (AP) — A fed- last October, agreed to said there had been settle- protesters far outnumbered Charlottesville, Virginia,
eral judge has set a trial let Spencer speak, and his ment discussions with the his audience during that rally last August in which
date in 2019 for a lawsuit tour organizers set a March university. The school didn't school's spring break. Spencer was a sched-
over an Ohio college's de- 14 date, which is during the immediately comment Fri- Spencer's side this week uled speaker, and his rau-
mand for a security fee students' spring break. day. dropped a federal lawsuit cous October appear-
from organizers of white na- But the lawsuit was filed in Spencer calls his views "alt- against Ohio State Univer- ance at the University of
tionalist Richard Spencer's January over UC's secu- right" as he advocates a sity over its refusal to book Florida, where authorities
campus tour. rity fee demand of nearly white "ethno-state" and him. The school said Spen- estimated security costs at
U.S. District Judge Susan J. $11,000 that Spencer's at- espouses anti-Semitic and cer's appearance posed $600,000.
Dlott scheduled a series of torney at the time called anti-immigrant beliefs. UC's a "substantial risk" to public He had also wanted to
preliminary pretrial dead- discriminatory and uncon- board of trustees public- safety and of disruption. speak at Kent State Univer-
lines in her order Thursday stitutional. The school later ly condemned hate last Spencer's lead tour orga- sity in May, but that Ohio
leading to a March 18 jury said that amount was a October while citing the nizer didn't respond to a school said he couldn't be
trial, which would be more "mere fraction" of its ex- fundamental right to free request for an explanation accommodated during
than a year after Spencer pected costs. speech at a public univer- of the decision to drop the the busy time at the end of
had planned to speak on James Kolenich, a Cincin- sity. OSU lawsuit. the school year.q