Despite it all, we must get on with rail

High-Speed Rail Authority has decided phase one, now let's get the project built across state.

Where do we go from here?

The first phase of high-speed rail is not going to be starting in Merced, as we had hoped.

The California High Speed Rail Authority made the decision Thursday they are going ahead with the Borden-to-Corcoran segment its staff had recommended the day before Thanksgiving and will build the first station in downtown Fresno, 60 feet in the air.

The reaction was swift and varied among Valley lawmakers.

Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, within minutes of the decision, issued this statement that said in part: "This is not a good day for California or this project."

Merced Mayor Bill Spriggs said, "Our concern is that we will be left out for a long, long time."

But Cardoza's colleague and fellow Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno praised the decision.

Construction is expected to begin by September 2010 on this 54-mile leg of track.

The $4.3 billion in federal and state money allocated for this part of the project is expected to generate 83,000 jobs.

And that's going to be good for Merced, said Assembly member Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston, has more invested in this project than anyone since she wrote the legislation that got the Proposition 1A on the ballot in November 2008. This was no easy feat since it required a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the Legislature. And was passed handily by California voters.

Galgiani said she was generally pleased because the 83,000 jobs coming exceed the population of Merced. She urged anyone "who's presently a member of one of the labor unions or in the construction field" to be prepared to get to work.

Commuting 50 to 60 miles daily from Merced to Fresno to a good-paying construction job isn't a bad deal.

The authority had to make its decision this month because its grant application must be submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration by Dec. 31 to finalize the nearly $3 billion in stimulus and railroad funds. That will be matched by state funds from the Proposition 1A bonds.

To complete the entire high-speed rail system from San Diego to San Francisco, and finally to Sacramento, will take a long, long time, probably until 2020 and is expected to cost $45 billion in federal, state and private investment. But that's only 10 years.

Now's the time to think about training the work force for the next decade.

Daniel Hirleman, dean of the UC Merced School of Engineering, wrote an op-ed piece here Tuesday in which he said plans are under way to train engineers to build the high-speed rail system. Even the Engineering Academy at Buhach Colony High School is starting to turn out students with a background in engineering to pursue in college or the work force.

Now, Merced College needs to step up with classes to prepare students for high-speed rail jobs.

Authority board member Ron Diridon of San Jose said he is going to pitch these ideas to "salve the wounds" for Merced and Bakersfield when the board meets in January:

Allocate $2 million for environmental studies in Merced and Bakersfield.

Affirm that Merced's Castle site remains under consideration for the heavy maintenance facility.

Ensure that work on the "Chowchilla Y," where the trains to the Bay Area would connect to the Valley, be another early investment after work begins on phase one.

This may help us to get over our disappointment on the way this is starting out. The next decade will go by quickly, and before you know it, we'll be flying up and down the tracks at 220 miles an hour.