CAHSR Phase 1 Road Trip - Bakersfield, Hanford, Fresno, Madera, Merced - California High Speed Rail

A reminder that Bakersfield sued HSRA to have more control over the alignment, so direct all hate mail to City Hall.

In many ways I think that california high speed rail is a symbol of everything positive and everything negative about 21st century transit projects in the USA. And despite all the massive issues I still can't help but be very hopeful for the project, and hopeful for phase 1 as a whole from SF to LA. It was really cool to see the sheer scale of work being done in this video, thanks so much for this unique experience.

I think the biggest benefit of the initial operating segment won’t be for people traveling from one part of the valley to another, but rather as an efficient way to get from Fresno and Bakersfield to the waiting ACE and San Joaquins trains in Merced that can take them to the rest of Northern California. As mentioned in the video, the local Hanford-Fresno or Madera-Fresno connections won’t really be an local route upgrade, but rather a continuation of the level of local service currently run by San Joaquins trains (which will terminate in Merced rather than Bakersfield once CAHSR starts running). Of course, for longer trips involving ACE and San Joaquins transfers the value starts to come back for locals since it can take them further without driving. I also expect a fair bit of showing off to lawmakers in an effort to get funding for the rest since the entire Central Valley section in progress so far is being built to 250 mph design and 220 mph operational standards. Most Americans really haven’t experienced that kind of ground speed unless they traveled abroad to China. Not even trains in Europe run that fast.

I used to drive through Fresno on the CA-99 many weekends in a row for work, the reference to the 150% scale and alien race is spot on 😂. That is the exact kind of feeling I got, compared to the freeway structures immediately beneath it, it seems like some ancient race of giants left that thing behind.

11:32 the towns around Kings/Tulare are going to regret rejecting an HSR station in their town. The connection to LA and the Bay will be huge for economic growth in the Central Valley cities with HSR stations.

Great video! It's so cool that you drove the whole route! As a Fresno native, I appreciate you visiting my old hometown, derelict as it is. I was last there 2 years ago and frankly, it still looks the same as it did in 1979, just so much poorer. The city has great bones as you astutely noticed. I have high hopes for this station as Fresno's last best chance at revitalization, but that train has to get to the Bay Area for that to happen. Otherwise, Fresno and the other Valley cities will remain stagnant and poorer. OMG comparing Fresno Civic Center to the Aztecs was awesome!! But then you slayed me with the "disappointing, flaccid, dinky, afterthought of an arch" for the San Joaquin River bridge. I agree, that river deserves better. In fact, Fresno has designated that entrance from the river as one of the city's major gateways. The least they could have done was ask for a "gateway" design. Flaccid just seems appropriate. Did I see a pedestrian on the freeway at the San Joaquin River? Of course there was. It's Fresno. I never understood the need for a Madera station. I don't think it was originally going to have one. It's only 12 miles from north Fresno. Madera doesn't even have a hospital anymore. That is just an indication of how bad the economic situation is in the Central Valley. Hospitals struggle to stay open. Downtown Fresno lost it's last CVS and Walgreen's a little over a year ago. These used to be vibrant middle class cities with neighborhoods that looked like they were right out "Leave It To Beaver". It's just sad what's happened to those cities, even as California's economy exploded. As for those drivers who almost caused an accident, Bakersfield is #11 most dangerous city for driving and Fresno is #25 (LA ranks #31 for comparison) according to a US News & World Report study in 2023. The "Dangerous by Design" 2024 report by Smart Growth America ranks Bakersfield as the 4th most dangerous city for pedestrians in the US. Fresno ranks 7th. By comparison, LA is #30 (but Riverside/San Berdo is #12).

Thank you for the splendid video. Watching from the Netherlands, I hope that CHSR service from LA to SF will commence before my life ends. (I am 68.) I am particularly excited because I grew up in California. (Dutch, I returned to the fatherland after retiring from teaching at an international school in the UK (31 years!).) Keep up the good work!

As someone who lives in the Central Valley, I will use high speed rail a lot once it is extended outside the valley. Soooo probably not for a while

The fundamental question is will California High-Speed Rail benefit the Central Valley economically over its first 100 years of operation once completed. The rail line will provide millions of Californians fast connections at a dozen stations which is much more efficient that flying between each area. The Central Valley is deficient in reliable airports with Fresno Airport often shut down winter mornings due to Tule Fog. As one of the most economically depressed areas of California what better way is there to make improvements than to provide better transportation

This CAHSR progress is exactly why I was so happy to see the success of the Brightline project in Florida. Because the success of that project would help with the Brightline West project between Vegas and LA, which would then lead into the CAHSR lines

Calling out the Fresno slackers 😂😂😂

Nice to see what's happening out there without having to drive it myself. Thanks!

I'm a first time viewer - thank you for taking the time to drive the Phase 1 route. I'm a native Californian and spent quite a few decades in sales calling on offices in all the towns you've mentioned. Each one has it's own unique character and history - it's nice that you noticed the positive along with the challenges. It sounds like politics, rather than logic, influenced where some of the stations are going to be located. Or, with budget constraints, it may have been cheaper to bulldoze farmland than prepare a more logical location. I hope that they continue to build out the entire line so that we might actually have long-range public transportation system.

Your optimism is amazing. You’re supporting politician’s dreams. Wet dreams, actually.

Great video! It's a shame it's taking it's time but gotta have hope it will eventually be finished

Always love a good Brady Bunch special trip to Hawaii where they just happen to find a secret cave with a haunted idol reference. 70s TV writing was insane. Oh, and thanks for the insightful video as always! As a structural engineer, I find CASHRs choice of structures endlessly baffling. Perhaps it’s just embedded ways of working, but so many of these long viaducts could have been post tension precast concrete segmental. Instead they have an army of rodbusters hand placing rebar in-situ. Just seems insanely backwards.

Thanks for the update, you doing a great job, Dunlap CA, Fresno County.

I wonder if this HSR will have a mascot, somewhat like what Japan does. I propose the mascot be a bowl of stew

speaking of not doing much walking in fresno, I walked pretty much every segment shown in video here within the fresno city limits in the september heat 😂 lots of sunscreen and water were required

This is some high-quality CAHSR content. Thank you Mr. Stew.