November 3, 2015 - WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) today requested a series of reports detailing the expected delays and cost overs for California’s high speed rail project after reporting in the Los Angeles Timesrevealed that the California High Speed Rail Authority (Authority) had been notified of delays and cost overruns it has not shared with the public.
In a letter to Gregory Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of Parsons-Brinkerhoff (PB), Rep. Denham noted that Ralph Vartabedian’s October 24, 2015 Los Angeles Times story referenced numerous reports completed by PB which included projected cost increases. According to the Times, the Authority was briefed on a new cost estimate for the project by PB in October 2013, but “used a lower cost estimate when it issued its 2014 business plan four months later.” The Times also notes that PB issued a warning to the Authority in 2012 that their plan to tunnel through the Tehachapi Mountains may be more costly and complicated than previously predicted. This report has been hidden from the public despite a request under California’s public records act.
Rep. Denham wrote, “We have long warned that the Authority is not being honest with the public about the true costs of constructing High Speed Rail in California. It is alarming that the Authority’s lead consultant would raise warnings with the Authority that would subsequently be hidden from the public.”
“After the initial overruns, the $33 billion project ballooned to $100 billion,” said Rep. Denham. “Voters who approved of the version of the project in Prop 1A lost their routes to Sacramento and San Diego. After the latest round of added costs and slowed times, what will the Authority cut this time?”
The letter was also signed by Reps. Ed Royce (CA-39), Devin Nunes (CA-22), Paul Cook (CA-08), Mimi Walters (CA-45), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48), Darrell Issa (CA-49), Steve Knight (CA-25), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Duncan Hunter (CA-52) and Ken Calvert (CA-42).
Full text of the letter can be found here.
Source: Representative Jeff Denham
