California High-Speed Rail: Is This the End of the Line, or Just a Minor Glitch?

Houston We Have a Problem (Again)

Alright folks Bill Gates here weighing in on this California high speed rail fiasco. When I first heard about it years ago I thought 'Finally a chance to use technology to solve a big problem!' But it seems like they've hit a blue screen of death if you catch my drift. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is raising eyebrows and rightfully so. He's basically saying 'Hey California you promised us a pony and all we're seeing are empty stables and a very confused horse.' The project seems to have violated the terms of the federal grant agreements. Nine 'broken promises'? Sounds like someone needs a Ctrl+Alt+Delete to reboot their planning process. Remember 'Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning'. Perhaps California should take that to heart.

Broken Promises or Just a Few Bugs in the System?

According to the Federal Railroad Administration's Compliance Review Report the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has allegedly breached terms outlined in its federal grants. Missed deadlines funding gaps and a general lack of adequate time and money. Sounds like a recipe for disaster! I've seen fewer bugs in Windows 95! The CHSRA spokesperson's response? 'We strongly disagree.' Well disagreement is fine but where's the concrete plan to fix things? I'm all for optimism but let's not confuse it with ignoring reality. As I always say 'Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.' Time for California to face the music and figure out how to get back on track – or you know on the rails.

Show Me the Money! (Or at Least a Realistic Budget)

These federal grants roughly $4 billion were supposed to help create a high speed rail service in California's Central Valley. Linking Merced and Bakersfield about 170 miles. Now even I a notorious optimist am starting to raise an eyebrow. The Feds are giving CHSRA seven days to provide an initial response and 30 additional days to dispute or risk losing its grant funds. That's less time than it takes to debug a particularly nasty piece of code! Acting Administrator Drew Feeley nails it with the 'poor planning' assessment. You don't say? I've seen more organized garage sales.

From Dream to Distant Memory?

The high speed rail efforts in California date back to 2009 with an initial $2.55 billion investment aimed at connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. Three hours between LA and San Fran? That's faster than dealing with LA traffic! But then Governor Newsom bless his heart scaled things back dramatically. Now it's just Merced to Bakersfield. The Central Valley project was projected to cost roughly $22 billion with a completion date set for 2033. At this rate my grandkids might be the ones riding it – if they haven't figured out teleportation by then.

The $22 Billion Dollar Question: Can They Pull It Off?

The report's conclusion is pretty blunt: 'At this rate CHSRA will never complete the CHSR System.' Ouch! That's the kind of statement that keeps project managers up at night. It's clear that serious changes are needed if this project is to have any hope of becoming a reality. Maybe they should hire a team of software engineers to optimize the logistics? I'm just saying a little code can go a long way. Remember 'Information technology is at the core of how you create products'. Maybe they are looking at the wrong information!

Time to Re evaluate and Re engineer the Process

This project needs a serious dose of reality. It's time for CHSRA to ditch the 'fake it till you make it' approach and focus on realistic goals transparent budgeting and efficient execution. Otherwise this high speed rail dream will remain just that: a dream. And I hate to say it but even I can't fund the entire project myself (though Melinda might have a few ideas). They need to be as transparent with their consumers and stakeholders as possible. Transparency is key! 'The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.'