Robert Cruickshank founded this site in March 2008 to fill gaps. There wasn’t a good, independent source of information online about high speed rail, and there didn’t seem to be any active grassroots advocacy for the project and Proposition 1A. During 2008 this blog played a key role in not only filling those gaps, but providing important facts, analysis, and arguments for California’s high speed rail project. In November 2008, California voters showed their support for high speed rial by approving Proposition 1A.

In some ways that was actually the easy part. Since November 2008, this blog has shifted toward a focus on project implementation. In several places along the proposed route, most notably in the Menlo Park-Atherton-Palo Alto area of the Peninsula, NIMBYs have emerged to try and block the project. They have allied with longtime HSR opponents and defenders of the status quo to spread disinformation designed to bog down and ultimately kill the project. This blog is determined to counter that disinformation and provide accurate and supportive information to ensure the HSR project is built as intended.

We also exist to provide public oversight for the project, to ensure it is built the right way. We believe in constructive criticism, not destructive fearmongering.

Follow us on Twitter @cahsr.

AUTHORS

Robert Cruickshank: A native Californian, Robert was born and raised in Orange County and educated at UC Berkeley. He now lives in Monterey, where he works as a progressive policy wonk and organizer. Robert is the Chairman of Californians for High Speed Rail. (The opinions offered on this blog are not those of CA4HSR unless specified in a given post.) Robert can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Rafael: is awesome.

Bianca: is our woman on the Peninsula.

Matt Melzer: should post more often.

Dennis Lytton: is a few blocks away from the Kodak Theater and Hollywood Bowl.  He spends about 40 hours per week in a dark control center filled with computers.  You can find him on the Facebook.

The California High Speed Rail Blog is a creation of Robert Cruickshank. The articles posted here are the opinion of their respective authors and no other entity. To contact Robert, send an email to his last name at gmail dot com.

Site layout and header image by The Smiths Design