By Ralph Vartabedian | Los Angeles Times
Language of ballot measure at heart of lawsuits over California bullet train
California bullet train backers, opponents tangle over wording of ballot measure
Supporters of high-speed rail say spending, engineering conditions weren’t meant to be straitjacket
When California voters approved $9 billion in funding for a bullet train in 2008, the ballot measure included the strictest engineering and spending controls ever placed on a major state project.
Voters were told that the high-speed trains would hit 220 mph, get from Los Angeles to San Francisco in two hours and 40 minutes, operate without subsidies and obtain funding and environmental clearances for entire operating segments before construction.
