While planners and policymakers wait for breakthroughs in fueling technologies, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from aviation will require shifting trips from the air to less GHG-intensive modes of transportation. The California High-Speed Rail project can serve this function, but funding for the full route of the Phase 1 segment — spanning from Southern California to the San Francisco Bay Area — remains unallocated. In light of the high-speed rail project’s precarious funding status, more information is needed about the potential benefits of the proposed rail network, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated uncertainty around future travel demand.
