An attendee at a meeting questioned officials about the federal review of the long-delayed California high-speed rail project, saying the plan approved in February 2008 has seen costs grow from about $33 billion to an estimated $128–130 billion and that roughly $17 billion has been assembled through state bonds, two federal grants and carbon tax funds.

The attendee, identified in the record as Commenter 1, said the first segment — from Merced to Bakersfield and described in public documents as an "early operating segment" — had been shifted from the original San Francisco–Los Angeles scope and is now expected to open in February 2033. Commenter 1 said, "They hope to have it done by 02/1933, early operating, these people are funny," (the transcript records 02/1933; that appears to be a transcription error and is reported here as February 2033).

A government representative in the record, identified as Official 1, acknowledged the question and said the office had begun a review earlier in the year. "I appreciate the question, and I'd ask you to stay tuned on that," Official 1 said. He added, "I'm not opposed to high speed rail… but if we're gonna spend billions of dollars, I think the American people and the taxpayer expect that you're gonna build high speed rail." Official 1 also criticized the project timeline and scope, saying it was difficult to see a pathway forward after many years of work and substantial spending without completion of a high-speed track.

Discussion in the exchange focused on three factual points raised by the attendee: the 2008 approval of the project, the increase in projected total cost to roughly $128–130 billion, and the claim that about $17 billion in funding has been assembled from state bonds, two federal grants and carbon tax monies. The government representative did not provide a detailed accounting of cumulative spending during the meeting, but said the agency was conducting a review of whether further federal funding would meet expectations.

No formal motions, votes or decisions on funding were made during the recorded exchange; it was a question-and-answer segment in which the attendee pressed for results and the agency representative said more work and reporting would follow. The record does not identify which specific federal grant programs or state bond measures supplied the $17 billion mentioned by the attendee.

Background: The California high-speed rail project was approved by California voters in February 2008, originally to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. Public materials and project presentations have since described an initial operating segment in the Central Valley between Merced and Bakersfield; proponents and critics have debated the project's cost, scope and schedule in numerous public forums and reviews since its approval.

Looking ahead, Official 1 said the review that was begun earlier in the year would continue and invited observers to await its findings. The transcript does not include a timeline for completion of that review or a detailed breakdown of historical expenditures.