SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today announced it has met federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 requirements by fully investing the more than $2.55 billion granted to the State since 2009 to build the nation’s first high-speed rail system. These funds have helped to create thousands of new jobs and generated approximately $4 billion in economic activity in the Central Valley and across California.

“All of the ARRA funds for the project were spent prior to the statutory deadline of September 30, 2017 and thanks to these federal funds, thousands of people are working in good-paying jobs to build a new transportation system that will improve quality-of-life for generations to come,” said Dan Richard, the Authority’s Board Chair. “High-speed rail workers are also investing money back into their local communities, boosting local economies and generating up to $4 billion in new economic activity.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was enacted in 2009 to address the Great Recession by creating jobs, spurring technological development and building new infrastructure. At that time, the statewide unemployment rate was approximately 12.4 percent and 17 percent in the Central Valley. The Authority invested the federal funds in core program tasks, including advanced planning, design and environmental outreach with communities along the full Phase 1 system from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim. The funds helped advance construction over 119 miles in the Central Valley from Madera to north of Bakersfield with 14 active construction sites.

The results of this work include:

Over 1,400 craft laborers doing construction work
630 private sector firms working on high-speed rail
More than 400 small businesses, including 116 disadvantaged businesses enterprises and 45 disabled veteran businesses enterprises
100 percent of steel and concrete used in construction was made in America
Over 80,000 tons of construction materials recycled
55 grade separation projects in the Central Valley to improve safety

For more information, read the full Investing in California’s Future through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 report:

Investing in California’s Future through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act