Questions for synonmouse - Why would you prefer an alignment down the West( Interstate 5 ) Side of the San Joaquin Valley ??? Because it's faster ??? What about the fact such a route would NOT serve 80 % of the valley's population ??? Would the residents of Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Merced, Visalia, et al, still be expected to help fund this project ??? I understand the idea of High Speed Rail is to get from point A to Point B as quickly as possible. I also understand that not all intermediate cities will be served regardless of the route selected, but why not go where the $upport might be ???