The report on HSR from the Valley is that a route west of Highway 99 has been rejected by the Authority out of hand, because of "opposition from farmers." This just shows how politically mixed up this whole cockamamie project is.

The route in question, if the line is to go down the Highway 99 corridor at all, is clearly the best, and models what was done in Italy with their HS line. But it is not to be, because of the farmers. There is an irony here, as the citizens of Fresno and Merced have been outflanked by the hicks, and will be sorry if this hugely noisy, city-destroying train ever comes through their home towns. But they, in turn, outflanked the city slickers of Los Angeles and San Francisco, who voted to send the route by way of the Highway 99 corridor, when a direct route would have connected LA and San Francisco for far less expense.