Published Thursday, July 2, 2009, by the San Francisco Business Times

Call to shift car plants to bullet trains

By Eric Young
eyoung@...

In one of his last acts as chairman of the state's high speed rail authority,
Quentin Kopp is proposing that shuttered auto plants be converted into bullet
train factories.

Kopp, a Bay Area judge who will remain a member of the state-chartered
authority, introduced a resolution Thursday encouraging U.S. and California
authorities to consider ways to make the switch.

Kopp said that as auto plants in Michigan, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio
and California are shuttered by auto giants like General Motors Corp., the
country has the opportunity to promote jobs through the construction of bullet
trains.

Just this week northern California appeared to be on the verge of losing its
only auto plant. GM said it would pull out of a joint venture with Toyota Corp.
in Fremont because the two companies could not agree on what model to build
there.

Kopp, who has been chairman of the high-speed rail authority for three years,
was one of the most vocal proponents of a bullet train in California. The high
speed rail authority proposes building a train that links the Bay Area with
southern California.

Federal transportation officials said California is one of two states that are
leading candidates to secure federal money for high-speed passenger-rail
service. "California and Florida are way ahead of the curve," U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last May.

The U.S. Department of Transportation in coming months will start awarding $8
billion under the economic-stimulus program to states with the most attractive
plans for building bullet trains or upgrading passenger rail service.

The state has almost $10 billion in money approved by voters last year and a
designated route. The state will need many billions of dollars more and expects
to tap private investors as well.

Curt Pringle, the mayor of Anaheim, is expected to replace Kopp as chairman of
the high-speed rail authority.