>> THIS IS THE CEDAR AVENUE
VIADUCT THAT CROSSES OVER TOP OF
CEDAR AVENUE AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, HIGHWAY 99.
MAX: THIS BRIDGE IS ARGUABLY THE
MOST VISIBLE PIECE OF HIGH-SPEED
RAIL CONSTRUCTION IN CALIFORNIA.
>> I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, FOR
PEOPLE WHO DRIVE BY HERE ON 99,
IT'S THEIR FIRST GLIMPSE OF
HIGH-SPEED RAIL BECOMING A
REALITY HERE IN FRESNO.
MAX: HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY
OUTGOING CEO JEFF MORALES SAYS
THIS VIADUCT IS ONE OF THE
PROJECT'S TALLEST POINTS IN THE
CENTRAL VALLEY.
>> WE'RE ABOUT 50, 60 FEET UP
HERE ON THIS AND WHERE WE'RE
STANDING IS WHERE THE TRACK WILL
BE.
WE'LL HAVE TWO TRACKS RUNNING
RIGHT HERE.
MAX: ON THOSE TRACKS, TRAINS
CAPABLE OF HITTING 200 MILES AN
HOUR.
AND WHEN THEY REACH FRESNO,
THEY'LL END UP HERE.
>> THIS WILL BE THE FIRST HIGH
SPEED RAIL STATION NOT ONLY IN
CALIFORNIA, BUT IN THE U.S.
MAX: BUILDERS ENVISION A BLEND
OF HISTORY, AND HIGH-TECH WITH
THE CONVERSION OF THIS
HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD SOUTHERN
PACIFIC DEPOT.
>> WE'LL HAVE DESIGNERS WHO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT AND
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OLD
HISTORIC STRUCTURE BUT TYING IT
IN WITH THE NEW.
MAX: BACKERS BELIEVE IT COULD
BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO DOWNTOWN
FRESNO.
>> IT'S BRING DOWNTOWN TO LIFE
AGAIN, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO
ATTRACT MORE CUSTOMERS.
MAX: WITH THE $20 MILLION FULTON
STREET PROJECT WRAPPING UP AND
OTHER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
PLANNED, SOME RESIDENTS SEE THE
HIGH SPEED RAIL AS A MAJOR
ECONOMIC BOOST.
>> I HOPE THAT SOME OF THE NEW
RENOVATIONS WILL BRING ACROSS
MORE BUSINESS TO THE LITTLE
SHOPS HERE THAT NEED TRAFFIC
COMING IN AND OUT.
MAX: AND ONCE TRAINS ARE UP AND
RUNNING, THOSE CUSTOMERS COULD
COME FROM FAR OUTSIDE THE
CENTRAL VALLEY
>> TODAY IT TAKES ABOUT THREE
AND A HALF TO FOUR HOURS TO GET
TO SILICON VALLEY, DRIVING,
WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY
WAY YOU CAN GET THERE.
IT'LL BE ABOUT 45, 50 MINUTES ON
THE TRAIN.
THAT'S JUST A GAME CHANGER FOR
THIS AREA.
MAX: MORALES ESTIMATES ALL THIS
CONSTRUCTION WILL CREATE 1000
JOBS ACROSS 11 CENTRAL VALLEY
SITES WITH 80% OF THE WORKERS
COMING FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
FRESNO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CEO
NATHAN AHLE SAYS MANY AREA
WORKERS ARE ALREADY ON THE
PAYROLL.
>> THEY'RE BUILDING TRESTLES AND
BRIDGES AND DOING ALL OF THE
INITIAL GROUNDWORK WHERE THEY
START TO LAY TRACK BETWEEN HERE
AND MADERA, AND THOSE
CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE ALREADY
UNDERWAY.
MAX: AND THERE ARE EVEN MORE
JOBS DOWN THE ROAD FOR WHICHEVER
CITY GETS THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL'S
BIG MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
>> THAT WOULD MEAN THOUSANDS OF
JOBS.
THOSE ARE GOOD, WELL-PAYING
CONSTRUCTION AND
MAINTENANCE-TYPE JOBS, AND WE'RE
HOPING TO HEAR ABOUT THAT BY THE
END OF THE YEAR.
MAX: IF EVERYTHING STAYS ON
SCHEDULE, THE FIRST TRAINS WILL
ROLL OUT IN 2025 OFFERING
SERVICE FROM SAN JOSE THROUGH
THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
BY 2029, THE HIGH SPEED RAIL
AUTHORITY EXPECTS TO BE RUNNING
FROM SAN FRANCISCO DOWN TO LOS
ANGELES, AND ANAHEIM.
EVENTUALLY, HIGH-SPEED RAIL
WANTS TO SEE 12 TRAINS RUNNING
EACH HOUR.
THAT IS THE VISION THE BRIGHT
FUTURE PROMISED AND PROMOTED BY
BACKERS OF CALIFORNIA'S
HIGH-SPEED SYSTEM.
BUT THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS.
EDIE: OF COURSE THAT SOUNDS
GREAT, BUT ALSO WE KNOW THERE
ARE CONCERNS.
MAX: NOT EVERYONE IS ON BOARD.
THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE
HIGH-SPEED RAIL STORY.
CRITICS WORRY ABOUT THE COST,
AND PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THE
PROJECT ARE LOSING LAND, HOMES
AND BUSINESSES, AND SOME OF THEM
ARE FIGHTING BACK.
THE VISION -- MAKING IT BY TRAIN
FROM THE BAY AREA TO SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA IN WHAT MIGHT AMOUNT
TO THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
>> TOP SPEED WE'RE DESIGNING FOR
, 220 MILES AN HOUR.
WE WON'T DO THAT EVERYWHERE
OBVIOUSLY, BUT TRAINS WILL GO AS
FAST AS 220, WHICH IS RIGHT AT
THE LEADING EDGE OF WHAT'S BEING
DONE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
MAX: THE REALTY, SLOWLY COMING
INTO FOCUS, AS CONSTRUCTION
INTENSIFIES ACROSS THE CENTRAL
VALLEY.
>> WE'VE GOT, AND WE'RE STILL
VERY MUCH IN THE RAMP UP PERIOD
OF CONSTRUCTION, GOT ELEVEN
MAJOR SITES UNDERWAY AND THAT'S
GOING TO MULTIPLY OVER THE
COMING MONTHS AND YEARS.
MAX: AND IN ORDER TO DO SO, THE
HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY NEEDS
LAND, LOTS OF IT.
AS OF MID-APRIL IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY ALONE, HIGH-SPEED RAIL
REQUIRED THE PURCHASE OF 1711
PIECES OF LAND WITH 1118
PURCHASED SO FAR.
OF THOSE, 454 RESULTED IN
EMINENT DOMAIN SUITS.
SOME HAVE BEEN SETTLED.
OTHERS ARE STILL BEING
NEGOTIATED.
AMONG THOSE TAKING ON THE STATE,
FARMER JON TOS.
>> GOVERNOR BROWN IS BENT ON
DOING THIS, AND SO IT'S A TUG OF
WAR, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TUG OF
WAR.
WHO'S GOING TO OUTLAST WHO.
I'M SURE THE GOVERNMENT'S GOING
TO OUTLAST INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE,
BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY.
MAX: THE ROPE JON AND THE STATE
TUSSLE OVER SEEMS TO BE
SHORTENING, AT LEAST, ON HIS
END.
>> ORIGINALLY THEY WERE GOING TO
TAKE SIX PARCELS AND THEN IT WAS
SEVEN, AND LAST WEEK WE FOUND
OUT THAT THEY WANT ANOTHER ONE.
SO NOW THEY'RE TAKING EIGHT,
EIGHT DIFFERENT PARCELS.
MAX: THOSE PARCELS, FILLED WITH
FRUITS AND NUTS, RANGE IN SIZE
FROM JUST A HALF-ACRE TO 40
ACRES.
>> ON MOST OF THESE PROPERTIES
WHERE THE RAIL IS COMING
THROUGH, IT'S GOING THROUGH ON
AN ANGLE, AND IT JUST DISSECTS
THE PROPERTY.
IT'S LIKE THE RAIL GOING THROUGH
YOUR HOME, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE CUT
YOUR HOUSE IN HALF AND THAT'S
PRETTY HARD TO MANAGE AND THAT'S
WHAT'S HAPPENING TO US.
MAX: IN ALISA GOMES' CASE, HIGH
SPEED RAIL DOESN'T FIGURE TO
DIVIDE HER HOME, IT FIGURES TO
TAKE IT ALL OF IT AND THEN SOME.
>> OUR KIDS PROBABLY SEE US AS
WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
THIS AND SEEING US LIKE THIS,
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH
IT TOO.
MAX: THE GOMES FAMILY STANDS TO
LOSE THEIR TWO-ACRE LOT IN
CORCORAN, FIT WITH A SEPARATE
WORKSHOP AND ROOM FOR LIVESTOCK
ANCHORED BY THIS 3400 SQUARE
FOOT, SIX BEDROOM, FOUR BATHROOM
HOME.
>> THE APPRAISAL THAT THEY GAVE
US FOR THE HOME, ALL THE
IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE MADE AND THE
SHOP, WAS $4000 MORE.
SO, IT WAS PRETTY FRUSTRATING.
MAX: AT SOME POINT, THE FAMILY
OF SIX WILL HAVE TO MOVE.
BUT ALISA SAYS THE RELOCATION
OFFERS DON'T BEGIN TO COMPARE.
>> THEY'RE GIVING US OFFERS ON
HOMES THAT ARE IN SUBDIVISIONS
ON LIKE A QUARTER OF AN ACRE.
WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BUILD A
SHOP?
WHERE ARE WE GOING TO KEEP OUR
ANIMALS?
AND SO WE FEEL THAT THE
RELOCATION OFFERS THAT THEY HAVE
GIVEN US AREN'T COMPARABLE AT
ALL.
MAX: SO LIKE JON, ALISA'S FIGHT
PLAYS OUT IN COURT WITH A
RESOLUTION THAT'S STILL OUT OF
REACH.
>> WE HAVE BEEN TO COURT
PROBABLY FIVE TIMES, TWO IN OUR
CASE AND THREE WHERE THEY'RE
TAKING US TO COURT, AND I DON'T
FEEL LIKE WE'RE ANY CLOSER TODAY
THAN WE WERE A YEAR AND A HALF A
GO.
MAX: THE STATE HAS SPENT MORE
THAN $3 BILLION ON HIGH-SPEED
RAIL.
MAKING THIS WORK COULD COST
UPWARDS OF $64 BILLION.
KELLIE: IT IS NICE TO REALLY SEE
IN PERSON HOW IT AFFECTS
PEOPLE'S LIVES.
THIS IS ONE OF GOVERNOR BROWN'S
PET PROJECTS.
IS HE STILL AS OPTIMISTIC AS HE
WAS IN THE BEGINNING?
MAX: HE SAYS HE IS AS OPTIMISTIC
AS EVER.
WE SPOKE WITH THE GOVERNOR