There are many short- and long-term impacts on the California budget that affect taxpayers and social programs, but one with the greatest effect might be the California High-Speed Rail Project.
It is currently estimated that a route from Los Angeles to San Francisco will not be completed until 2040. In addition, the project will cost at least $100 billion, if not significantly more. By then, could high-speed rail technology be obsolete?
Autonomous electric vehicles will take over the roads, and soon they could be traveling on highways in unison, speeding along together at 80 to 100 mph.
This technology, known as “platooning,” will allow autonomous vehicles to link on highways, forming a convoy in which the cars are connected through automatic systems.
So if you want to stop to go to the bathroom or eat, just like pulling a cord on a bus, you can push a button, and your car will exit the convoy.
This technology is still evolving, but it will be completed well before 2040 and will probably cost hundreds of billions of dollars less.
Dr. Gene Dorio
Saugus
