Abstract
The California High-Speed Rail (HSR) project aims to transform transportation in the state. To understand the impact of this project as it “rolls out” across the state, this brief summarizes findings and insights from an analysis of HSR’s economic benefits across each of its planned phases. The analysis is based on a spatial economic model of the rail system model previously developed by members of the research team. This model captures the direct potential travel benefits, such as quicker and sometimes cheaper transportation, and wider economic benefits, such as higher wages and land values stemming from greater concentration of employment.
