California passed the high speed rail initiative this November, which will have a total price tag in excess of $40 billion. The project won’t be completed until 2020. Meanwhile, it looks like the state of California is headed towards bankruptcy.

I propose here that by 2020 the high speed train will be obsolete, because we will have self-driving cars that are also emissions free. Highway efficiency will be greatly enhanced (traffic jams will be of a bygone era), accidents will be virtually eliminated, and the vehicles will move as fast as the high speed train on Highway 5, the main highway running between San Diego and Sacramento.

And, vehicles will be able to be rented on-demand from your mobile device (the rental vehicle will drive itself to you!). Wouldn’t you rather travel comfortably in a private, high speed pod car equipped with a big screen television and a minibar, than on a crowded train that runs on a schedule?

And, the solution is a bottom up solution vs. a massive public expenditure, which is a concept I hope we don’t lose sight of in the era of hundred billion dollar bailouts and “stimulus” plans.

I am updating this post as a result of a great question by Melissa in comments, who doesn’t think the technology will be real by 2020.  But, the technology for self-driving or robotic cars already exists. The DARPA Grand Challenge showed a robotic car successfully navigate an urban setting. Also, have you seen the parking assist feature on a Lexus LS 460? Basically, the car takes over and parallel parks for you. Also, the Lexus has pre-collision assistance, so the car will apply the brakes automatically, if you are unsafely approaching a car or other obstacle ahead.  See previous post here on Sharkride. So, I believe within 11 years there’s no question this technology will be perfected, and commercialized, and you will be able to sit back and watch the news or read a kindle from the comforts of your speeding pod car.