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Director of California High-speed Rail Authority resigns

by Andrea Gemmet

Mehdi Morshed, the executive director of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, is stepping down at the end of March. On Jan. 7, Mr. Morshed, 72, sent his resignation letter to the board of the agency in charge of building a high-speed rail line from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Mr. Morshed has spent the last 11 years heading the rail authority. For much of that time, the high-speed rail project was in danger of being shut down, he said in his letter.

"During the past 11 years, the project was declared dead many times. Annually, we were prepared to close the office," he wrote.

Despite the delays, Mr. Morshed said that there is no doubt in his mind that California will soon have the first state-of-the-art high speed rail service in the nation. The passage of Proposition 1A, the $9 billion bond measure to fund part of the high-speed rail project, as well as President Barack Obama's support of national high-speed rail projects, will assure the construction of California's rail line, he wrote.

With his goal accomplished, he is stepping down and ending his 46-year career in public service, he said.

"For me, the past 11 years have been filled with frustration and exhilaration. Yet I would not trade it for anything else in this world," Mr. Morshed wrote.

Posted by Diana Nielsen, a resident of the Menlo Park: Downtown neighborhood, on Jan 13, 2010 at 7:23 pm

High Speed Rail....Well, how cozy. Now that Mr. Morshed has managed to completely set the Peninsula on fire with the High Speed Rail that will take dozens of homes along the peninsula through eminent Domaine, in order to build the tracks for the high speed rail, he steps down. Sickening. Thanks so much Mr. Morshed for your contribution to probably one of the most alarming threats of emminent domaine the people of the sf peninsula have ever been presented with.

Posted by R.GORDON, a resident of another community, on Jan 16, 2010 at 2:39 pm
R.GORDON is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online

What on earth makes you think that because he goes away, that a younger, more energized and futurist won't take his place?

I believe our Governor is determined to make this his most important contribution to California before leaving and if it means saving a State instead of some marbled home mansions, tough luck.