(Angela Greenwood Reporting)
Construction on the high speed rail project is scheduled to being this summer, but many concerns being raised could stall that start.
Construction on the high speed rail project is scheduled to being this summer, but many concerns being raised could stall that start.
Lawmakers met with the project chairman in Madera County on Tuesday to ask about the status of the project and the impact it could have on the state.
The first stage of the rail is slated to run through Madera County, cutting through local farms.
Some say this will boost the local economy, while others fear it will only hurt the Valley's number one industry.
The project has long been a controversial one and on Tuesday, lawmakers and citizens on both sides of the issue hashed it out.
The first concern on the agenda is the cost, which at $68 billion is more than double what was proposed to voters in 2008.
Another concern is all the farmland that will be gutted to make way for the system.
Madera farmer, Sam Curran, says the move will cost him money, so he will fight to the end to keep his property.
Advocates say the train is a ticket to success and Fresno's Chamber of Commerce president, Al Smith, calls it a game changer because it will create 20,000 jobs for every billion dollars spent.
The High Speed Rail Authority does want to break ground in July but a compromise will need to be reached first.