State high-speed rail CEO to step down

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Banner: High Speed Rail

The California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Roelof van Ark just told the agency’s Board of Directors that he will be stepping down from his job in two months to pursue more time with his family and other priorities.

The Board is meeting today at Metro headquarters in Los Angeles.

Van Ark was hired in June 2010.

In addition, two other key Authority staff members are leaving the agency — spokesperson Rachel Wall and deputy director Dan Leavitt.

Board Chairman Thomas J. Umberg also said that he intends to step down as the chair but will continue as a Board member.

Earlier in the meeting, the Board voted not to further study a route along the Grapevine for the bullet train. Instead a route through the Antelope Valley will be pursued — that’s the alignment backed by the Metro Board of Directors.

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6 replies ›

  1. Now we need the politicians who are blocking transit funding to step down as well.

  3. I support High Speed Rail 100%, but i had been calling the executives at the Authority to do something. They have probably contributed more to the unpopularity of the project rather than the project itself. I really hope they replace them with enthusiastic replacements who have ran projects of this size before.

    Despite the high cost, the cost of doing nothing and expanding the highways/Airports are worse.

  4. The old ‘spend time w/the family’ out. Couldn’t have anything w/costs skyrocketing 400% and rising could it? What exactly is a ‘Senior Consultant?’ A step above ‘Jr Consultant?’

    Bad plans lead to bad endings.

  5. How sad. Shows how messed up America is and how third-world we are becoming. When other nations – including Mexico and China – are moving forward greatly with high-speed rail, this country is fighting progress, and shooting ourselves in the foot. I guess we enjoy our air pollution, congestion and being slaves to big oil. Doing otherwise would require Americans having brains.

  6. Roelof van Ark will continue his work for the California High Speed Rail Authority in the capacity of Senior Consultant.