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Essay Available:
Pages:
4 pages/β‰ˆ1100 words
Sources:
2 Sources
Style:
APA
Subject:
Mathematics & Economics
Type:
Research Paper
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 20.74
Topic:

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Residual Effects of the California High-Speed Rail

Research Paper Instructions:

Often, part of a government agency’s budget is devoted to capital projects. No matter how well a project and its costs are planned for, there are always residual effects on the budget and on future budgeting practices. In this assignment, you’ll overview a government agency’s project, including its effects on the agency’s budget, and you’ll consider practices and requirements to support accurate reporting of projects.
Research a state or local government capital project (e.g., new building or structure, park improvements, road improvements, addition to a municipal building), the agency that is responsible for the project, and the operating budget for the agency.
Choose one of the following options for this assignment:
Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word APA-formatted paper.
Create a 12- to 16-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation with speaker notes and/or narration.
Address the following in your paper or presentation:
Give a brief overview of the chosen government capital project and of the agency responsible (i.e., size and responsibilities).
Explain the advantages, disadvantages, and residual effects of the project on the agency's operating budget.
How does the project affect the debt in the short and long term?
How does the project affect operating expenses in the short and long term?
Explain how the operating expense for the project differs from government debt items.
Identify how the agency included training resources in their budget for the project. If they did not include training resources, propose how the agency could or should address training in their budget.
Describe any evidence that the agency employed accurate reporting practices for the project. Would you suggest any differences in their approach? If accurate reporting practices are not evident, what should the agency do to ensure accurate reporting?
Summarize your findings about the effects of the capital project on the operating budget, and make recommendations for improvement.
Cite a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed sources.

Research Paper Sample Content Preview:

Residual Budget Effects
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Residual Budget Effects
The California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) is a publicly funded national high-speed rail system project consisting of 500 miles of trail that will connect Los Angeles and San Fransisco, eventually extending to Sacramento and San Diego. Using high-speed trains traveling at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour, passengers will make the trip between Los Angeles and San Fransisco in less than three hours compared to nearly six hours by automobile. The $105 billion high-speed rail system is expected to increase economic development opportunities in the state, preserve agricultural and protected lands, and support climate change policies and initiatives. The California High-Speed Rail Authority is the agency responsible for planning, designing, constructing, and operating the country’s first high-speed rail system. The state agency was founded in line with the California High-Speed Rail Act to oversee the construction of the civil rail infrastructure and implement high-speed intercity rail service between mega-regions of the state. The agency plans to test electrified high-speed trains by 2025, with full operations of the CAHSR projected to begin in 2029.
The project is set to change how people move around California radically: the high-speed rail system will unclog high traffic in interstate highways and airports while cutting travel hours by more than half. Electrified high-speed trains support a cleaner environment by reducing the amount of smog and air pollution released into the city from the number of cars needed to transport the same number of people between Los Angeles and Sacramento. The high-speed rail will see more than 2,300 acres of habitat preserved or restored, powered by renewable energy. Besides, the project has created thousands of labor jobs and business opportunities for companies working on the project (Cowan, 2022). It is also expected to generate billions in economic output once completed. On the hand, the project is too expensive, and costs have been rising higher than originally estimated. The CAHSR project requires extensive infrastructure to be built and regularly maintained to extremely high standards. High-speed rails also consume more energy than conventional train cars, and efficiency is only achieved after attaining maximum passenger demand.
Besides, America does not have enough traditional train riders to incentivize people to switch from personal automobiles or planes to using trains to achieve maximum passenger demand. However, the biggest disadvantage of the CAHSR and the reason for negative residual effects on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s operating budget is a poor assessment of project designs and construction bids during the budgeting process. For instance, the decision by the agency to award construction of the 65-mile rail section through the San Joaquin Valley in Kings County to the lowest-bidding company without evaluating the actual costs of the contractor’s design proposals has resulted in $800 million in cost overruns. The poor review of technical and contractual documents by the California High-Speed Ra...
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