The transportation leaders also said there is strong support for additional public/private partnership legislation.

In December 2010, the California High-Speed Rail Authority decided to begin construction of the Anaheim-to-San Francisco system on a 120-mile stretch of track in the Central Valley — between Fresno and Bakersfield.

Nearly $5.5 billion is available to California today to begin construction on the statewide system. Preparations will continue on the rest of the system to connect this first segment of new infrastructure to major population centers in California.

“More than 80,000 jobs will be created in the Central Valley over the next five years,” Curt Pringle, chair of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said in a written statement. “Companies from throughout California and investors from around the world are looking at California high-speed rail as a valuable investment and economic development opportunity. Our great state has only two options — move forward to invigorate and strengthen our economy or be left behind in a gridlock of freeway congestion and high unemployment rates.”

Two years ago when its economy was sinking, China realized that one of the fastest ways to revitalize the economy was to invest in infrastructure. What followed more than 24 months was a massive investment.

France’s rail network, which includes the high-speed TGV, has generated about 1.1 billion euros in profit since 2007. Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands have built their own successful high-speed networks.

“The entire industrial world is committed to building and expanding high-speed rail,” said Tom Downs, chairman of Veolia Transportation North America Board of Directors, the world’s largest private sector rail company. “The reason for such enthusiasm for high-speed rail is that high-speed rail is simply good business. California would be the first real high-speed rail system in North America.”

For the complete report, “Thinking Ahead, High-Speed Rail in Southern California,” and survey results, go to www.c-u-i.org.