The California High Speed Rail Authority has given its final approval to a route that would link the state's major cities and regions.
Environmental studies approved Wednesday clear the way for a high speed rail system that would connect San Francisco, Sacramento and the Central Valley with Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego.
The next major hurdle for the project is a $9.9 billion bond measure on the November ballot.
Authority board member Rod Diridon says if voters approve the bonds, bids for constructing the first stages of the rail line could begin in 2010.
Diridon says if the bond measure fails, the $31 billion project would be untenable.
The proposed high-speed rail system would travel at speeds up to 220 mph and provide travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in two and a half hours.
