Go high-speed rail! Bay Area commuters will come

John Renfro (letter Aug. 4) seems to have never lived in the Bay Area. His summation of high-speed rail cons of living expenses don’t add up. I am a Realtor living in Madera, where I bought a home. Previously I lived and worked in the Bay Area for 30 years. I moved to Madera because that’s what I could afford.

I would gladly live here and ride HSR to work in the Bay Area for the peace and quiet and joy of home ownership. I could not afford a home in the Bay Area nor would I have peace.

Many people in the Bay Area have long commute expenses and hardship. Working on high-speed rail, which offers wi-fi while commuting from Fresno to Bay Area, would not be a hardship. Yes, the expense might be a wash, but then I get to own a home.

For example, a townhouse in San Jose costs $1.4 million. Renting in the Bay Area might be cheaper than a mortgage plus commute expenses in Fresno. But you can’t own there. Lastly, it’s only hot in the summer here. In your commute to the Bay Area, you escape the summer heat. The rest of the year is beautiful! Go HSR!

This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Go high-speed rail! Bay Area commuters will come."