and local economic impacts. Major improvements have been made to project management and risk mitigation. However, there were also a number of significant concerns noted: The total level of uncertainty has likely increased due to effects of COVID-19 and inflation. Prior experience with cost increases and scheduling delays raises some uncertainties about future performance. Cost increases have been over 86%, average delays have been 118%, only 90% of ordinary real estate parcel needed have been acquired, only 63% of railroad parcels have been acquired, and only 65% of utility parcels have been acquired. Some of the cost estimates presented were out of date, but expected to be updated in the 2023 Project Update Report. Major components of the project (representing over half its cost) have no bidding or contract management experience. Thus, estimates for these are clearly suspect. There are critical issues regarding management and legal issues with other agencies for the operation of the system which remain unresolved. (There are a number of these listed, as well as unknown long term impacts of COVID-19 on ridership and inflation.) Adequate legislative oversight is lacking. Per the report, "[O]verall project funding remains inadequate and unstable making effective management extremely difficult. In addition, the Authority has no clear guidance from the Legislature on the next steps in the project." "Even with a realistic share of new Federal funding, the project cannot get outside the Central Valley without added state or local funding from sources not yet identified." Professional studies of blended systems Study #1. Eric Eidlin, an employee of the Federal Transit Administration (Region 9, San Francisco), wrote a study in 2015 funded by the German Marshall Fund of the United States comparing the structural differences of two HSR European systems and their historical development with California's HSR system. He also focused on the issue of station siting, design, use, and impact on the surrounding community. From this, he developed ten recommendations for CAHSRA. Among these are: Develop bold, long-term visions for the HSR corridors and stations. Where possible, site HSR stations in central city locations. In rural areas, emphasize train speed; in urban areas, emphasize transit connectivity. Plan for and encourage the non-transit roles of the HSR stations. Eidlin's study also notes that in California there has been debate on the disadvantages of the proposed blended service in the urban areas of San Francisco and Los Angeles, including reduced speeds, more