> whose bright idea was it to start building from Bakersfield to Merced Someone that's good with maps and realizes it adding 17 miles to the route runs the lin

> whose bright idea was it to start building from Bakersfield to Merced Someone that's good with maps and realizes it adding 17 miles to the route runs the line through the side of the valley where several million people live. Vs the side where no one lives. If you think about it I5 through the central valley is a dumb idea. It's 27 miles shorter yes, and runs 250 miles through the middle of nowhere.