More than 100 California public and private sector transportation leaders voiced strong support for implementing high-speed rail in California in a report released Jan. 25 from the Center for Urban Infrastructure at Brandman University.

The report said that in addition to the advantages of job creation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the top priority should be creating a more efficient mass transit system.

The leaders also said California is in a prime position to build a high-speed rail system that will attract riders and private capital from multiple sources.

“High-speed rail will usher in a new era for transportation and jobs in California,” Sarah L. Catz, co-author of “Thinking Ahead, High-Speed Rail in Southern California” and director for the Center for Urban Infrastructure, said in a written press statement announcing the report. “High-speed rail will boost the United States investment in transportation infrastructure, where currently, the United States is far behind its global competitors.”

The report examined the views of public officials, private sector developers, transportation planners and investment backers who attended a conference sponsored by the Center for Urban Infrastructure in late August. A follow-up survey of these officials and other transportation leaders is included in the report.

Among the results, the survey showed 89 percent of the transportation experts give widespread support for high-speed rail.

More than half of the respondents believe that private investment, including foreign investment, is seen as an important part of the high-speed rail system’s success.

The survey shows that transit connectivity is an extremely important component to a successful high-speed rail system.