Posted on 05/26/2019 5:46:26 AM PDT by vannrox
Well, California Governor Gavin Newsom has abandoned plans to build a high-speed railroad between Los Angeles and San Francisco. After spending billions of dollars in funds, much of it from the Federal government, the Governor said that the project should be shelved.
He cited that the project was too expensive.
The face of American politics today. This is the slick and well-packaged oligarchy pick for California. Mr. California Governor Gavin Newsom. Look how plastic he appears. Why, he could be right out of one of those political villains from a 1980’s John Cusack movie.
It all began ten years ago. Back then, President Obama called for a network of high-speed railroads to criss-cross the country “within 25 years”. The nation roared with glee and cheering his forward thinking.
Perspicacious = To be far-sighted in understanding things.
At that time, of course, the rest of the world had already implemented High Speed Rail. America was going to get involved in a game of “catch up”.
Only this time, progressive values and liberal management would lead the way.
Look back. The year is 2009; “President Obama’s goal of building a high-speed rail network that at least 80 percent of Americans will have access to by 2025, is facing major resistance in Congress. Earlier this week, Vice President Joe Biden announced a $53 billion, six year plan to get the U.S. high-speed rail network going with $8 billion over the next year spent towards building new lines and upgrading existing passenger lines in areas such as the northeast and midwest.:
His plan, began its’ implementation through California.
Of course, compared to the rest of the world, it’s pretty modest. The idea was to link the two largest cities in California together. This would occur by placing rail lines through the large entirely rural California valley. The top speed would be limited to 220 MPH, which is the global norm. The most ambitious plans would have 800 miles of rail line, paid in part by the Federal government and bonds issued by the (insolvent) California government.
The decision to cancel this program was welcomed by Conservatives, and derailed by Liberals. Both for reasons related towards political considerations. However, in my mind, everyone loses.
What’s worse, rubbing salt in the wound, comes President Trump. He rightfully questioned the decision to kill the project. As a businessman, you do not casually start of kill things without study, and an analysis of the consequences. Obviously, there were concerns that the decision to kill the project were not carefully thought out.
This is an excerpt. You can read the rest HERE.
My grandfather bought his Essex sedan not because the roads in Iowa were pleasant - or even useable at times - but because he didn't particularly like having to share a railroad car with his fellow Americans... and grandpa was far from a snob.
Which reminds me of the old jest about topologists:
Q: What is a topologist?
A: Someone who cannot distinguish between a doughnut and a coffee cup.
I would offer this observation as well. In Europe, you could board a high-speed train, by walking into the station, and then walking up to the platform....then board. No hassle.
In the US? I would imagine that once everything is done, you’d have to go through a TSA-like entry...show an ID....do a security check on your bags and person, and plan to be at the station at least 60 minutes prior to the ‘leave-time’.
Last week, I rode a German ‘ICE’ train (the high-speed type). It rode into the station, and I had three minutes to find the right car, board, and then it left. I just can’t see Amtrak or any US company running the same type of service, and ensure it runs on time.
I’ve sometimes thought that AMTRAK should change its model to something like in the old days and include a one or two passenger cars with some cargo trains (almost anything not hauling pigs or cows, goes without saying) AND also include a car transporter for the passengers’ cars. Thus when they arrive having not had to drive they have their ow car unloaded (and washed / gassed up?) valet style and have free mobility at their destination.
Do so in corridors where the drive is long and tiresome (or the traffic is just always bad) but the train ride not so long it would be a hassle.
The secret is NOT necessarily faster trains but more departure times and more destinations ... which can be more easily accomplished with hybrid use trains ... combined with the ease of using their own cars.
Well let us see, ummmm, first, they are not needed. second, see my first point.
Yes. Choo choos are very infrastructure heavy (and constant maintenance thereof) compared to the air that planes fly through, and the small infrastructure foot print of airports compared to rail lines. That fact is part of why rails are loved so much - they cost more to build, have huge infrastructure costs, create way more construction jobs and have far more opportunities for corruption. That is why they are always build as government command projects.
Bingo, just look at ever light rail project in your city.
Exactly. You can book an airline flight between point A and B and travel there at 500 mph.
As it is, we taxpayers have to subsidize the local city bus systems and then we can't even use them because they're full of degenerates, thugs, and homeless schizos.
original cost of high speed rail LA to SF: $35 B.
current cost of high speed rail N. of LA to S. of SF: $98 B.
As it stands, high speed rail is not projected from downtown to downturn. Rather, from suburb to suburb. So, almost everybody will have to (A) get from their origin to high speed rail, (B) then switch to high speed rail, and (C) then get from high speed rail to their destination. The multiple changes of mode of transportation negate any savings in time relative to current ground transportation alternatives. And, even with the abbreviated route, cost has tripled. Even some Democrats are able to see this.
The thing is an entire waste.
The northeast corridor is the only inter-city passenger rail route that makes sense. The major problem on this route is the mix of conventional commuter service with intercity service. But, this problem is also a blessing. It means that the route features the high volumes needed to cover the cost of rail.
The priority should be connecting mass transportation to air hubs, not trying to replace air transportation for inter-city travel. Also, decreasing lines at TSA.
Before you can have high speed rail, America first has to have reliable, regular-speed passenger trains, on existing rail lines between a few major American cities.
Unfortunately freight and passenger trains share the same rail lines so it is not possible to do that.
America can.
California can.
California can have them without any assistance from the taxpayers outside California.
California just cannot have BOTH High-Speed Bullet Trains AND provide social services for millions of illegal immigrants AT THE SAME TIME.
California people have to decide which they want. This is reality. This is TRUTH.
And reality--or TRUTH--is anathema to the Leftists who have California in a death-grip.
Contempt for TRUTH--TRUTH for its own sake--is fundamental dogma to the Left.
(Californians obviously have also decided that they'd rather not fix the potholes in their roads. Or clean the excrement, needles, and syringes from their cities' streets and parks. Or halt the import of illegal drugs from foreign nations. They clearly prefer to import millions of illegal immigrants and give them "sanctuary" and social services. That's their choice. It's theirs to make. They should be satisfied having made that choice.)
Politicians will never allow it because someone might use such a conveyance to kill a politician. If cars were a new invention, we would never be allowed anywhere near them.
The USA's well-developed aviation system simply renders high speed rail irrelevant. The only place it might work is if you built it from Las Vegas to somewhere near L.A. - moving Baker and Barstow, CA residents out of the way comes with less political cost.
Setting aside the wisdom of HSR in our country, you do realize that Japan is as prone to earthquakes as California, right?
Did you check how big his blog was on this subject?
I did, 47 screen pages.
And it has a lot of train information, history, and development - world wide, even.
I am going to study it.
I think it is to big and detailed to post here, and I am glad to learn about it.
Don’t the airlines still run a commuter flights form LA to SF for little more than the cost of a bus ticket? Oh right, 911 killed that!
Certainly not.
Lookup the Auto-Train from Virginia to Florida.
Bears repeating.
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