Reason behind push for rail Video shows China and Buffett connection along with the winners and the losing taxpayers.
Gov Scott is fighting High Speed Rail push in Florida: Politicians Watching Tapped-out Voters Rise Up In Anger are Getting Nervous (You can help)
Jan 5, 2011Plans for Houston-Galveston passenger rail line fall off track [excerpt] ….."The reasons for that are the economic downturn the last two years has impacted local political subdivisions very dramatically," Goodman said.
The dearth of local and federal money has turned the project from something over the horizon into a more distant goal, he said.
But Goodman says he's not giving up and will continue to lobby for the money. Neither is Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski, whose city has led the fight for the commuter rail line.
"I'm certainly not letting it go," said Jaworski, who vowed to seek support for the project at the regional, state and federal levels.
The city of Galveston launched the project in earnest in 2007 by financing a $350,000 study by Goodman Corp. that showed the 45-mile commuter rail line was economical, would reduce air pollution, ease traffic congestion and provide an important evacuation route for the hurricane-prone city.
The study envisioned a train traveling at speeds up to 79 mph along the existing right of way, carrying 11,480 passengers daily when completed at an estimated cost of $350 million, a price that has nearly doubled since then. Goodman predicted at the time that construction of the first phase could be completed by 2012….[end excerpt]
Right. Until the next cat 5 hurricane comes through and destroys everything.