Once that is accomplished, maybe we can talk about flinging tens of billions into what would be CA's version of The Big Dig boondoggle.
Posted on 11/10/2004 3:09:09 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - California High Speed Rail Authority officials unveiled a tentative map of routes for the proposed statewide bullet train on Wednesday - a plan that includes a 120-mile, nonstop stretch between Bakersfield and Fresno.
That Central Valley section of the line, which was recommended by the authority's staff, bypasses Visalia despite the city's pleas for a stop.
The 700-mile system, with 200 mph-plus trains, would cost about $35 billion and carry as many as 68 million passengers a year by 2020. Voters will decide a bond measure in 2006 to pay for part of the project. Construction on major parts of the electric train system could start in 2008.
Visalia officials, bothered by the thought of the state's major transportation project zooming by at 200 miles per hour, asked that the city not be dropped from the map.
The city was slighted in two ways - two routes from Fresno to Bakersfield had been considered, with one running through Visalia and the other through Hanford, in Kings County to the west. The staff recommended that the rail follow the Hanford route, but also suggested that the 120-mile stretch run nonstop.
Visalia City Councilman Jesus Gamboa asked the High Speed Rail board consider that the populations of Tulare and Kings counties are growing at a faster clip than the rest of the state.
"Without a high-speed rail station in Visalia, eventually 1 million people will be underserved," Gamboa said.
The city has until December, when a final vote is made on the routes, to persuade board members to include Visalia.
If successful, the city stands a good chance of competing with Hanford for the route, said Glenn Morris, executive director of the Visalia Economic Development Corp. said.
In September, the board unveiled proposed routes in the Los Angeles area. The board will make a final vote on all routes in December.
The map unveiled Wednesday included the routes from Sacramento, through the Central Valley to Bakersfield, and routes from Los Angeles' Union Station to downtown San Diego. It also included the Bay Area routes - where trains are proposed to start in Oakland and at San Francisco's Transbay Terminal and run south to San Jose.
The staff also recommended to nix a spur that would run from Mira Mesa to San Diego's Qualcomm Park because the panel's goal has been to locate the high speed rail stations near airports and city centers whenever possible.
The Qualcomm station would be several miles from downtown San Diego, and would require extensive tunnels under a congested city to link the heart of the city and the airport to the train.
Instead, the staff recommended that the high speed rail run from Mira Mesa to a station in downtown San Diego, which is less than two miles from the airport.
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On the Net:
California High Speed Rail Authority: http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
I used to know a guy knew from riding Metrolink who took a combination of rail and bus from Bakersfield to Union Station (Los Angeles) EVERY work day. No kidding.
Not any more. The postwar freeway/auto system was based on the assumption of cheap oil. That assumption is not only no longer valid, it causes us to spend money defending foreign oilfields in the neighborhood of the islamofascists.
The Antelope Valley route makes the best sense to me. Population in North L.A. County will likely triple before the line is completed -- it will come right on time to carry some of the expected 100,000 plus L.A. bound commuters.
how scenic..........YUCK......listen to the Buck Owens tapes on the way i guess
LOL!
really? well i guess that goes to show I shouldn't have opened my big mouth without all the facts. Is it privately run or public?
If it is sucessful as a public train then IMO they should sell it off to a private company.
There's a reason why every city in Japan can be reached by train; they're all right next to each other (something that doesn't exactly exist around these parts). There's also a reason why the tickets are so cheap; it's heavily subsidized by the taxpayers (can you say tax hike?).
From the map it looks like the route will be right along Hwy 99 between Sacto and Bakersfield. I used to drive this route every weekend for about four months waiting for my house to be finished. A lot of dusty, worn out old towns and truck stops along this road since the 5 Fwy came along as the main route north and south.
They really need one of these high speed thingys between Vegas and LA more.. but I have a feeeling this HSR initiative in 2006 will go down to defeat.
We have oodles of debt already and no guarantees that ridership would even come close to covering the cost of operations and repayment of the indebtedness incurred.
Cool! The farmworkers will be able to live in LA and commute to Fresno!
Ha. That spur to the SF airport took what, 30 years to build? Your grandchildren are going to be old-timers before they have anything up and running.
…and routes from Los Angeles' Union Station to downtown San Diego.
I thought they already had an AMTRAK run from LA -> SD. Whatever.
I was there (Union Station) just last week. Nice building. They were shooting a movie in part of it when I was there.
I’m not against trains, etc, if you can finagle something that works.
First, it isn’t cheap (to build, operate, or ride). To go from Tustin to Union Station is $14.25 round-trip, each. It’s not particularly fast but you do get to cruise across streets while the motoring public waits for you to clear the crossing.
I like to ride in my old age rather than driving, but LA doesn’t have the parking problems associated with San Francisco, for instance. At least not that I’ve noticed yet.
The best part about Union Station is that it is near Olivera (?) street and you can get some nice huevos rancheros - cheap. Mmm. Nothing I love more than “riding” and eating cheap delicious food.
It’s also within walking distance of that historic market they have… there’s some delicious food there too. You can get “Hawaiian tacos” for $0.50 each. You can go to a stall called “Roast (something-or-other)” and get delicious tacos for $2.00 that are unbelievably filling, given the price.
One vegetable/fruit stand had bananas for 10 pounds for $0.99. Try that at Albertson’s.
I love those (mostly) Mexican markets. I need to learn Spanish, I’ve decided.
It’s funny because even though I’m obviously not Spanish/Mexican and can’t communicate with them in Spanish, they (workers in shops/stalls/restaurants) are always attentive, earnest, helpful, and polite.
Having spent most of my life dealing with surly, sullen, combative Americans, I find it refreshing, so in that respect it’s worth the $14.25 each to make the trip occasionally.
What a boondoggle. This train, if built, will cost twice as much as estimated and carry half of the passengers that is estimated.
"Voters will decide a bond measure in 2006 to pay for part of the project. Construction on major parts of the electric train system could start in 2008."
And our gas taxes (supposed to pay for our roads) will pay for the rest giving the riders a nice taxpayer subsidized project.
Number one oil source for the United States is Canada. Venezuala is another biggie. Opening up ANWAR will make us less reliant on imported oil. There is plenty of oil. It's refinerys that are a big part of cost.
A spur to Reno would be nice as well. Nevada should then connect Reno and Vegas with a high speed line. A cheap two hour commute between the two cities for less than Southwest. Also, many Californians could live in Reno or Vegas and work in S.F, Sacto or LA.
Once that is accomplished, maybe we can talk about flinging tens of billions into what would be CA's version of The Big Dig boondoggle.
Japan is a postage stamp compared to the USA, and the interconnecting distances between cities in Europe are similar. High speed rail is simply impractical in a country this size.
The infrastructure will be HUGELY EXPENSIVE compared to air service, and once (if ever) built, will be grossly inflexible with changes in demand.
Fuggedaboutit!
don't you love it when big gov't gets involved in projects like this?
Looks like they skipped the real northern CA: Shasta, Siskiyou counties (a.k.a. the State of Jefferson).
REAL WIDE FREEWAYS!
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