[NormsRevenge]

[NormsRevenge]

Apologies for fuzziness of above image.

For info, click on the image below.

[Gaetano]

This is such a waste of time and money. It is simply way too expensive to build a rail line over the Tehachapi's and the enviro wacko's will never let one go along the coast.

The politicos in Sacto like studying this since it makes them feel good, and it generates campaign bucks from planning & engineering firms.

Stick with SW Air.

[rahbert]

Labor unions love pork like this.

[Willie Green]

Why did they decide to bypass Visalia, Norm?
A high-speed train can't stop at every little village and hamlet along the way, of course. But it would also seem to make sense to service a growing population center in the middle of a 120 mile stretch. It certainly wouldn't slow down the entire trip THAT much, maybe 5 minutes at most.

[tubebender]

Why don't they just buy used buses from Mexico including drivers...

[pipecorp]

The only good thing about this is, after the big one it'll all be gone.

[NorCalRepub]

Why on earth would I want a faster way to get to Bakersfield?????????????

[Wonder Warthog]

"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."

SSUUURRREEEEE it will!. Quadruple the cost, and divide the annual ridership by ten, and you might have something closer to the truth.

[traviskicks]

doesnt' california have budget problems? 3 billion for stem cells and now this? Government run transportation rarely works. California's Amtrack...

[Names Ash Housewares]

wider freeways will serve the people best.

[Who dat?]

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.

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.

[Plutarch]

If it is so dang important to have efficient transportation between Southern and Northern California, the first thing to be done is to convert CA Route 152 (by which the South Bay gets to SoCal) from a narrow winding two lane road that goes by frigging farmhouses, to a real four lane highway.

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.

[mlocher]

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.

don't you love it when big gov't gets involved in projects like this?

[jgorris]

Looks like they skipped the real northern CA: Shasta, Siskiyou counties (a.k.a. the State of Jefferson).

[CyberAnt]

Hey .. the CA idiots (I can say that - I live here), voted for THREE (3) BILLION in bonds for stem cell.

I thought this high speed rail had been dumped as too expensive ..??

Now that the public has been gullible enough to vote for 3 billion in bonds .. maybe this is a good time to float this albatross again.

Good grief .. no wonder I'm looking at AZ.

[johniegrad]

Could we PLEASE agree to begin all light rail discussion and articles with a BARF ALERT?

[Walkingfeather]

Why cant we build the train Over the california aqueduct since we already have the Easment and we could create a cover that would reduce evaporation and we would not have to buy land to build it. Here is a graphic of the location. What do you think?


http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lalc.k12.ca.us/uclasp/issues/bringing_water/4_aqued.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.lalc.k12.ca.us/uclasp/issues/bringing_water/page1.htm&h=445&w=394&sz=58&tbnid=sMuMxHdpC9gJ:&tbnh=123&tbnw=109&start=15&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCalifornia%2Baqueduct%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

[Simmy2.5]

Someone forgot to ping Willie Green. You know the unspoken rule, when it concerns High Speed Rail, Willie Green's the one.

[NeoCaveman]

Welcome to the state of bankrupcy, hey atleast it's governed by the terminator.....

[CIB-173RDABN]

There is a passenger train now between Sacramento to San Diego.

Only thing is you have to get off in Bakersfield, catch a bus to LA, and then get on another train.

Why don't they just put in some tracks between Bakersfield and LA, and see just how many are willing to take the train. I know it will be cheaper then what they are planning here.