Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Residents Fight Rail Runner (NM-Richardson's Railroad)
The Albuquerque Journal ^ | November 28, 2006 | Erica Cordova

Posted on 11/28/2006 7:43:57 AM PST by CedarDave

SANTA FE— Rancho Viejo residents made it clear to state officials Monday night: they do not want the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter train to run through their neighborhood.

Nearly 250 residents packed the Institute of American Indian Arts auditorium for an event organized by community members. Residents told officials with the state Department of Transportation and the Mid-Region Council of Governments that having the train run near their homes would create too much noise and traffic.

Robin Dorrell— along with her husband, Daniel Clavio, who organized the meeting— advised the group to go to the Rancho Viejo Community Association headquarters and express their concerns to the president of the association and write letters to the state to get rid of a proposed Rail Runner alignment that would come closest to Rancho Viejo.

State officials are still taking public comments as they try to finalize their selection of two alternative routes for the train from La Bajada to Santa Fe.

(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: billrichardson; railrunner; richardson; richardsonsrailroad
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last
Richardson has promised a new railroad to Santa Fe by 2008 (at NM taxpayers expense, of course). NIMBY's and other problems will delay this by a couple of years or longer. Yet the press continues to tout the 2008 date not realizing the engineering, environmental and economic costs of building a new line up through basalt cliffs, along an existing interstate highway and through Santa Fe suburbs.
1 posted on 11/28/2006 7:43:59 AM PST by CedarDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
Light rail? How, well, Euro(weenie)....

Engineering aside, have any marketing or ridership studies been produced? I wonder how many folks will actually take lite rail if they can drive and have their auto at the destination.
2 posted on 11/28/2006 7:53:36 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

The plans won't even be finalized by 2008. 2020, maybe.


3 posted on 11/28/2006 7:54:10 AM PST by jess35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

Re-route the line so that it runs by Joe and Valerie Wilson's house.


4 posted on 11/28/2006 8:06:03 AM PST by popdonnelly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASOC

It's not light rail, but heavy rail. Richardson bought the original BNSF line from Belen to Bernalillo with option to buy the rest of the line to the Colorado border as needed! Amtrak and freight use it the rest of the time.


5 posted on 11/28/2006 8:10:45 AM PST by CedarDave (Rep. Rangle's comments show he would lose a battle of wits with those in the military he denigrates.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
Rail Runner Ridership Tails Off (NM-Richardson's Railroad)
6 posted on 11/28/2006 8:12:35 AM PST by CedarDave (Rep. Rangle's comments show he would lose a battle of wits with those in the military he denigrates.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ASOC; CedarDave
Engineering aside, have any marketing or ridership studies been produced? I wonder how many folks will actually take lite rail if they can drive and have their auto at the destination.

You don't need a car to get around Santa Fe! It has a world-class public transportation infrastructure.

SEE TAGLINE

7 posted on 11/28/2006 8:14:27 AM PST by Disambiguator (This tagline is brought to you by the letter "S" with a slash in front of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ASOC
Engineering aside, have any marketing or ridership studies been produced? I wonder how many folks will actually take lite rail if they can drive and have their auto at the destination.

This is a Democrat's wet dream project. It has been talked about for years, but the answer is that mainly state employees and maybe some tourists will ride it as the cost of living is too high to live in Santa Fe for normal folks. And Santa Fe being very liberal thinks that this is their contribution to reducing global warming. The problem is that the interstate with a 75 mph speedlimit is a direct route and it can be travelled by car in 50 minutes. The train will never beat that. However, if you ride the train, your chance of being hit by a wrong way DUI driver on I-25 will be eliminated (two reported incidents, six deaths in the past two weeks with another two dead on I-40).

8 posted on 11/28/2006 8:25:41 AM PST by CedarDave (Rep. Rangle's comments show he would lose a battle of wits with those in the military he denigrates.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave

Like AMtrak will pay any return. (pppfffttt)

Is it 90 lb rail?

And now will NM have a railroad maintenance division in its DOT to keep this part of the system up to standard?

Alaska used to own a Railroad, but we sold it (sort of). Now it is run by a quasi-state agency/private organization. The orgaization doesn't pay taxes but does manage to have derailments like "real" railroads.


9 posted on 11/28/2006 9:19:59 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Disambiguator

So, is theat public transport pedal driven or shoe-leather express?


10 posted on 11/28/2006 9:20:53 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ASOC
Is it 90 lb rail?

It's the old Santa Fe mainline, so I imagine it's 112 lb, at least.

11 posted on 11/28/2006 9:24:32 AM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
I am *truly* sorry hear that. A tragic and senseless way to go.

NM has a reputation as being a very dangerous place to drive due to DUI issues.

Is that because of the drive thru liquor stores and permissive laws or just too many drunks driving home?

We loose a lot of folks here in Ak due to DUI, some 40+ % of all traffic deaths are alcohol related.
12 posted on 11/28/2006 9:25:27 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: okie01

Cool, will the State be doing the maintenance or will that be outsourced?


13 posted on 11/28/2006 9:26:46 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ASOC
Have no idea how it will be maintained (I'm in Texas).

Given that Richardson is a Democrat and that New Mexico is a state that really believes in patronage, my guess would be that they're looking at a special (i.e., overstaffed and highly paid) division of the NMDOT.

14 posted on 11/28/2006 9:32:08 AM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: ASOC

Both. You can manage downtown on foot, as it is fairly compact, but once you want to go anywhere else, you need wheels.


15 posted on 11/28/2006 9:34:26 AM PST by Disambiguator (This tagline is brought to you by the letter "S" with a slash in front of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: okie01

Ah, too true. Most State governments believe in that. Ask any taxpayer : )


16 posted on 11/28/2006 9:36:46 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: CedarDave
your chance of being hit by a wrong way DUI driver on I-25 will be eliminated (two reported incidents, six deaths in the past two weeks with another two dead on I-40).

Are the Democrats agitating for a cut-and-run pullout from the NM Interstates?

They are a quagmire.

I was almost hit from behind early this year by some knucklehead who thought that the 75 mph limit applied even when the road was icy. I was westbound on 40 near Mesita.

The look on his face as he went by in his spinning car was priceless.

17 posted on 11/28/2006 9:39:28 AM PST by Disambiguator (This tagline is brought to you by the letter "S" with a slash in front of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Disambiguator

I have some friends that are looking to move to NM. SF was just "too much" (appearently for everything - social, housing, attutude) so they are looking a bit further afield.

Las Lunas and the surrondng area is where they are looking now. They liked Cloudcroft, but after a visit, the deemed it was 'too much' as well.

I had always thought Jemez Springs or Red River would be the nice place to retire to or have a second home.


18 posted on 11/28/2006 9:44:02 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Disambiguator

ROTFLMAO - some days you just wish you had a dash mount camera...


19 posted on 11/28/2006 9:46:03 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: ASOC

I used to live in Rio Rancho, which is a nice town from a political perspective and has great schools. It's not real pretty, but it's conveniently located.

Las Lunas is in Valencia County, which has a big problem with gangs and drugs and such.

If they want a really small town with nice scenery, they should look at Datil.


20 posted on 11/28/2006 9:52:55 AM PST by Disambiguator (This tagline is brought to you by the letter "S" with a slash in front of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson