Posted on 12/29/2014 5:01:34 PM PST by george76
Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne–who claims to be an “unabashed supporter” of high-speed rail–reviews Anaheim’s new train station and finds it “oddly antiseptic.” Hawthorne doesn’t care that taxpayers spent $2,764 per square foot for what is essentially a big glass tent. He is a little disturbed that the design is so dysfunctional that train passengers “exit onto an uncovered platform, take the elevator or stairs [up] to a pedestrian bridge, and then enter the building at its highest interior level” only to have to go back down again to get to ground level.
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While Hawthorne’s critique is pretty negative, it is also naive. He thinks that reducing “California’s reliance on the automobile is going to require architectural as well as infrastructural leaps of faith.” Sorry, even the most perfect architectural design won’t overcome rail’s inherent disadvantages over the convenience of cars and the low cost of flying.
France is discovering this.
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The low end of the latest (meaning three-years-old) estimated cost of building exclusive high-speed rail tracks from Anaheim to San Francisco is $98.5 billion, which works out to about $3,000 per inch. By 2040, when the system might be completed if funds were available, which they aren’t, this cost is certain to rise even more.
(Excerpt) Read more at ti.org ...
Everything from the gubmint is free in California. You need to go to a California public school in order to understand about free stuff and stuff like that, you know.
But if it prevents one hurricane, or snow storm, it will be more than worth it
This is being financed through a program with the Federal Railroad Administration called “RRIF”. RRIF loans were meant to help freight railroads sustain and improve infrastructure so that freight customers would be served going into the future... Railroads have to put up collateral to secure these loans... What precisely is California using for collateral? However this loan got approved is besides all possible rational thought. This will NEVER sustain itself.
That RRIF money would be better serving the nation as a whole by helping Class III railroads upgrade their tracks in the Permian Basin that were laid in 1920 that
I just drove the 210 freeway the other day. There is a light rail system in the median. The whole train can carry maybe 80-100 people. How much difference can that make when the LA area is 20 million people? It’s like trying to fill a lake by having one person pee into it. And I’m sure that system cost billions.
Surely there must be an endangered species somewhere along the route. That would add 20 years of litigation before the first spade of dirt is turned. We must learn to use the libs' tactics against them.
Most all of these deals funnel money to regime affiliates.
Some to the big hitter cronies at the top, and plenty to the unionized workforce too. It’s part of the Democrat “spend & elect” cycle.
Well played!
Dump that high speed idiotic plan and put the money in desalination plants for removing the water shortage.
Smart taxpayers in California need to minimize their profile, or get out of Dodge (California), period...
The goal of these socialists is to dream up never-ending ways to waste the taxpayers money, and then demand that 50% and 70% marginal rates are insufficient “for the public good”.
There's lots of 'em.
They're called "taxpayers with any money left."
In very densly populated corridors (e.g., Washington - Baltimore - Philadelphia - New York - Boston), an upgrade of existing Amtrack lines to high-speed rail might make sense. A Washington to Manhattan train trip, for example, could be made much faster, and more dependable, than a cab to Reagan Airport / flight to LaGuardia / cab to Midtown trip.
But California? I can't see it. Not given the expense of starting from scratch, as opposed to using existing lines; and not given the distance between San Diego and San Francisco. Maybe a high-speed San Diego to LA line might make sense, but it's a long haul from LA to SF, and planes are more cost effective.
However, this is gummint money, and therefore free, right? It never ceases to amaze that there are so many people who cannot mentally connect taxpayer-funded expenditures to, well, taxes.
Unions.
Environmentalists.
>> “He is a little disturbed that the design is so dysfunctional that train passengers “exit onto an uncovered platform, take the elevator or stairs [up] to a pedestrian bridge, and then enter the building at its highest interior level” only to have to go back down again to get to ground level.” <<
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Reminiscent of the Seattle airport.
Is there a connection?
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>> “Unions.” <<
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That’s where the money is going!
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>> “But California? I can’t see it.” <<
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This project is specifically designed to make Westlands Irrigation District properties unusable to farm.
Westlands property owners are notoriously conservative.
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Short article title: “The growing insanity of California”.
Says it all in 5 words. Is English a great language or what?
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