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The Growing Inanity of California High-Speed Rail
The Antiplanner ^ | December 29, 2014

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.

...

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.

...

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 ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: boondoggle; highspeedrail; highspeedtrains; inanity; transportation; williegreenping
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To: goldstategop

The proposed Fresno-Madera line is being built through a rural valley and doesn’t have a built-in captive market.”

WRONG! Illegal Mexican farmworkers are the “built-in market!” The train will be busy only during harvest season.


41 posted on 12/29/2014 7:24:55 PM PST by vette6387
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To: AlaskaErik

Are you trying to hurt their feelings by talking bad about their pride and joy metrolink trains? I actually think we should take a different approach for all these boondoggles.

We should embrace them, and require ALL Public Employees in the State to use nothing but Public Transportation to and from their respective workplaces, No Taxpayer Owned Drive Home Vehicles either.


42 posted on 12/29/2014 8:40:47 PM PST by eyeamok
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To: george76

I saw this building while coming home from a Ducks game—it’s across the street from the Honda Center. As we drove along Route 57 and saw the actual train platform, we wondered what the hell was inside the building.


43 posted on 12/29/2014 8:43:00 PM PST by JeffChrz (2014--Yay!)
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To: hinckley buzzard
When the engineers figured out how it would work on the ground, the average speed was 45 mph.

Oui, my FRiend, and this would be on a fast day, eh?

.

44 posted on 12/29/2014 9:11:17 PM PST by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never...except to convictions of honour and good sense. W. Churchill)
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To: goldstategop

Captive market is illegals.

It’s meant to move people from Mexico around.


45 posted on 12/30/2014 3:05:12 AM PST by ifinnegan
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To: vette6387

“WRONG! Illegal Mexican farmworkers are the “built-in market!” The train will be busy only during harvest season.”

Yeah.

You are the only one who’s also seen the obvious.

Why do people think it’s going through the Central Valley?


46 posted on 12/30/2014 3:14:16 AM PST by ifinnegan
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To: DUMBGRUNT

I knew it wouldn’t happen because it makes
Sense and requires very little tax payer money

Wrote a letter to brown two years ago. Not even a standard reply


47 posted on 12/30/2014 6:35:16 AM PST by morphing libertarian (Defund , sue, impeach. Overturn Obamacare, amnesty.)
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To: morphing libertarian

Ps common sense has no lobbyist


48 posted on 12/30/2014 6:36:08 AM PST by morphing libertarian (Defund , sue, impeach. Overturn Obamacare, amnesty.)
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To: george76

It was good enough for Dagny Taggert. Her train went 250MPH! And it was built on time and and budget.


49 posted on 12/30/2014 11:08:18 AM PST by upchuck (Too much ME, not enough G.)
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To: morphing libertarian

There’s an effort already underway to build that line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Railway_Express


50 posted on 12/30/2014 2:35:29 PM PST by ArmstedFragg (Hoaxey Dopey Changey)
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To: ArmstedFragg

Thanx


51 posted on 12/30/2014 2:39:34 PM PST by morphing libertarian (Defund , sue, impeach. Overturn Obamacare, amnesty.)
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