Comments on: No, We Don’t Need To Vote Again

By: jimsf

jimsf — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:01:39 +0000

That is correct. I can tell that by the tone. There are some people who are just stuck on conventional rail and I can tell that is his real motivation.

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:15:58 +0000

It means that those people who are already set financially have no reason to help other people. Therefore they oppose job creation when it might negatively affect them.

By: Bianca

Bianca — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:17:51 +0000

If CHSRA had a dollar for every time somebody said “I support the concept of High Speed Rail, but I want it done right” then they wouldn’t have any funding worries.

By: Spokker

Spokker — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:03:21 +0000

Kevin, here’s some more information on what’s going on.

Currently in Anaheim there is a 1.5 stretch of 50 foot wide ROW between Vermont Ave. and North St. This must be widened to 100 feet to accommodate four tracks.

You can see what this looks like here on page 47: http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/images/chsr/20090611110104_20090602162631AgendaItem9.pdf

It says they need an additional 35 feet for a total of 85 feet.

Here’s the area in question on Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&q=anaheim,+ca&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Anaheim,+Orange,+California&ll=33.845805,-117.909133&spn=0.001221,0.00284&t=h&z=19 Where the ROW narrows is very clearly visible. I don’t know who or what allowed that to happen but it’s a big annoyance now.

What they presented last night was a contingency plan to go wider than 100 feet in case the OCTA, owner of the right of way in that area, decides that they don’t want high speed trains too close to their tracks. I don’t see why this would happen, but it makes sense to plan for it. People freak out and think a decision has been made when it hasn’t.

By: Spokker

Spokker — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:42:28 +0000

HSR “done right,” as if the European method is the only way of doing things.

There are pros and cons for both approaches.

By: Reality Check

Reality Check — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:08:48 +0000

I’ve known Tolmach since around 1990. AFAIK, he’s always been a big fan of HSR. While he’s clearly and rabidly anti-HSRA, I still think he’s a genuine fan of HSR done “right”. Many of his acolytes, however, are “concern trolls” and secretly or overtly want nothing more than to kill HSR (or at least as long as it goes anywhere near a backyard or city they are psychologically or otherwise “invested” in). Concern trolls, hiding behind this or that seemingly civic-minded “concern” … are just ordinary NIMBYs or antis too cowardly (or cunning) to admit to the world what their real agenda or motivations are.

By: Andre Peretti

Andre Peretti — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:52:27 +0000

The population/TGV-ridership ratio is meaningless. More than half of the French population have no access to a TGV line and many ordinary trains run at more than 110mph. They would be called “high-speed” in America. They are almost as fast as the TGV for shorter distances, and cheaper because the regions subsidize them.
The SNCF’s yearly ridership is a little over 1 billion. Many of these riders would use the TGV if no other fast train was available. They should be taken into account when making comparisons.
Seen in that light, CAHSRA’s ridership predictions look more than credible.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:20:48 +0000

The problem isn’t private investment. Remember – the TGV was funded by selling bonds on Wall Street. The problem is high interest rates. If the feds or the state guarantee low-interest loans, then it doesn’t matter who provides the money. If they don’t, then you can expect CAHSR to perform about as well as THSR and the Channel Tunnel.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:18:50 +0000

I don’t think BNSF would do that – overall it’s been fairly accommodating to passenger rail. (However, it opposes the PTC mandate, like all the other railroads).

It’s UP that’s against passenger rail.

By: Bianca

Bianca — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:17:16 +0000

As High Speed Rail moves forward in California, there are going to be a lot of situations where the perfect is the enemy of the good, and concern trolls will attempt to position themselves as supporting the concept while opposing its implementation. Tolmach is the favorite “expert” these Trojans like to trot out to make their case.