Palo Alto HSR Hearing On Thursday
A reminder that this Thursday evening, the California State Senate Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on high speed rail in Palo Alto:
7PM Thursday, January 21
Palo Alto City Council chambers
250 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA
The driving force behind this hearing is committee member Senator Joe Simitian, whose district includes Palo Alto. Here’s what Simitian had to say to the Mercury News about the meeting:
“I’m looking forward to hearing what folks have to say,” Simitian said in a statement. “I see this meeting as an opportunity to clear the air on an issue that evokes strong feelings on all sides. As I’ve often said, I support high-speed rail — as long as it’s done right. That means making sure the project has the capacity to succeed, and it means responding to local concerns in a meaningful way.”
The hearing will include a presentation from Jeff Barker of the CHSRA and Bob Doty of CHSRA/Caltrans, and representatives from cities will be able to speak as well. There will be a public comment period of 2 minutes per person, and Simitian has pledged to give every citizen in attendance a chance to speak. In other words, this is probably going to go much like the Menlo Park Town Hall, although people will be able to make statements and won’t necessarily have to phrase it in the form of a question. Since this is a state legislative hearing, anyone is able to attend and speak, it’s not limited to people in Simitian’s district.
Already the HSR opponents are organizing to stack the hearing with their people in order to try and show the other legislators that the Peninsula hates HSR and that there is some sort of huge opposition. We may not be able to outnumber them Thursday night. But HSR supporters in the Bay Area ought to make an effort to attend. Your voice is needed.
HSR supporters will be organizing in other ways, as you’ll find out tomorrow. But for right now, if you don’t have any plans for Thursday night, I’ll see you in Palo Alto. And before you complain about the distance, consider that I’ll be driving up from Monterey, which is further away from Palo Alto than most Bay Area cities.
Why do opponents think that if they can pack a town hall and scream loudly, that somehow they’ll stop a project that’s supported by the vast majority of voters in their own county? Anyhow, let them scream and kick all they want, because HSR is coming!
HSRforCali Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 7:13 am
The problem is the media seems to like to believe negative things these days. And it’s easy to turn people’s minds these days, even the HSR supporters. So we need to be there with a voice that’s just as loud if not louder.
Born in Palo Alto, raised in Palo Alto and work in Palo Alto — and totally supportive of high speed rail. So I’ll be there. It’s been too long since I’ve seen Bob Doty in action.
Wish I didn’t have class until after 7 that day.
“Bob Doty of CHSRA/Caltrans (sic)”
Bob Doty is with Caltrain no?
I’ll be driving up from Monterey
…too bad you couldn’t take the train…
Robert Cruickshank Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
That would be a godsend.
Peter Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Any news on Caltrain to Salinas?
Robert Cruickshank Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Things are in a bit of limbo. Caltrain isn’t ready yet to enter into a funding agreement, largely because of state funding concerns. The Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) is taking a second look at extending the Capitol Corridor to Salinas, but right now their priority is Caltrain.
The towns along the hsr elevated will just have to pay the price – the wealthy and the services they patronize will relocate, some out of reach of the sights and sounds of the railway, and others out of the area entirely.
On the other hand, if my surmise is correct, the adjustment may even not be that noticeable. If, as I believe, the US is moving towards impoverishment rather than greater affluence all of these towns are headed toward rustbelt-like decay anyway, and the noisy berms and elevateds will blend right in, along the lines of eastern big cities on the skids.
Peter Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
“the wealthy and the services they patronize,” which have coexisted with the railroad for decades … Why would they move?
You still make no sense.
synonymouse Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
They have been co-existing with a dinky little occasional commute operation not an overhead 4-track mainline with 125mph trains in constant operation.
Judging from the level of opposition in downtown Palo Alto it sure looks like a lot of businesses look to saying adios rather than face the blight and din of an elevated railway. And we’re not even talking about the years of construction disruption.
Of course the tycoons are miles away, in the hills. Even Bechtel can’t engineer anything that loud.
Alon Levy Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
People always complain about els. Then property values go up and they stop complaining.
Brian Stanke Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Wow, so you think New York city has been “on the skids” the last decade? And that Palo Alto is on the road to be being “rust belt”? What big heavy industry factories are in Palo Alto to rust?
If you have completely given up on California’s future and see nothing but inevitable decline that explains your position. After all why bother investing in the future if everything will decline anyway?
Us high speed rail supporters still believe in a brighter future for our state. We support HSR as a crucial investment towards making that better future. That is why is is worth the cost and effort. That is why we will win. Most Californians believe a better future is possible and worth the effort.
http://www.ca4hsr.org
I’ll be there.
I question if Bechtel will really want berms in the final analysis. You have to ask why BART, spawn of Bechtel, has not gone for them.
Suggestions to tunnel on the Peninsula have brought to surface horror stories about underground water, etc., etc. Add seismic activity to that list of worries. Them why would you want to construct massive retaining walls and then fill them full of diirt? Both will subside under the weight, helped by the vibration of trains at 125mph; in a temblor the walls will crack and the fill liquefy.
And if you bolt your rails to a concrete structure, way less maintenance. Plus you can park cars underneath, helping to pay for the union’s ten-something personal days- provided, of course, you have the right to search all the cars’ for explosive devices..
Alon Levy Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Japan has plenty of rail tunnels at 270 km/h in seismically active areas.
dejv Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 5:35 am
> And if you bolt your rails to a concrete structure, way less maintenance.
Ever heard about slab track?
Peter Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 9:00 am
You’re still smoking crack if you think trains at 125 mph cause strong vibrations. Is there anything you say that you DON’T make up?
Hell, I’d rather be on a berm than on an elevated in an earthquake any day. Berm isn’t going to collapse. Even if you say it will.
In that case the Penisula is quite within its rights to demand tunnels.
Alon Levy Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Um, why? Those tunnels are expensive. Japan builds tunnels because it’s too mountainous to build at-grade lines with high curve radius. The Peninsula does not have this problem.
spokker Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
There’s a fucking tube that trains race through on the bottom of the Bay. During the Loma Prieta earthquake the damn thing was up and running after the quake while freeways were crumbling.
If the ridership estimates and the cost estimates are bullshit because BECHTEL/PB/BART CONSPIRACY, then it also follows that the goddamn thing will hold up in an earthquake.
Peter Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 9:01 am
You forgot the Pelosi-Machine.
synonymouse Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Naah – the Pelosi-Machine is too busy trying to make sure BART employees don’t have their cadillac health plan taxed.
jimsf Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 10:20 am
wow you need to fix the scratch on that record.
Peter Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 10:37 am
To bad it’s a record. If it was a CD it wouldn’t be able to play at all.