Comments on: MTC Study Shows HSR Will Succeed In California

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:49:59 +0000

Meh. I didn’t grow up in the ghetto, so I’m not used to wanton violence. When people talk about how great it is that they grew up in Brooklyn and learned to be tough the hard way, I cringe; it’s basically ghetto values repackaged in ethnic white terms.

The corruption in American construction is the same. I’m sorry, but I’m used to competence. I’m used to subway systems that make efforts to make the transfers easy, instead of build the most difficult transfers possible on the grounds that every city has bad transfers. I’m used to construction that costs $250-500 million per km (and was admittedly shocked to see Spain does it for $80), not $600-1,700. I didn’t grow up amidst corruption, so I don’t really feel the need to idealize it.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:16:48 +0000

I’d much rather be on a berm in an earthquake than in a tunnel. *Shudder*

By: jimsf

jimsf — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:00:52 +0000

1) there has to be a demand from the public, especially the neighborhoods involved, and it has to be loud and clear enough that the city will make it a priority. 2) there has to be money. Right now we are facing cuts, laying off drivers, raising fares, eliminating runs and routes, etc. This will all turn around when we enter another boom period in the economy and tax revenue starts flowing again. Central subway is first, followed by van ness and geary brt, and they plan to do something with 16th street as well. once those projects are completed, they will look at what to do next.

By: Joey

Joey — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:48:28 +0000

Come to think of it, they aren’t even trying a phased approach. Rather than actually doing the environmental work for the rest of the corridor now, they’re just digging the tunnels a little bit farther with the vague possibility that it could be extended in the future. Things take time, sure, but they never happen if you don’t make them happen.

By: jimsf

jimsf — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:05:33 +0000

maybe, but don’t worry, a hundred years will fly by before you know it. Just try to keep busy. And with advances in medicine, you’ll be around to see it. But remember, a watched pot never boils. : (

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:20:35 +0000

And still the cost per km is about on a par with subways in Japan with 10-car trains, going under more complex underground subway complexes than Market.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:17:49 +0000

Jim, BART is inherently more expensive than the L – the proprietary technology makes everything more expensive. In addition, the SFO extension involved unnecessary underground construction whereas the L is an el.

By: Joey

Joey — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:26:45 +0000

We’re going to be waiting 100 years anyway…

By: Joey

Joey — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:23:15 +0000

Heh … the 3 track/2 platform terminal is eerily similar to BART’s

By: jimsf

jimsf — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:33:53 +0000

I took this once to ohare… their subway dead ends at the airport like sfo. I wonder why its successful…assuming it is…. it worked fine. though I don’t remember how far i had to walk …. that airport is huge.