Weekend Update
Lots going on in the HSR world this Saturday, particularly in Washington DC.
Early this morning, at 1:35 AM Pacific Time, the Republican-controlled House passed HR 1, the bill to fund the federal government. It includes some stunning cuts, including total elimination of high speed rail funding and the US Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. It is not immediately clear whether this rescinds the $8 billion in HSR stimulus funding, as Jeff Denham had originally proposed, or whether this just hits at the annual HSR appropriation.
Either way, it’s a sign of how dangerously deluded the House has become under Republican control. HSR is a bipartisan project – in California many Republicans and most Democrats support it, including the leaders of the Republican caucuses in the state legislature – but in Congress, a highly ideological and out of touch with reality group of Republican legislators have decided that America should never build or innovate anything again, and that we must instead cling to 20th century methods that the rest of the globe – and many Americans – no longer want as their only option. I know that many HSR advocates want to be cautious about how we deal with partisan politics, and that’s fair, but we also have to realize that when the House was in Democratic hands, HSR was very strongly supported.
President Obama has pledged to veto this Republican bill – but he is NOT opposed to the concept of cuts in general. The key is the inevitable negotiations between the House, the Senate, and the president over what cuts will be agreed to. I expect Obama to fight hard to keep HSR funding.
Meanwhile, Republican Congressman John Mica is trying to keep Florida high speed rail alive – but only in a much shorter form:
U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, floated a proposal to dramatically shrink the project to an Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World link, cutting Tampa and Lakeland out of the mix, for now.
Mica, who chairs the House transportation committee, said an initial 21-mile starter train, with a stop at the Orange County Convention Center, shows the best ridership potential and could even turn a profit. Some portion of the $2.4 billion in federal grant money would flow to Orange and Osceola counties and the city of Orlando. The three governments would forge a compact to solicit bids and oversee construction of the project and other partner governments could be added later, he said.
The shorter distance likely would take much of the high speed out of high-speed rail in Florida. The trains have to travel several miles to reach speeds of 160 mph or more and slow down well in advance of stops.
This would basically be a train to take people from Orlando Airport to Disney World. Which is fine, but it’s clearly much less useful than a link to Tampa, and would do little to relieve traffic on the Interstate 4 corridor. On the other hand, a starter line might keep the concept of HSR alive long enough for the larger project to Tampa to be revived once the federal government is free of the Tea Party insanity. As a West Coast-based HSR advocate, I won’t presume to tell Floridians what to do here, and Florida politicians are promising to fight to overturn Governor Rick Scott’s decision to end the project:
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, shared a legal opinion from Tampa City Attorney Chip Fletcher. It contends that there are a variety of ways local governments could team up to create an umbrella government to accept grant money and oversee the rail project. And Fletcher’s opinion states that either the Florida Department of Transportation or the Legislature could assign the federal grant money over to the newly created agency.
On the other hand, the threatened revolt in the legislature to override Scott on HSR is fading as quickly as it began, with Republican legislators backing off their earlier threats to pick a fight (presumably they all received calls from the Koch Brothers and other oil company barons threatening their future political prospects if they tried to restore the project). US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has given Florida a one-week reprieve to try and figure out a solution before he redirects funding to other states.
The clock is ticking. While I hope Florida can work this out – their HSR project is a very good one and deserves to be built – it’s time for other states to get ready in case LaHood calls time and starts redirecting the funding.
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson is trying to work out a deal with Gov. Scott.
Since Scott’s objections appear idological and not financial it does not seem likely he will accept any deal.
BruceMcF Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 9:47 am
We know that Disney wants the corridor. The question is how much they want it. The Oil Billionaires are not the only ones who can generate Republican primary challenges, after all.
YesonHSR Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 10:50 am
He’ll be willing to let this be destroyed simply to appease his teabag supporters and throw mud in Obama’s face.. no matter what they come up with, This ideologue will not sign off on it.. and use the excuse that it’s being done to help the federal deficit by returning the money… knowing full well that is going to go somewhere else and hopefully to us.. No I am not at all happy that the project in Florida will be killed, we really needed that section to be built and Micas support. As for that little 20 mile demonstration line I’m down on that.. talk about a toy train ride and really they should do a maglev demonstration project at that point
synonymouse Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 11:52 am
You have to wonder why the gurus at Disney have not picked up on the maglev idea. Monorail is so 19th century. It is clear the public is fascinated with maglev.
Joey Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Though the concept of monorail dates back to the 19th century, it only became popular as a Cold-War era retro wet dream.
Peter Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Monorail enthusiasts at least aren’t quite as obsessed as PRT foamers.
Spokker Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Disney has no interest in either monorails or maglevs.
Their preferred method of resort transportation consists of rubber wheels on asphalt. They are even making new attractions based on automobiles (see Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers).
Test Track is especially boring. Autopia was created when Interstates were a novel idea. Now it’s just sad.
Risenmessiah Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Now, that’s not quite true. Disney abandoned the monorail project I believe because the released the upkeep on the system didn’t quite jive with falling oil prices in the 1980s. I believe many of those trams used for parking are electric, but I could be wrong.
Still, the way Disney looks at it is that they could give a rip about it servicing the airport. But serving Tampa, and Orlando and other areas in their direct footprint are good because it helps drive more local business to parks. I think Mica and Co. want the airport, not downtown Orlando to be the HSR hub because of the region’s dependence on tourism. (Although I’d point out that the single largest destination for Orlando travelers is Atlanta…which is only some 500 miles away and easily served by HSR.)
Spokker Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
The trams at Disneyland operate on natural gas (since they are open air, you get a great big whiff of exhaust if you sit near the driver. There is an effort to operate them off of canola oil or some shit but I don’t know if they made the changeover yet. I don’t even know the details. I’m just posting recklessly from memory.
The steam trains that circle the park operate on recycled vegetable oil now. That I’m certain of.
adirondacker12800 Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
They’ve been building maglev demo lines on and off for 30 years or so.
Donk Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 7:41 am
Maglev demonstration? Yeah if they want to blow all $4B on 25 miles instead of using $4B to go 90 miles to Tampa. If the whole point of the demonstration is to cut capital and operating costs, then Maglev is clearly the wrong way to go.
Wad Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Do not call teabaggery an “ideology”. The root of the word, ideo-, comes from ideas.
Teabaggers aren’t ideological for the same way arsonists aren’t ideological. Momentum and action for a teabagger is what fire is to the arsonists: the means and the end all in one.
With GOP HSR backers like John Mica in the House, and Obama championing HSR himself, I don’t see HSR funding being cut like some of the Tea Baggers want. Cuts will have to come from other programs.
YesonHSR Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Lets see if they can get that simple 1billion put back in for this year..tho they may be gearing up for the real fight and thats the 53billion for HSR in the Traspo bill, and yes it Obama himself that wants this thats why these SOBs are trying like hell to kill this funding program
I want to see that budget bill be reconciled with the Senate’s version… overwhelming force, please meet immovable object. A government shutdown is virtually guaranteed at this point.
Robert Cruickshank Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 10:16 am
Oh totally. I have no doubts at all that we will see a government shutdown. And that’s where we’ll learn what Obama is really made of.
Clem Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 10:39 am
Maybe he can finally reveal the teabaggers for what they are: tools of the oligarchy
Spokker Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Why aren’t we looking at defense spending and entitlements?
My congresswoman Loretta Sanchez sent out an email that cemented her support for high speed rail and defense spending cuts. She wants defense spending at 2008 levels.
Alon Levy Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Defense spending, because it’s unpatriotic not to overspend on being able to nuke Russia 10 times over, or something. Entitlements, because SS already pays starvation pensions, and doing anything to Medicare is death panels.
Clem Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
The entire budget “crisis” can be summed up in two charts.
Exhibit A: rich people’s income
Exhibit B: rich people’s tax rates
Peter Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Bu-bu-bu-but, the rich people take their tax savings and use it to create jobs!!!!!
Oh, wait.
adirondacker12800 Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
And if you make the tax rates too high they will all convert it to cash and stuff it in their mattresses
Peter Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
I’ll believe that when I see it.
adirondacker12800 Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
so will I. 60 percent of something ( a 40% tax rate ) is better than 100 percent of nothing ( what you earn by stuffing cash in your mattress )
adirondacker12800 Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
There are no term limits in the US Congress. Some of the Republicans there, were there the last time they tried shutting down the government. Not sending out Grandma’s Social Security EFT went over reallllll well.
Spokker Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Don’t they remember that letting the government shut down backfired and benefited Clinton?
Victor Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Speaker Boehner doesn’t care, He said “So be It“.
adirondacker12800 Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
all those people who want to keep the guvmint out of their Medicare are going to realllllly realllllly annoyed when their Social Security checks don’t arrive.
Joe Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Boehner can’t control his members. They defunded his 400M F-35 engine earmark.
The Speaker is following his freshmen members lead, he’s trapped.
And by taking the week off and making the time line impossible, Republicans are positioning themselves to blame the shutdown on Democrats.
Peter Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 10:40 am
I’m willing to wager that the fact that the teabaggers refused to negotiate with the Senate on any issue is going to put the blame on them.
synonymouse Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Most all Repubs oppose the stimulus concept as ineffective in our era and hsr is pure stimulus. Therefore I doubt there will be much GOP opposition to pulling hsr funding. There are other programs that are more important politically to individual Republicans.
The teabaggers feel that time is on their side and the decision to spurn hsr funds will be seen as a wise move eventually. They know that hsr has been professionally flacked to the public and that accordingly:
1. It will costs considerably more to build.
2. Patronage will not meet expectations, once the honeymoon is over.
3. Union demands will inflate significant operating deficits.
Plus it is a real possibility the US is entering a prolonged economic funk, wherein it will be hard pressed to subsidize existing Amtrak operations let alone Stilt-A-Rail. The teabaggers see the odds as being on their side.
tony d. Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
This wouldn’t be a thread without some BS from mouse. FYI, the Tea Party movement has already awaken the regular folk of
Wisconsin; the rest of the nation will be wakened very soon.
On Feb 16, Rep Jeff Denham (R-Atwater, Ca) withdrew his amendment restricting Federal HSR stimulus money in California. His press release says “in exchange for significant oversight” by Hous Subcommittee on Railroads. http://denham.house.gov/press-release/rep-denham-secures-aggressive-oversight-ca-high-speed-rail-project
Denham is bringing Reps John Mica and Bill Shuster to UC Merced on Feb 22 for a transportation infrastructure “listening session.” Shuster chairs the subcommittee on railroads, pipelines, and hazardous materials. Some believe it will be a high speed rail bashing session. Reservations required. Call Denham’s district office. http://denham.house.gov/press-release/representative-denham-host-transportation-infrastructure-listening-session-fresno-ca
YesonHSR Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Yes like trying to get the money spent on 6 lanes for Hyw99…thats “his” session..to think all of this would be not happening if last Nov more than 42% of the voters had cared to show up for the future.
Victor Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
As I’d said on the Phone, Both the Legislature and a Majority of Californians are for HSR, California won’t spend the money for HSR on Hwy99. Plus our Governor is for HSR, As was Ahnold who’s now going back to acting(Thankfully), Such a measure is real Government Waste.
If a foreign company operates CAHSR, do the employees qualify for the same benefits as state employees? With full pensions backed by the tax payers if their investments go down like it happened in recent years? or will they loose like all of us did during the same period? REAL QUESTION!!!
Peter Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
We don’t have that information at this point, since we don’t know who the operator is going to be.
Gianny Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Thanks. I strongly support CHSR, as I have experienced Thalys, TGV, ICE All of them last year and AVE this year!!!
Andre Peretti Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 7:10 pm
The only company I know of that didn’t conform to local regulations and uses is Ryanair.
Its 300 Marseille employees were registered in Ireland although they lived and worked in France.
When French authorities told Michael O’Leary he would be fined for illegal work practices unless he regularized their situation, he fired them all and closed the Marseille-Paris line. He said conforming to French labor laws with paid vacation time, health service contributions and pension packages would have made the line uncompetitive.
The airport’s management had closed their eyes on the irregularities because Ryanair was the only airline still willing to compete with the TGV. They were very angry with the bureaucrats’ “idiotic zeal”.
Alon Levy Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Andre, is this recent? And does this mean there’s no longer any Paris-Marseille air service?
Andre Peretti Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 8:03 am
The decision was made in October 2010 and took effect on Jan 1st 2011.
You can still fly to Paris. There are 16 daily departures, mostly Air France.
If you google “Ryanair Marseille-Paris” you get: “Sorry, we don’t operate this route at the moment”.
In fact, Ryanair announced two days ago their intention to reopen their Marseille base and resume flights before summer. Which led many people to think the whole thing was just typical O’Leary bluff to extract more money from local authorities.
A situation likely to puzzle the likes of Randall O’Toole and Wendel Cox: a low-cost airline getting hidden subsidies to compete with unsubsidized rail. Surprising, no?
In spite of Ryanair’s competition the TGV has 84% market share on Marseille-Paris, and could have more if parking at SNCF stations were less of a ripp-off.
This proves that on a 470 miles distance not even an airline boasting €19.95 fares can beat HSR.
adirondacker12800 Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 8:20 am
Doesn’t RyanAir use an obscure airport 60 miles and an hour or so bus ride outside of Paris?
Andre Peretti Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Yes, it’s the Beauvais airport. It’s no-frills, low-tax and dedicated to low-cost airlines.
Ryanair used to call it “Paris” until the EU commission judged it deceptive. They now call it “Paris Beauvais”. It’s legal but still deceptive as it seems to imply Beauvais is a Paris airport.
The flight is 1h20 but the downtown to downtown trip may take up to 5 hours and you arrive tired. With the TGV it’s 3 hours and you arrive as fresh as a daisy.
Peter Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Ryanair? Deceptive? Never!
Andre Peretti Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
I meant “can’t beat HSR”
Wad Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Gianny, it would likely be determined by a collective bargaining agreement or something equal or better than organized labor’s market price.
Wages and rules will be union scale. If the retirement package will be a traditional pension or 401(k) depends on the winning contractor. A legacy operator will likely have pensions; a new upstart operator would give a 401(k) with matching contributions.
The starter line may not be so bad. It might be like our very own “train to nowhere” in that before construction even starts, money comes in to fund the rest. Who knows, maybe in 2015 before orlando-tampa even opens, theyll have money lined up to start getting to Miami?
Donk Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 7:37 am
Orlando starter line = Shanghai/Pudong Airport Maglev. Both go/would go to the airport and neither goes/would go downtown. Pudong Maglev = Failure. By extension, Orlando starter line = Failure.
adirondacker12800 Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 7:53 am
But someday, as in 2020 or 2025 it’s going to go to Miami. And someday to Jacksonville.
The House H.R. 1 bill is available on-line. There are a muddled mess of amendments that may change some of this, but I will leave it to others to figure those out. But it is not good news for transit or passenger rail in general. Amtrak does not get zeroed out, but HSIPR and Tiger get clobbered for FY11 and FY10.
The FY2011 funding is zeroed for HSIPR, Tiger, FRA Railroad safety program, FTA grants for energy efficiency, and the $150 million the federal govt is supposed to provide to the Washington DC Metro system for capital funding.
The unobligated funds for the FY2010 $2.5 billion for HSIPR, $600 million for Tiger, $50 million for FRA railroad safety, and $78 million for FRA Capital Assistance to States Intercity Passenger Rail Service are all rescinded. Which is pretty much all of the FY10 HSIPR and Tiger grants because few or none of them have been obligated yet. So it this comes to pass, besides the CA and FL HSR FY10 grants, no funding for Chicago to Iowa City, Michigan for Chi-Detroit corridor, New Haven to Springfield, CA to buy new rolling stock, Surfliner corridor projects, NY state, NC, VA for engineering and Tier II EIS for the DC to Richmond corridor.
The FY2011 funding for Amtrak capital and debt service grants is cut to $850 million, down from $1 billion in FY2010, and the $1.2 billion that was in the House appropriations for Amtrak FY11 capital & debt last year. Didn’t see any mention of the Amtrak operating subsidy.
If I read this correctly, all of the unobligated HSIPR stimulus funds would be rescinded: ” SEC. 3001. (a) There are hereby rescinded all unobligated balances remaining available as of February 11, 2011, of the discretionary appropriations provided by division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–5). ” Which would be most of the HSIPR stimulus funds for WA, NY state, NC, CT, FL HSR, MO, PA projects.
Of course, the Senate is going to reject most of these cuts. Odds are high for a government shutdown before FY11 funding is resolved.
Elizabeth Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 8:03 am
Does the FY2010 zeroed out amounts inlude the $715 million for California that did not end up get contracted by year end?
Alan F Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 8:59 am
Yes, since none of the FY2010 HSIPR funding is listed as obligated (see http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/HSIPR/462.shtml). Only $4.28 billion of the $8 billion of HSIPR stimulus and FY09 planning funding has been obligated. The California HSR and Illinois Chicago to St. Louis projects are the only big projects that have been obligated from the stimulus funding and thus have some protection. Most or all of the funding to Washington state, FL, NY, SC, MA, CT, MD, VA, MI, MO, Chicago CREATE projects has not been obligated yet and thus would be rescinded if the House bill were to be enacted.
What I don’t know is whether in the flurry of amendments, if any of the rescissions were removed.
peninsula Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 10:42 am
what does obligated mean in this context. When are funds obligated because construction contracts are not entered into yet, so how are these funds in California considered obligated?
Elizabeth Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Funds get obligated when the FRA signs an actual contract. The big hurry at the end of the year was to get the contracts signed. We were quite surprised when the actual contract (on the website) was only for the ARRA monies, not the $715 million in 2010 funds. The Fresno Bee had a short article on it:
http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/12/2230705/high-speed-rail-funds-on-way-to.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/world/asia/18rail.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
And now for a little update on the people who CHRSA are attempting to sell their (our) souls to for HSR at any cost.
Drunk Engineer Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 10:56 pm
To my knowledge:
Nobody has gone to jail over Big Dig problems.
Nobody lost their job over massive Bay Bridge cost overruns
The person responsible for VTA light rail boondoggle got promoted to CHSRA Board
Maybe the Chinese just have higher expectations on accountability?
Well gas in CA is now upwards of $3.50/gal in LA. Remember in 2008, the #1 reason that Prop 1A and Measure R (in LA) passed was because we just went thru a gasoline spike. Our best chance of getting the $53B for HSR through, as well as a favorable transportation bill this year, is to have another gas spike. (although maybe spike is the wrong word, since it will not go back down again)
D. P. Lubic Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
I concur. . .and isn’t it just awful that to get an improvement of this scale that we have to hope for a disaster to our fellow citizens, and to us?
SF Gate v(ideo)blog in favor of HSR: Bad Laditude