San Francisco Chronicle/Los Angeles Times, 11/13/12. "Calif bullet train route will be engineering feat."
"It is the project of the century," said Bill Ibbs, a civil engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley who has worked on high-speed rail projects around the world.
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| Terrain.org, Graph from California High-Speed Rail Authority |
The $68 billion first phase of the project is expected to run more than 500 miles between San Francisco and the Los Angeles and Anaheim areas by 2029. Eventually, supporters hope for high-speed lines running all the way from Sacramento to San Diego.
Conditions set for the project say it must be able to reach San Francisco from Los Angeles in no more than 2 hours and 40 minutes. The top speed for the Bakersfield-to-LA segment could be 220 mph.
In September, the Federal Railroad Administration approved construction of the first segment, a 65-mile stretch from Merced to Fresno in the Central Valley. Construction is expected to begin next year.
California hasn't considered such an immense north-south rail link since the 1870s, when Southern Pacific Railroad bored through the Tehachapis. Thousands of Chinese laborers dug and dynamited the way up and through the mountains, creating 18 tunnels on a route that climbed more than 4,000 feet.
13 comments:
These people lie like a rug.
It will be closer to a 3.5 hour trip, you still have to arrive early and go through security screening as well as check your bag. if it's oversized just like you do on planes. The total cost with overruns is unknown.
I voted for this and now regret it. (Like medical marijuana.) The money would be better spent on things like BART or LA's Metro.
"I voted for this and now regret it." Steve Sinai, 10:39 PM
And I would vote for the bullet train again, especially if the Federal Government is willing to cost share. Probably vote for making marijuana legal (similar to the states of Washington and Colorado), tax it of course. Spend money to expand local rail. But, reject the wasted money spent on the weekend shuttle coming to Pacifica, unless the reason its coming to Pacifica is inadequate parking spaces on Devil's slide. Even so, that solutions is build more parking spaces.
Southwest to SoCal less then 100 bucks.
45 minutes.
The Pacifica devil slide shuttle will be shuttered after the first year.
Maybe we can schedule shuttle parties. eyeroll
Steve Sinai said...
I voted for this and now regret it. (Like medical marijuana.) The money would be better spent on things like BART or LA's Metro.
November 14, 2012 10:39 PM
Medical Marijuana was a good idea that was poorly written. Anyone with a tooth ache, who just clipped their nails, who couldn't sleep etc etc went down to the pot store talked to the quak doctor and got a card.
For Medical reasons I would fully support it. For every stoner in town no.
Kathy Meeh said...
"I voted for this and now regret it." Steve Sinai, 10:39 PM
And I would vote for the bullet train again, especially if the Federal Government is willing to cost share. Probably vote for making marijuana legal (similar to the states of Washington and Colorado), tax it of course. Spend money to expand local rail. But, reject the wasted money spent on the weekend shuttle coming to Pacifica, unless the reason its coming to Pacifica is inadequate parking spaces on Devil's slide. Even so, that solutions is build more parking spaces.
November 14, 2012 11:37 PM
Meeh, What part of the State and the Federal Goverment is broke don't you understand?
And you want to add more debt?
You missed your calling on the fiscally challenged Pacifica city council.
Tax n spend tax n spend
Nope Anon 8:23 AM, after you added my entire response to Steve's comment, you've mischaracterized my view once again.
I'm talking about state vision (accommodating greater population and transportation management). BTW, the measure was approved by the voters in 2008. And the project is underway, supported by State and Federal funding (as these monies become available). The projected completion timeline for the entire project is 20-40 years out.
And what are you talking about? Best I can tell, you're taking ALL NONSENSE. Think putting your money under a rock is planning for the future. Boring!
If completion of this bullet-train project is 30 years out then there may very well be a ridership for it. The money pumped into the economy during and after construction through business and jobs will be important to CA. Most of us on here will be taking the big dirt nap by then. Since the gov't is so clearly looking for those big, infrastructure projects that transformed this country during and after the Great Depression, how about billions to fix the levies in CA Central and Sacto Valleys? With changing weather and harsher winters they could fail any time with truly catastrophic consequences to people, the nation's food supply and the economy. Repairing them would also take decades and create more business and more jobs.
@823 If you like things the way they are, then never spend another dime, watch things deteriorate, and your quality of life stagnate or decline. An individual can choose to go that way but government cannot. A bumpy road, but one we have to travel.
Agree Anon 1116, there are many critical issues that are not getting addressed in this state.
We face a severe water shortage in the near future. All we would need is 4 years of drought for lake Mead to be a mud pit. Roads, bridges and infrastructure are ready to collapse. And yes if the levy system fails as experts say it will then we are in deep shit.
It seems a folly such as high speed rail is a luxury we just can't afford.
Is it a luxury or just something that some of us cannot see the need for because it will be used decades in the future? I think these big job-generators partially bankrolled by the feds are important to CA and the country. We need many more of them or we face crippling infrastructure problems.
what does this have to do with Pacifica??
If I take the bullet train to LA will I have to rent a car to get around LA once I get there.. or should I plan on dragging my suitcase on the bus?
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