tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post7755647326489325562..comments2023-10-30T09:03:07.163-07:00Comments on California High Speed Rail Blog: Ray LaHood: California and Florida Most Likely To Receive HSR FundsRobert Cruickshankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06906581839066570472noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-27903586333197212862009-05-11T13:19:00.000-07:002009-05-11T13:19:00.000-07:00I'm curious how much funding will be needed for LA...I'm curious how much funding will be needed for LA-Bakersfield.<br /><br />As far as I can tell, that's the "minimum operable high speed segment", which is capable of earning money (being high speed and all that) before the rest is complete. Mayyybe LA-Irvine is in the same category but it sounds a lot harder to build and a lot more redundant with existing transportation and a lot less high speed.<br /><br />LA-Bakersfield, although complicated and expensive, would be time-competitive with buses over the Grapevine in this very busy travel market -- and extending the line north through the Central Valley from there would be relatively straightforward and would continuously add revenue.neroden@gmailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07475686367097445497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-11955953648199002362009-05-11T13:11:00.000-07:002009-05-11T13:11:00.000-07:00Rrrgh. I was hoping North Carolina (with very fir...Rrrgh. I was hoping North Carolina (with very firmly developed, though very modest) plans would be considered "ahead of the curve"; likewise the Cascades; and likewise the Milwaukee-Madison and Chicago-Detroit parts of the Midwest corridor. Mostly they're fairly conservative designs, but there's a *lot* of contractor-ready stuff there.neroden@gmailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07475686367097445497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-68855850876436090992009-05-10T15:04:00.000-07:002009-05-10T15:04:00.000-07:00BS not a chance it would pass...
The same whinny n...BS not a chance it would pass...<br />The same whinny nimbys ..ie your type were cying before Nov 4th and it passed..With Wall street improving and the rail stimulis money Prop1A would pass by an even larger amount.NOnimbysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-89365066711386515552009-05-10T11:46:00.000-07:002009-05-10T11:46:00.000-07:00Edit: Held up by the state budget.Edit: Held up by the state budget.Spokkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03244298044953214810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-80823326277453408602009-05-10T11:45:00.000-07:002009-05-10T11:45:00.000-07:00"Of course 6 months ago there was no effort to tun..."Of course 6 months ago there was no effort to tunnel along the peninsula either, and Burlingame was not saying either give us a tunnel tunnel or don't build."<br /><br />The mid-peninsula cities are hardly the center of the state, and I'm sure the rest of the state, or even the rest of the Bay Area for that matter, hell, even the rest of those cities, couldn't care less about the trials and tribulations of the mid-peninsula.<br /><br />"Do you think 80% of SF voters would have still voted for Prop 1A knowing this was the intention of the Authority?"<br /><br />Yeah, because they are the same people who want to remove cars from Market Street and tear down freeways. These are the hippies who vote for high speed rail despite some blemishes. <br /><br />Six months ago, we knew that the CHSRA chose the evil Pacheco pass route. The Bay Area, including the East Bay, still voted for it, despite some commentators predicting Prop 1A would fail for just that reason.<br /><br />"How many falsehoods is the Authority permitted to preach -- "I promise a business plan on Oct 1st" --- Kopp before the Senate committee last summer."<br /><br />A factoid, repeated often enough, becomes true. The business plan was held up the state budget. The CHSRA cannot produce a business plan unless it has the proper resources to do it.Spokkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03244298044953214810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-15734255110820100442009-05-10T11:29:00.000-07:002009-05-10T11:29:00.000-07:00Rafael writes:
"California postponed the ballot i...Rafael writes:<br /><br />"California postponed the ballot initiative twice, but there is no significant demand for canceling it altogether."<br /><br />Of course 6 months ago there was no effort to tunnel along the peninsula either, and Burlingame was not saying either give us a tunnel tunnel or don't build.<br /><br />Of course 6 months ago, Kopp wasn't saying we won't go to the TransBay terminal -- King street is close enough. Do you think 80% of SF voters would have still voted for Prop 1A knowing this was the intention of the Authority? How many falsehoods is the Authority permitted to preach -- "I promise a business plan on Oct 1st" --- Kopp before the Senate committee last summer.<br /><br />I'd love to see a vote now on Prop 1A. Not a chance it would pass...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-18119790819915395972009-05-09T22:07:00.000-07:002009-05-09T22:07:00.000-07:00Just because $33 billion was in the budget doesn't...Just because $33 billion was in the budget doesn't mean that the cost is anywhere close to that. I don't know about the southern legs, but they will be lucky to get the northern parts done at twice budgeted cost, and that is not presuming tunneling the whole Peninsula.<br /><br />Right now there are no ROW costs for the entire ROW down to Gilroy (and south of SJ HSR is missing a strip 40-100 feet wide), no money for Caltrain electrification, no money for temporary ROW etc etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-38120057448729295682009-05-09T14:36:00.000-07:002009-05-09T14:36:00.000-07:00Rafael said...
"I'm not so sure LaHood's preferenc...Rafael said...<br />"<I>I'm not so sure LaHood's preference for Florida is all that great an idea. The state was far along in its planning but then canceled the idea. California postponed the ballot initiative twice, but there is no significant demand for canceling it altogether.</I>"<br /><br />Its a very clever idea ... add the California and Florida delegations together, and the log roll possibilities become just that much easier.<br /><br />If California gets $3b in no-match funding, and of the projects not funded out of the Stimulus bill, puts in for up to $1b funding out of the annual allocation and gets $400m, that's $3.5b for a burn of $100m in 08-Prop1A bonds.<br /><br />The important thing for California is to get enough different states sucking on the federal budget for HSR projects to crank the HSR funding up to $10b annually. That would be ample leeway for $8b bond funding on a 20% state match for $40b total, plus the likely around $3b from the Stimulus funding, to get to $43b, and the bulk of $1b state bonded funding for contingencies ... where the maximum 50% state match set against the target 20% state match would leave substantial flexibility contingencies.<br /><br />And, worst case, even if there is an unpleasant surprise in both tunneling projects, that's be enough funding to see one of the tunnel projects through and get the system up and running to the point that it can issue revenue bonding.BruceMcFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08502035881761277885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-38445092895974610092009-05-09T12:09:00.000-07:002009-05-09T12:09:00.000-07:00Rafeal: "The Ohio CCC and Virginia/North Carolina ...Rafeal: "<I>The Ohio CCC and Virginia/North Carolina projects, may be on the shortlist for the $1.5 billion approved for HSR (in the federal sense) in the context of H.R. 2095-110th. That bill sets a limit of 80% for the federal share.</I>"<br /><br />Its hard to see how the Ohio Triple-C gets shortlisted for funds that are not applied for, while not getting approved for the funds that are applied for.<br /><br />The more normal way it works it that a project either gets approved or not for the funds that it applied for. Getting an application approved that was not submitted is far more rare.BruceMcFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08502035881761277885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-54189782732461562042009-05-09T10:47:00.000-07:002009-05-09T10:47:00.000-07:00@ Alon Levy, Robert Cruickshank -
I modified the ...@ Alon Levy, Robert Cruickshank -<br /><br />I modified the post on the HSR Yards such that the embedded YouTube videos and Google Maps are now hyperlinks to those assets. That should improve the download speed considerably.<br /><br />My apologies for the inconvenience.Rafaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05471957286484454765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-46086988871125386442009-05-09T10:31:00.000-07:002009-05-09T10:31:00.000-07:00I'm not so sure LaHood's preference for Florida is...I'm not so sure LaHood's preference for Florida is all that great an idea. The state was far along in its planning but then canceled the idea. California postponed the ballot initiative twice, but there is no significant demand for canceling it altogether.<br /><br />The question if Florida voters can be trusted to really see it through this time. Same with Texas. I'm not aware of state funding for HSR in either Florida or Texas. Without that, there wouldn't be enough money to complete the route. The ARRA does permit the federal share on HSR projects to go as high as 100%.<br /><br />However, it would seem prudent to insist on a ramp-up of state funding from say, 2012 onward plus a commutation of the federal investment from grant to loan if the <I>entire</I> project is not completed by a negotiated date. That should apply to California as well.<br /><br />The Ohio CCC and Virginia/North Carolina projects, may be on the shortlist for the $1.5 billion approved for HSR (in the federal sense) in the context of H.R. 2095-110th. That bill sets a limit of 80% for the federal share.<br /><br />@ Rob Dawg -<br /><br />CHSRA needs $33 billion for the starter line, not $43. IFF California were to get $6 billion in HSR stimulus funds and no other non-state funds, a maximum of $6 billion of the prop 1A(2008) bonds could be appropriated. So that would mean $12 billion in the kitty, $21 billion to go.<br /><br />It's entirely possible that more federal funding will be forthcoming IFF there is good progress on HSR projects such that it helps Obama in his re-election bid in 2012.<br /><br />Years of delay because of NIMBY lawsuits and wrangling over CHSRA accountability to the state legislature, plus a failure to fix the annual tug-of-war over the state budget will make additional federal investment in the California system less likely.Rafaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05471957286484454765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-12068895316112789982009-05-09T09:35:00.000-07:002009-05-09T09:35:00.000-07:00arcady said...
"I strongly disagree with the HSRA'...arcady said...<br />"<I>I strongly disagree with the HSRA's priorities. What use is it going to be to have a train from San Francisco to San Jose (which we already have), another train from Anaheim to LA (which we also already have), and yet another train from Merced to Bakersfield (which also already has service).</I>"<br /><br />I don't see how asking the Federal government to fund 100% of SF/San Jose and LA / Anaheim increases the risk that the "money will run out halfway". Any time 08-Prop1A bond funding does not have to be used, it improves the prospects of finishing all of Stage 1 without being forced to open a portion in order to be able to issue revenue bonds.BruceMcFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08502035881761277885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-74935880692531413152009-05-09T09:28:00.000-07:002009-05-09T09:28:00.000-07:00Daniel Jacobson said...
"How about a Caltrain stim...Daniel Jacobson said...<br />"<I>How about a Caltrain stimulus? While we're focusing on what California will look like 10-20 years down the road, we can't lose sight of the fact that Caltrain will likely declare a fiscal emergency which will free them to make terrible cuts, including fare hikes, eliminating weekend service, decreasing midday service to only hourly, and adding a one-dollar bike surcharge. Can we get a bailout here?</I>"<br /><br />As those who followed the transport portion of the stimulus bill, this was the most glaring flaw all along ... the lack of operating grants in aid for transit agencies and authorities.<br /><br />That would seem to be the long entrenched bias against funding transit operation.<br /><br />But the economic case continues to be sound ... its the kind of spending that will help offset the cyclical downturn in state and local tax receipts very soon after being enacted.BruceMcFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08502035881761277885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-86575221888107433452009-05-09T05:20:00.000-07:002009-05-09T05:20:00.000-07:00no better yet how about 100% gas tax? 1/4 goes to ...no better yet how about 100% gas tax? 1/4 goes to local road and 3/4 goes to transit. Put up highway toll booth on all highways in California. That tolls goes to THAT highway its on.<br /><br />Just do it.<br /><br />oh as for electric car put on the mileage tax.bossyman15https://www.blogger.com/profile/04434928402545599443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-52656530043353229972009-05-09T02:27:00.000-07:002009-05-09T02:27:00.000-07:00@Robert --
Congratulations!
A whole post without...@Robert --<br /><br />Congratulations!<br /><br />A whole post without "NIMBY" or "HSR deniers"<br /><br />So what is a "HSR denier" again?Pat Moorehttp://sworddance.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-4941933371987418512009-05-08T22:27:00.000-07:002009-05-08T22:27:00.000-07:00Raising the gas tax 50 cents a gallon sounds oh so...Raising the gas tax 50 cents a gallon sounds oh so great right now just to pool it all into infrastructure improvements. We should have done that with the recession onset. We have the cheapest federal gas tax of any of the major developing nations. Perhaps we could pool money in from gas into a mass transportation fund to rebuild old and build new infrastructure as well.political_inoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-17723530880804501852009-05-08T22:07:00.000-07:002009-05-08T22:07:00.000-07:00"Can we get a bailout here?"
The Feds have indica..."Can we get a bailout here?"<br /><br />The Feds have indicated that they are not interested in bailing out transit agencies. But I have heard promising reports that they are considering it in the Senate.Spokkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03244298044953214810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-78034801729496760912009-05-08T21:09:00.000-07:002009-05-08T21:09:00.000-07:00How about a Caltrain stimulus? While we're focusin...How about a Caltrain stimulus? While we're focusing on what California will look like 10-20 years down the road, we can't lose sight of the fact that Caltrain will likely declare a fiscal emergency which will free them to make terrible cuts, including fare hikes, eliminating weekend service, decreasing midday service to only hourly, and adding a one-dollar bike surcharge. Can we get a bailout here?Daniel Jacobsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17133054732320097319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-89653808695231749912009-05-08T17:51:00.000-07:002009-05-08T17:51:00.000-07:00Enough of the stupid "Peninsula"
its more than rea...Enough of the stupid "Peninsula"<br />its more than ready...remember you have 120 year old railroad tracks thru your town...O thats right you forgot since it is hidden behind Srubs!!!<br />Now open your window on this warm night and listen to all the train horns!!NOnimbysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-10908079302651943152009-05-08T16:45:00.000-07:002009-05-08T16:45:00.000-07:00The Midwest HSR is largely incremental upgrades to...The Midwest HSR is largely incremental upgrades to the existing rail network to allow speeds above 80 mph. Indeed, the "shovel ready" parts of CAHSR are really just grade separations for the BNSF line between LA and Fullerton.crzwdjkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394805356595604336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-72833717704418440362009-05-08T16:36:00.000-07:002009-05-08T16:36:00.000-07:00California isn't anywhere near shovel readyThe onl...<I>California isn't anywhere near shovel ready</I>The only relevant question is whether we are further along then other states. And the answer clearly yes. The <A HREF="http://www.midwesthsr.org/youCanHelp_10things.htm" REL="nofollow">Midwest HSR</A>, for example, is still in the advocacy stage.mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-45137803674557790662009-05-08T16:18:00.000-07:002009-05-08T16:18:00.000-07:00Ray LaHood is getting his gushy reports on Califor...Ray LaHood is getting his gushy reports on California HSR from gushy California HSR Authority. What did you think he'd think?<br />(Thats' Diridon - who still thinks his opposition is limited to two and half cities - HA HA HA).<br /><br />Truth is, California isn't anywhere near shovel ready, they don't even have a freakin org chart. Let alone EIRs, or a cost model, or a single good reason to duplicate service through the Peninsula.<br /><br />Once LaHood and Obama start getting the actual information (like the California State senate is starting to wake up to) we'll start seeing Obama adminnistration singing a different tune about how wonderful the California project is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-67748387012231765612009-05-08T16:17:00.000-07:002009-05-08T16:17:00.000-07:00The Florida High Speed Rail Authority (FHSRA) is s...The Florida High Speed Rail Authority (FHSRA) is still around and had a meeting earlier this year. I'm pretty sure they said it would cost about $3b to build phase 1 (Tampa to Orlando). I'd imagine California would get the rest, as they should.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17356502402268387516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-53129617508080103342009-05-08T15:32:00.000-07:002009-05-08T15:32:00.000-07:00I'm all for spreading the funding around to as man...I'm all for spreading the funding around to as many regions as possible. The more places it's happening means the more people that will want further federal funding, which means that everybody wins.lyqwydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13246339570684365095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263762637946594105.post-11329460386602647472009-05-08T15:24:00.000-07:002009-05-08T15:24:00.000-07:00I also thought the Florida project was frozen ..Th...I also thought the Florida project was frozen ..The Florida Gov is also very cool to it. Guess those<br />EIS projects last alot longer then some think. I Hope the MidwestHSR gets some real funding for they can start showing real results fastYesonHSRnoreply@blogger.com