I'm scared of the high speed railroad they're building... Is it going to ruin my property value or force imminent domain

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

The physical characteristics of the Tehachapi line, which actually loops over itself at one point, make the istallation of additional main tracks and/or reduced curvature a very expensive proposition, but I can envision Buffet's successors and the public sector colluding at some point in the future to build a pair of tunnels, one for High Speed Passenger and one for freight, under or around Tehachapi; Union Paific might also be schmoozed into co-operating, since capaciy on its own route would be freed up.

Yup! I can just see a HSR negotiating the Tehachapi at anything much over a snail's pace. My guess is that in 25 years it might extend from Fresno to nowhere and then be forgotten. I doubt very much that our relatives in Sacramento and surrounds - 16 including grandchildren - are or will be eager to see this drain on their taxes now or ever; to include state debt service.

[2nd trick op]

For the record, I hold a degree in Logistics with a Transport Econ minor, and have worked in both the rail and trucking industries. I'm neither promoting nor demonizing the HSR project; I'm just asking people to take a deeper and more rational look.

With the exception of the freight railroads and oil pipelines, every form of transportation, by necessity, involves government participation, usually in the form of providing or subsidizing the right of way and physical plant. The capital costs are always enormous, and a society increasingly wedded to "middle-class welfare" and the bureaucratic state drives potential finance away.

And the private auto, while still the choice for most of us, is both becoming increasingly expensive and less adaptable to a growing number of urban areas. Much of Greater New York passed that point years ago, and Los Angeles is getting there fast. The events of 9/11 increased surface transportation's attractiveness vs. flying over a longer distance.

So I expect the HSR project to be built -- very slowly and incrementally -- with Bakersfield-Fresno as the first step and gradual expansion to the Bay Area and Sacramento. The "Tehachapi Roadblock" will take a long time to address, but the winds of politics change constantly.

The real disgrace here is that the final cost over the half-century this will take (as it already has on the East Coast) will likely be expanded several times over by the follies of politics. But this has always been the case with infrastructural issues.

[neutrino78x]

I created a thread in the statewide forum.

California High Speed Rail Discussion

(for those who want to continue an "adult discussion" about this important and interesting subject)

[Gurbie]

Originally Posted by MrBR

I live about 100-150 feet from the current Caltran route in Menlo Park. Is that POS plan going to to ruin my property value or make my house unlivable?

When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.

No, really! Open a stand. Those passengers are gonna be thirsty!

[packnrat]

forget about where it will be...if ever built. best time now is 40 yes (forty) years from now the test area will be up and running.

how are they going to power it????

Ca needs two nuke plants now. and one in the state of los angles.

we as a state are buying better then half of our power needs from out of state now.


is there a real need to go from sacramento, CA to los angles down in the state of los anglas by train?? am-track is not being used very much. and they refuse to allow a passenger train to go over the pass between bakersfield and mojave.


it is just a political thing that will devourer our children's children's taxes.

.

[NOLA101]

Relax, it isn't going to be built.

[GatsbyGatz]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

Relax, it isn't going to be built.

Oh, it'll be built. It'll just take 50+ years to build it than estimated.