California High Speed Rail Discussion (Sacramento, Oakland: how much, school, earthquake)

[Teckeeee]

Vegas to LA makes sense and investors would invest because they are taking people to lose all their money and not shuttling around a bunch of low income people.

In the bay area BART CalTrain are used by the masses in So Cal, the poor use public transportation.

So why do I need to subsidize the poor getting to work faster..........I don't let them take the bus.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Teckeeee

Vegas to LA makes sense and investors would invest because they are taking people to lose all their money and not shuttling around a bunch of low income people.

In the bay area BART CalTrain are used by the masses in So Cal, the poor use public transportation.

So why do I need to subsidize the poor getting to work faster..........I don't let them take the bus.

You "don't let them"? Are you physically blocking the things in the morning?

[Teckeeee]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

You "don't let them"? Are you physically blocking the things in the morning?

Sorry typo I forgot the word care.........I don't care the poor have to take the bus My taxes already subsidize their rides.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Teckeeee

Sorry typo I forgot the word care.........I don't care the poor have to take the bus My taxes already subsidize their rides.

Oh, ok, thanks for the clarification.

[PRINCE-DARKNESS]

No offense, but sadly how the CA govt. will ruin its high-speed rail system to go financially over budget upon completion within 20 years or beyond.

[webdev]

Who are the Brown supporters that vote for these things? Do they read about the costs? Would it be a good idea to make economics and finance mandatory in CA schools? Do we have a population brain drain in California?

So the California high speed rail project was estimated around 34 billion which was already pretty outrageous. Proponents got chastised for condemning what they knew would be increasing costs and ever changing deadlines. Now it's estimated at 68 billion after they got you all to pass it. More than likely that number will double again once the project starts. The estimated deadlines are also folly. Unbelievable.

$68-billion California bullet train project likely to overshoot budget and deadline targets - LA Times

[davidt1]

Another gigantic tax robbery for CA taxpayers is what I see.

[Dean Trails]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Hey! I know! Maybe we could build a high speed water delivery pipeline with little submarines inside that people could ride in from point to point! Win - win!

No?

I believe that idea is much more fun than a hurry up and stop bullet train. It could be a lot like the submarine ride at Disneyland!
Sounds like fun sign me up!

Also, I think a High-speed train from LA to Vegas makes great sense as well. Live in LV and take the train to work in LA. Low taxes in LV and beaches to enjoy in Southern California.

So many other possibilities instead of the boring train from SF to LA.

That Mega-Bus idea sounds pretty good as well. A bus with 400 person capacity with minimal stops and 150 mile per hour swoosh!

[2nd trick op]

Few, if any forms of human economic activity involve higher initial costs and longer time horizons than infrastructural development; for better or for worse, the dirt is now flying. One redeeming feature is that this is happening in a place where some enduring economic benefit will arise sooner or later, but that's not going to mean much to those who are forking over the wherewithal, but aren't likely to be around long enough to see much of that benefit.

As a mountainous and densely-populated state, California is one of the relatively few places where the rail network was never overbuilt. The flat Midwest had multiple and competitive rail lines between most of its major cities, while the smaller "captive" communities which depended upon one carrier sometimes underwrote the competition via higher freight rates (this practice was eventually outlawed).

California was never served by more than four major rail carriers, and the development occurred late enough that the competitors either traded trackage among themselves, or worked out arrangements that allowed the sharing of trackage rights. The market was never saturated, new mileage (Palmdale to Colton via the "railfan" Mecca of Cajon Pass) was built as recently as the mid-1960's. The current, and increasing congestion over the "Tehachapi Loop" bottleneck is another opportunity.

The freight rail industry, which is down to seven major carriers in North America, has shifted its focus almost exclusively to the movement of specific commodities in large volumes; "retail railroading" is as dead as Olsen and Johnson. Thus, public/private sector co-operation is essential. Warren Buffet would love to see a new line between Bakersfield and the L.A. basin for his Burlington Northern Santa Fe, but he won't spring for building one so long as it can be de facto confiscated via re-regulation.

So development will continue, but only via the long, tedious and expensive process that always goes with politicization.

[shooting4life]

Talk about a boondoggle. How some still support the train is beyond me.