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Re: Laying tracks for high-speed rail in the U.S.
Author: mook
Date: 03-16-2015 - 13:52
> ... Central Valley ... visit them without having to drive.
You can do that now. Options include Greyhound (if you're going to one of the bigger cities), Amtrak (San Joaquins - bus from LAUS and several other points around SoCal to Bakersfield, then train, and possibly additional bus if you're going to a larger off-line point like Visalia), and fly (you might have to flap your arms to help the plane unless you're going to Bay Area or Sacramento, but there are many flights from SoCal airports to points in the Valley). If you're going to one of the smaller (but not tiny) spots, there are many "rural transit" routes that can get you there from one of the bigger towns, for example between Bakersfield and Taft or Fresno and Coalinga, though they sometimes only run once a day or less. Creative web searching can find possibilities. And face it, if the alternative is spending another hour or 6 getting there from the Amtrak stop, you can always call the relatives/friends for a ride for the last "mile" or so, which you would have to do with HSR also.
HSR would be a good addition to the mix, and I suspect would result in fewer flights (HSR would be as fast or faster, with more convenient departures) and would eliminate the Amtrak option (Amtrak would become a local distributor within the Valley for places between and beyond HSR stations). Greyhound and Megabus would need to tweak things around, but would still run for those needing low prices or travel at times when HSR won't go (suspecting, for instance, at least a 5-6 hour overnight shutdown for maintenance, at least at first while things are settling down).
Of course, you won't be able to use HSR until WAY after 2020 anyway (probably closer to 2040 at best) for a SoCal-Valley run. So get started with what's out there now - it's not impossible. You may, however, decide that the point-point time advantage and flexibility of driving overwhelms all else for now; especially if you are hauling a group rather than just yourself.
You can do that now. Options include Greyhound (if you're going to one of the bigger cities), Amtrak (San Joaquins - bus from LAUS and several other points around SoCal to Bakersfield, then train, and possibly additional bus if you're going to a larger off-line point like Visalia), and fly (you might have to flap your arms to help the plane unless you're going to Bay Area or Sacramento, but there are many flights from SoCal airports to points in the Valley). If you're going to one of the smaller (but not tiny) spots, there are many "rural transit" routes that can get you there from one of the bigger towns, for example between Bakersfield and Taft or Fresno and Coalinga, though they sometimes only run once a day or less. Creative web searching can find possibilities. And face it, if the alternative is spending another hour or 6 getting there from the Amtrak stop, you can always call the relatives/friends for a ride for the last "mile" or so, which you would have to do with HSR also.
HSR would be a good addition to the mix, and I suspect would result in fewer flights (HSR would be as fast or faster, with more convenient departures) and would eliminate the Amtrak option (Amtrak would become a local distributor within the Valley for places between and beyond HSR stations). Greyhound and Megabus would need to tweak things around, but would still run for those needing low prices or travel at times when HSR won't go (suspecting, for instance, at least a 5-6 hour overnight shutdown for maintenance, at least at first while things are settling down).
Of course, you won't be able to use HSR until WAY after 2020 anyway (probably closer to 2040 at best) for a SoCal-Valley run. So get started with what's out there now - it's not impossible. You may, however, decide that the point-point time advantage and flexibility of driving overwhelms all else for now; especially if you are hauling a group rather than just yourself.
