Max,

America's political system is increasingly about pandering to the margins of the "base" on the goofiest ends of the political spectrum....

So why are we surprised that we have increasingly become the nation of "can't do" when it comes to basic infrastructure projects? The marginal votes of a PETA member become far more important in a "base" primary, in safe "gerrymandered" districts, so it is no longer necessary to find a broader "common good" which appeals to a more mainstream electorate.

The pandering to these fringes is almost deafening in much of California on everything from completing freeway gaps, to water projects, to windmills, to recycled water by those in power is often hypocritical and self serving, by those very elected officials that promote more growth and development, but don't want to build, or pay for, the infrastructure necessary to support that growth.

The both sides of the mouth "I'm an environmentalist", who drove to this meeting in my Prius, on the freeway, to oppose freeways" show I recently saw at the 710 EIS hearings is typical. Good old fashioned do as I say, not as I do hypocrisy at its worst.

There is a route that does work, and could be built as a true public private partnership, form San Fernando Road, go via the 118 Freeway, to a new rai/highway toll tunnel under Sylmar Mountain, and down to a connection just east of LANG.

I worked with ACS Dragados a few years ago, when they were looking at public private franchise toll road opportunities in the LA Region, in addition to interest in a possible DBOM franchise proposal for the 710 Tunnel under South Pasadena, they were also intrigued with building a toll tunnel from the end of the 118 at the 210, to the 14 just east of Lang. Such a tunnel could have two levels one for cars and one for trains, in addition to a water pipeline, and communications.

The usual train haters and nattering nabobs on this site will come up with the usual Palmdale sucks arguments, which, given where congestion and demands actually are, seem like a load of bull. But, hey, at the rate we're going with some of these projects, I'll be dead anyhow.....and these fringy nitwits will all be in their google cars, still stuck in traffic, going nowhere fast.