Do you know the emissions differential from going form Tier 4 to electrification?

It's a very expensive cost per ton of health standards pollutants and precursors, and while it may make some significant long term benefit from C02, we'd be advised to run enough train frequencies to make it cost effective to do.

There is much lower hanging fruit for CO2 emissions, from a cost benefit standpoint, than rail electrification. Like from just replacing air conditioning compressors in schools that are over twenty years old, which would be one of the most efficient things to do, since it also would reduce taxpayer cost through reduced energy bills to the Districts, and pay an actual cash dividend for every ton of carbon reduced.

Spending carbon funds on giant CHSRA's contracting racket is, however, probably one of the least, near term, cost effective things to do to reduce CO2 emissions in the sort term.

I am pleased to see, that since Dapper Don left us, the LACMTA is apparently becoming more effectively involved in the CHSRA debacle. And, I am pleased to see, one or two alternatives for bypassing Santa Clarita, saving a lot of running time, that have been included in this round, which are actually reasonably feasible and more affordable. The previous alternatives where DOA from cost and affordability.

I think you are going to see a major shake up on this HSR project, early in the next year, after the election....due to a number of converging funding issues and political factors, which are looming out there, as they spend merrily away.... Barbara is leaving, and since the favorite Congresswomen of PB is not looking very good in the runoff, they will be even more dependent on Diane's muscle. We shall all watch and see....get plenty of popcorn.

These recent steps are indicators that the CHSRA is starting to get worried that when this "pot" runs out (they're in the final stage of milking the last drop of Federal stimulus funds which will be lapsing soon, if not spent down), that the contracts will dry up, soon after. And, that is both panic inducing, but potentially cathartic, for the CHSRA, if we taxpayers ever expect to see anything real from this fiasco.......

If the CHSRA doesn't start showing some plan to achieve some kind of "real" transportation benefit to somebody soon, it's their political support, especially among a dissatisfied and growing bipartisan regional coalition of Sou Cal member of the Assembly and Senate, that may be their biggest headache, next year.

There are a hell of a lot of much better preforming projects out there that aren't being funded, year after year, while the "runaway money train" chugs merrily along. And, some members of the legislature are starting to notice that many of these stalled projects are in their districts, and are starting to ask why.

More proof that years of poor planning, results in poor project design, poor project delivery, higher costs, and generally poor outcomes..... Just ask the French, they built the Maginot Line.