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Re: SMART train tax heads to ballot
Author: BOB2
Date: 07-17-2008 - 14:34
This could easily be running in three year, if we had our act together in this county. But, right now it takes a minimum of 3 years to first car delivery in orders pending in the US. There is so little capacity for passenger car productiion in the US that it was described as a national emergency at an APTA meeting. There are a few manufacterers willing to step up to the investment in rail passenger car production. This is also a world wide passenger equipment market and world wide demand is far outstripping the US segment. It is really a national disgrace, since a few around today can still recall a time we convert a River Rouge to bombers to do these types of things, if we really needed to?
Then there is the time to do engineering, design, and endless permitting, utility relocation, permitting and agreements for that, tunnel upgrades, and even a few grade separations at 20-90 million each on a project of this size? And, before you know it, a lot of time has passed, then there are stations, park & ride lots, and add to that process, property acquisition. So a project can eat up six years. This is a very normal lead time for even a freeway lane widening, with preparations often taking twice as long as actual construction.
A project like this shouldn't eat up six years, and if there is an incentive based contracting approach, such as a turnkey DB procurement. This puts a premium on time, asks a project developer to shoulder some of the risk, and gives more incentive to innovation and/or early delivery. The rebuilding of the I-80 Oakland Interchange, and the I-10 reconstruction after the Northridge Earthquake show the kind of results that can occur when that type of process is used. A good agency staff and board, with strong leadership, free from political micromanagement, with effecient "standards" based technical decision making processes, and clear authority and responsibility for delivery, also can be very effective in dealing with the bureaucratic issues and contracting processes, resulting in expedited project implementation.
Then there is the time to do engineering, design, and endless permitting, utility relocation, permitting and agreements for that, tunnel upgrades, and even a few grade separations at 20-90 million each on a project of this size? And, before you know it, a lot of time has passed, then there are stations, park & ride lots, and add to that process, property acquisition. So a project can eat up six years. This is a very normal lead time for even a freeway lane widening, with preparations often taking twice as long as actual construction.
A project like this shouldn't eat up six years, and if there is an incentive based contracting approach, such as a turnkey DB procurement. This puts a premium on time, asks a project developer to shoulder some of the risk, and gives more incentive to innovation and/or early delivery. The rebuilding of the I-80 Oakland Interchange, and the I-10 reconstruction after the Northridge Earthquake show the kind of results that can occur when that type of process is used. A good agency staff and board, with strong leadership, free from political micromanagement, with effecient "standards" based technical decision making processes, and clear authority and responsibility for delivery, also can be very effective in dealing with the bureaucratic issues and contracting processes, resulting in expedited project implementation.
