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Re: Question about Calif High Speed Rail
Author: david vartanoff
Date: 04-16-2017 - 23:22
Okay, I'd pay the 100 you calculate, though by 20 yrs out there will likely be another 10 or more million of us to spread out the cost. bSo if we increase to at least 5o million and figure in some inflation, waste, corruption, and outright graft, maybe 100 is right. Still not a huge cost per capita. Certainly better than building all of the F35s.
As to smarterplanning and execution, no argument there. Very little ges plannd well in this country if any serious cohort of the briber/grafter/political class gets involved. Dozens of threads on this board have detailed needless expense driven by stupid design/implementaion decisions.
Without wanting to pour oil on the fire I will just note the Mike Healy the mouthpiece of BART for three decades has recently published his version of the history. So far, the most unlikely story is a claim that a political committee in Berkeley paid KPFA to run ads in their favor. A listener sponsored non-commercial radio or TV stationthat actually did that would have lost its license in a hurry. Beyond that, the story is unsurprising, just sad when one looks at what we got for wha we spent. And for anyone who thinks it is getting better, go visit the Taj Mahal in Warm Springs. And for anachronistic design of a Buck Rogers space age subway, check out the coin box pay phones.
Everyone else may be right, I may be grossly optimistic, or just cynical, but if I live long enough to ride CAHSR as badly designed/implemented as it will be, II will be happier than not having it at all.
And, yes, OF COURSE the first several billion should have been/be multiple tracking, straightening, easing grades on the existing highly successful routes mentionmed.
A final anectdote. my dad did maps for the US Army. In the early 50s, the W German Chancellor demanded that German place names appear on the maps of western Poland (which had been German territory before the end of WWII) being prepared for NATO troops who might have to shove the Soviets further east in the event of a ground war. Ask yourself what use place names on a map in a different language than roadside signage would be. Ike caved in , and my dad's office produced the maps as demanded. Happily they were never needed.
As to smarterplanning and execution, no argument there. Very little ges plannd well in this country if any serious cohort of the briber/grafter/political class gets involved. Dozens of threads on this board have detailed needless expense driven by stupid design/implementaion decisions.
Without wanting to pour oil on the fire I will just note the Mike Healy the mouthpiece of BART for three decades has recently published his version of the history. So far, the most unlikely story is a claim that a political committee in Berkeley paid KPFA to run ads in their favor. A listener sponsored non-commercial radio or TV stationthat actually did that would have lost its license in a hurry. Beyond that, the story is unsurprising, just sad when one looks at what we got for wha we spent. And for anyone who thinks it is getting better, go visit the Taj Mahal in Warm Springs. And for anachronistic design of a Buck Rogers space age subway, check out the coin box pay phones.
Everyone else may be right, I may be grossly optimistic, or just cynical, but if I live long enough to ride CAHSR as badly designed/implemented as it will be, II will be happier than not having it at all.
And, yes, OF COURSE the first several billion should have been/be multiple tracking, straightening, easing grades on the existing highly successful routes mentionmed.
A final anectdote. my dad did maps for the US Army. In the early 50s, the W German Chancellor demanded that German place names appear on the maps of western Poland (which had been German territory before the end of WWII) being prepared for NATO troops who might have to shove the Soviets further east in the event of a ground war. Ask yourself what use place names on a map in a different language than roadside signage would be. Ike caved in , and my dad's office produced the maps as demanded. Happily they were never needed.
