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Re: The cost of everything and the value of nothing.....
Author: BOB2
Date: 07-16-2017 - 12:32
Actually there is so much demand for the high desert corridor, and the current connection via 138 are among the deadliest, and now, quite often, one of the most congested rural routes in Sou Cal. There is so much potential demand it is why it is proposed to be a toll route using private sector financing, using a design build operate maintain "franchise" model to expedite construction. In addition, it is expected to generate significant through truck traffic coming across from the I-5 to the I-10 via Cajon, to avoid having to traverse the LA basin traffic congestion.
The High Desert Corridor is cleared as a multimodal corridor, with an easement for the HSR connection to Desert Express, which outside of Florida is the best HSR project in the US..... directly connecting Downtown LA with Downtown Las Vegas, even with a "low speed" connection via Metrolink from Palmdale, in under 4 hours. And, with a "one hour" Palmdale LA connection which is possible with or without ever building the CHSRA extension from Bakersfield. Which would make it just over three hours. These travel times, with frequent service, would be more than competitive with auto travel from all of Sou Cal, and almost competitive with total air travel times (including advanced arrival, security, and flight time).
As most of the real Altamont community well knows, I would have never have made Chowchilla to Fresno California's highest priority for spending our limited rail funds. The CHSRA is a dismal example of political "hubris" based planning, at its very worst. Yes, I agree, the numerous failures of the CHSRA has resulted in a "run amok" taxpayer funded political public works fiasco, Yes, it is true that it is a project that in no real way, meets any of CA's most pressing and well documented transportation needs. And, yes it is a project that appears to be intentionally designed and incompetently mismanaged to be sure that it is constructed in the most costly way possible.
The legitimate criticisms of CHSRA do not apply to the entire universe of needed public works, or rail projects, like Desert Express, or the High Desert Corridor, which have met all of the required planning milestones, and are shown to be cost effective and viable, in ways that CHSRA never even had to. So projects with clearly more benefit, and much greater likelihood of success, can't even get loan guarantees for private investment, while CHSRA burns through billions in taxpayer funds.
As to some of this nonsense you hear about projects like the DX or HDC in some of these idiotic posts, often by the same nattering cadre on gainsaying naysayers, it is just laughable. Because, if we were to take some of this nonsense they say seriously, they would all still have us living in caves.
The High Desert Corridor is cleared as a multimodal corridor, with an easement for the HSR connection to Desert Express, which outside of Florida is the best HSR project in the US..... directly connecting Downtown LA with Downtown Las Vegas, even with a "low speed" connection via Metrolink from Palmdale, in under 4 hours. And, with a "one hour" Palmdale LA connection which is possible with or without ever building the CHSRA extension from Bakersfield. Which would make it just over three hours. These travel times, with frequent service, would be more than competitive with auto travel from all of Sou Cal, and almost competitive with total air travel times (including advanced arrival, security, and flight time).
As most of the real Altamont community well knows, I would have never have made Chowchilla to Fresno California's highest priority for spending our limited rail funds. The CHSRA is a dismal example of political "hubris" based planning, at its very worst. Yes, I agree, the numerous failures of the CHSRA has resulted in a "run amok" taxpayer funded political public works fiasco, Yes, it is true that it is a project that in no real way, meets any of CA's most pressing and well documented transportation needs. And, yes it is a project that appears to be intentionally designed and incompetently mismanaged to be sure that it is constructed in the most costly way possible.
The legitimate criticisms of CHSRA do not apply to the entire universe of needed public works, or rail projects, like Desert Express, or the High Desert Corridor, which have met all of the required planning milestones, and are shown to be cost effective and viable, in ways that CHSRA never even had to. So projects with clearly more benefit, and much greater likelihood of success, can't even get loan guarantees for private investment, while CHSRA burns through billions in taxpayer funds.
As to some of this nonsense you hear about projects like the DX or HDC in some of these idiotic posts, often by the same nattering cadre on gainsaying naysayers, it is just laughable. Because, if we were to take some of this nonsense they say seriously, they would all still have us living in caves.
