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Re: Max knows.... The use of analysis versus proctology in planning.... And, that's why I'm going with Branson.......
Author: LES
Date: 09-02-2019 - 05:02
That's just it, the plan was to start construction asap but the Nevada tax abatement issue put them on hold for another year. Given they were to proceed as planned with the existing EIR implies they weren't planning on any changes.
FUD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The original preliminary design, environmental,
> and permit work for Phase 1 (Vegas-Victorville)
> was for electric, aligned for speeds of 150-180mph
> generally following (often within the r/w of)
> I-15. The NEPA documents are still available at
> the FRA web site. I've noted before that the age
> of the documents suggests the need for a little
> update work, and that if Virgin/Brightline wants
> to start with slower diesels and/or a modified
> alignment (they haven't said, really) that will
> almost certainly be the case.
>
> Xpresswest milestones list:
> [www.xpresswest.com]
> FRA NEPA documents (from 2011):
> [www.fra.dot.gov]
>
> FRA has a moderately well-hidden web site for all
> of its NEPA documents and related information
> going back a decade or more. Interesting place to
> browse occasionally. See:
> [www.fra.dot.gov]
>
> High Desert Corridor (Phase 2 of the HSR project,
> Victorville-Palmdale connecting with Metrolink)
> info is mostly at LA Metro's web site
> (https://www.metro.net/projects/high-desert-corrid
> or/) including the draft and final EIR/EIS
> documents. More info is a San Bernardino County's
> web site
> (http://cms.sbcounty.gov/dpw/Transportation/HighDe
> sertCorridor.aspx).
>
> The Vegas-Victorville environmental work was for
> obtaining permits and building it - a true
> project-level document - unlike most of what has
> been done for CAHSR outside of the Valley section
> that's under construction. The HDC work is a
> little more programmatic as far as rail is
> concerned (it's really for a freeway), but covers
> the basics and should be relatively easy to tier
> from for the rail line.
>
> With Branson's name recognition and Virgin's
> reputation for hard-nosed analysis and project
> implementation (not only Brightline, but other
> train, airline, etc. operations) this seems to be
> the best chance to get the money together and
> build it yet. Note that back around 2012, the
> project did qualify for a FRA loan, which was
> pulled at the last minute when a newly Republican
> Congress ordered them to do that; the decision to
> kill the loan was completely political, not
> economic.
FUD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The original preliminary design, environmental,
> and permit work for Phase 1 (Vegas-Victorville)
> was for electric, aligned for speeds of 150-180mph
> generally following (often within the r/w of)
> I-15. The NEPA documents are still available at
> the FRA web site. I've noted before that the age
> of the documents suggests the need for a little
> update work, and that if Virgin/Brightline wants
> to start with slower diesels and/or a modified
> alignment (they haven't said, really) that will
> almost certainly be the case.
>
> Xpresswest milestones list:
> [www.xpresswest.com]
> FRA NEPA documents (from 2011):
> [www.fra.dot.gov]
>
> FRA has a moderately well-hidden web site for all
> of its NEPA documents and related information
> going back a decade or more. Interesting place to
> browse occasionally. See:
> [www.fra.dot.gov]
>
> High Desert Corridor (Phase 2 of the HSR project,
> Victorville-Palmdale connecting with Metrolink)
> info is mostly at LA Metro's web site
> (https://www.metro.net/projects/high-desert-corrid
> or/) including the draft and final EIR/EIS
> documents. More info is a San Bernardino County's
> web site
> (http://cms.sbcounty.gov/dpw/Transportation/HighDe
> sertCorridor.aspx).
>
> The Vegas-Victorville environmental work was for
> obtaining permits and building it - a true
> project-level document - unlike most of what has
> been done for CAHSR outside of the Valley section
> that's under construction. The HDC work is a
> little more programmatic as far as rail is
> concerned (it's really for a freeway), but covers
> the basics and should be relatively easy to tier
> from for the rail line.
>
> With Branson's name recognition and Virgin's
> reputation for hard-nosed analysis and project
> implementation (not only Brightline, but other
> train, airline, etc. operations) this seems to be
> the best chance to get the money together and
> build it yet. Note that back around 2012, the
> project did qualify for a FRA loan, which was
> pulled at the last minute when a newly Republican
> Congress ordered them to do that; the decision to
> kill the loan was completely political, not
> economic.
