 |
Re: Serious new proposal for Altamont hsr route
Author: BOB2
Date: 05-05-2010 - 14:08
This project is going to be based on incremental "needs based" planning from now on, if it is to be a success. "Visions" based on no effective market analysis or good cost benefit analysis is what has got us into the current mess, more of "my route is better than your route" or deciding based on what "seems" cool at the moment has not produced good results, thus far.
The first change indicated is for a complete rethink for both the approaches to Sou Cal from the north and south, the penninsula, and a reexamination of Altamont, in order to pay for fully grade separated shared points of entry at modest (110-125) on a fully shared set of facilities fully integrated with our intercity and regional rails services that already handle over 30 million trips annually. This will produce much more cost effective and sustainable access into the urbanized areas. These minimum operabale segments will have benefits from improved speed, safety, and service for all users, and will form an important link to an ultimate highs speed component. These should be done with the first installment of funding.
The primary market in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley need to be fully integrated into such a system as these "metor city pairs of .5 to 3 million stung out up and down the Valley are very important markets, even with today's limited intercity services. The direct LAX-SFO market has always been the shakiest part of the analysis, and the services to these smaller markets with severe highway congestion and limited air services may be a more important and viable market to serve.
The private sector investment oriented firms who have built high speed links in Europe have always been very interested in potentially bidding for the franchise rights to invest in the rural high speed segments (but have been put off by the incompetent mismanagement at CHSRA), they have not been that interested in building the very high cost (gold plated and plainly foolish) urbanized linkages demanded by the CHSRA until now. Desert Express comes to mind as a potential entrant, based on that much sounder business approach which could result in a "real" public private partnership.
Reform and restructuing the CHSRA is the key to an effective investment. Replacing the utterly clueless and often incompetent management team was step one. But, among the remaining crew there are still some who apparently look at this as the same old racket. The confusing responses to the audit, by some CHSRA insiders, shows just how out of touch some of these folks are, even to the changes on their own Board.
Keep the pressure on the legislature and the CHSRA Board for reform. Keep pushing agencies like MTA and OCTA who are still fighting some of these insiders to develop cost effective, sustainable, and shovel ready projects.
California supports and deserves an effective, safe, fully integrated system of regional, intercity, and high speed service, based on competent planning, to meet real travel needs, done in a transparent and cost effective manner, with accountability to the taxpayers. The woefully mismanaged CHSRA has not yet delivered on that commitment, thus far. A reformed and properly managed CHSRA is one way to deliver on that goal. We should not settle for anything less.
The first change indicated is for a complete rethink for both the approaches to Sou Cal from the north and south, the penninsula, and a reexamination of Altamont, in order to pay for fully grade separated shared points of entry at modest (110-125) on a fully shared set of facilities fully integrated with our intercity and regional rails services that already handle over 30 million trips annually. This will produce much more cost effective and sustainable access into the urbanized areas. These minimum operabale segments will have benefits from improved speed, safety, and service for all users, and will form an important link to an ultimate highs speed component. These should be done with the first installment of funding.
The primary market in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley need to be fully integrated into such a system as these "metor city pairs of .5 to 3 million stung out up and down the Valley are very important markets, even with today's limited intercity services. The direct LAX-SFO market has always been the shakiest part of the analysis, and the services to these smaller markets with severe highway congestion and limited air services may be a more important and viable market to serve.
The private sector investment oriented firms who have built high speed links in Europe have always been very interested in potentially bidding for the franchise rights to invest in the rural high speed segments (but have been put off by the incompetent mismanagement at CHSRA), they have not been that interested in building the very high cost (gold plated and plainly foolish) urbanized linkages demanded by the CHSRA until now. Desert Express comes to mind as a potential entrant, based on that much sounder business approach which could result in a "real" public private partnership.
Reform and restructuing the CHSRA is the key to an effective investment. Replacing the utterly clueless and often incompetent management team was step one. But, among the remaining crew there are still some who apparently look at this as the same old racket. The confusing responses to the audit, by some CHSRA insiders, shows just how out of touch some of these folks are, even to the changes on their own Board.
Keep the pressure on the legislature and the CHSRA Board for reform. Keep pushing agencies like MTA and OCTA who are still fighting some of these insiders to develop cost effective, sustainable, and shovel ready projects.
California supports and deserves an effective, safe, fully integrated system of regional, intercity, and high speed service, based on competent planning, to meet real travel needs, done in a transparent and cost effective manner, with accountability to the taxpayers. The woefully mismanaged CHSRA has not yet delivered on that commitment, thus far. A reformed and properly managed CHSRA is one way to deliver on that goal. We should not settle for anything less.
