Looking at what is to be spent thats about $129600 for each crossing, I thought they had bought signal equipment and some surface materials.

They will then spend $210937 per mile to fix the track to operate on it. Track that From Cloverdale to Petaluma is now good for 10 mph if you fix the few FRA defects and get the crossing signals back in operation.

there has been no accountability at all where did the 18,million go from 1996 to 2006 that a 1.8 million a year for What some administation and little else. the weeds are tall and the ROW is a mess and the signals have all been vandalized or taken down and put who knows where

There are shortlines in the state that handle cars and have kept the railroads in great shape and move real revenue loads for much less expense than that per year.

These shortline struggle to get money from the state to Upgrade Rail Hiway grade crossing protection from the CPUC and federal part 130B monies. NCRA gets dollars with no justification or accountability

Again here it is no one has held the NCRA to be accountable for the actions and the monies spent. Someone at the CTC needs to make them accountable. Mr. Stonger is finally admitting that there is not enough money to get the railroad in operation beyond what is now operable at 10 mph. why spend the 13,million much of the track is good for 10mph now and before another dollar is spent lets see what NCRA and NWP can do to get some business to justify the state spending another penny. Get the FRA order taken care of with the crossing signals and track defects, keep the power in compliance and have the rest of the regulatory ducks in a row and run the 64 miles at 10 MPH, many shortlines make it work year after year until they have enough traffic to justify expenses to upgrade the track for more customer demand.

The theme here is accountability and to date no one at NCRA has been held accountable as to where the money has gone.

I know that if the other 15 shortlines in the state split the 13 million, it would allow them to upgrade, get trucks off the hightway and grow new business, but the with NWP and NCRA time will only tell if this is a good investment or money that could have been better spent helping the other 15 or so well run tax paying shortlines in the state.

NCRA and NWP have not met any of the timeline goals they set out in the original RFP for operators to have the line in service and seem to be falling further and further behind on the timeline.

I find it hard to see how the CTC gives the money to them, but understand thats it not the CTC's fault but the state legislature who allocated the money to olny be spent on the NCRA and only they can change how its spent. Maybe the Govenor can do something again this year to stop the waste of taxpayers money.