Zev Yaroslavsky on Rail Service to Santa Monica
Author: Freericks
Date: 08-12-2013 - 15:11
Again - I'm really not holding my breath waiting to ride a train to Monterey in my lifetime, but I would like to point out the following --
There were quite a few industries that moved onto the Santa Monica Branch ROW, including parking lots, structures, walls, etc., that all were simply moved off when the authorities came back in.
Zev Yaroslavsky - a major westside political figure (County Supervisor) once came to Santa Monica and told us all that we would never see rail service to Santa Monica in our life times. He would personally help stop it. I think he also was one of the folks he dug the first shovel when they started building the line.
Things change... there are lots and lots of obstacles to a Monterey but it would have value. (I wouldn't do any of these expensive light rail things myself - I'd run three Amtraks a days from San Franciso and back - and maybe look into having an MU service so that the train could split at Watsonville Jct with part going to Santa Cruz.
Just dreaming - ain't going to happen. Anti-rail railfans pile on and show how much you hate trains.