Forget the drought!Let’s have a Lefty Moonbeam Choo-Choo to nowhere!Nevermind the fact that most people in Ca. hate their drive into work because of all the local freeway traffic, let’s build a fast train for the very few people that commute 100+ miles to work each day!Talk about a special interest handout!You Californians are nuts to support that clown.
The problem with trains is that most of the existing lines don’t break even. They depend on tax money to build them initially and then various kinds of subsidies to make up for the shortfall after they are built. If they can at least break even, it would be a good idea but most can’t get the ridership they need to do that.
It is not a question of trains. It is a question of high speed rail. High speed rail is a waste unless it is a direct, non-stop run of hundreds of miles. If it has to stop every 50 or 60 miles, it will not get up to speed and you may as well ride the trolley.
Yes but it’s high speed commuter rail we were sold not freight trains. Now they’re saying they have to disrupt the current rail traffic for another low speed passenger line instead.
The thing that people have to take into account is that train goes down a path that is mostly devoid of people. The majority people that would supposedly use this train currently use a plane, which gets them there faster then the train ever will. LA to SF is about 360 to 400 miles (or more) depending on where in SF or LA you need to get to.
It is not by accident that the train takes such a path.1) That is currently the path of all the trains, which BTW are mostly freight trains.2) If you actually wanted these trains to go through cities that could really use it, you would in fact never get it because no city would allow you to build it because it would displace too many people. The corridor by the ocean/west is prime land, and the central valley corridor is “the boondocks”. That is why you can’t take a train down that ocean/west side right now.
if you don’t believe me you have to ask yourself why did they start in the middle? Why not in SF or LA? Simple even between those two they couldn’t get any city to agree to allow it. People say they want the train, but no one wants one by them. The main reasons for it being “sort of” allowed in the area they started is money/jobs and the trains are already there. And even there they are having a hard time getting past all the protesting and such.
Let me tell you some interesting facts. I live in San Jose.A few times I have considered taking a train down to LA, just for the fun of it. To do that I would have to drive or take a bus about 100 miles to the central valley corridor where the trains are. The same corridor where this train would run.If they got the train to go all the way to San Francisco, I would have to drive about 60 miles in traffic to get on it.
“When was last time you ever saw cutbacks in the fancy fountains or lawn watering on government property while the peasants were forced to ration?”Too bad those peasants never think non-potable water sources such as collected rain water or so called “gray water” to irrigate their lawns and decorative gardens.
Cinci Steve almost 10 years ago
Forget the drought!Let’s have a Lefty Moonbeam Choo-Choo to nowhere!Nevermind the fact that most people in Ca. hate their drive into work because of all the local freeway traffic, let’s build a fast train for the very few people that commute 100+ miles to work each day!Talk about a special interest handout!You Californians are nuts to support that clown.
Theodore E. Lind Premium Member almost 10 years ago
The problem with trains is that most of the existing lines don’t break even. They depend on tax money to build them initially and then various kinds of subsidies to make up for the shortfall after they are built. If they can at least break even, it would be a good idea but most can’t get the ridership they need to do that.
Mneedle almost 10 years ago
It is not a question of trains. It is a question of high speed rail. High speed rail is a waste unless it is a direct, non-stop run of hundreds of miles. If it has to stop every 50 or 60 miles, it will not get up to speed and you may as well ride the trolley.
H P Hundt Premium Member almost 10 years ago
Yes but it’s high speed commuter rail we were sold not freight trains. Now they’re saying they have to disrupt the current rail traffic for another low speed passenger line instead.
dzw3030 almost 10 years ago
Thank you all for validating my decision to leave California 35 years ago.
CO Premium Member almost 10 years ago
The thing that people have to take into account is that train goes down a path that is mostly devoid of people. The majority people that would supposedly use this train currently use a plane, which gets them there faster then the train ever will. LA to SF is about 360 to 400 miles (or more) depending on where in SF or LA you need to get to.
It is not by accident that the train takes such a path.1) That is currently the path of all the trains, which BTW are mostly freight trains.2) If you actually wanted these trains to go through cities that could really use it, you would in fact never get it because no city would allow you to build it because it would displace too many people. The corridor by the ocean/west is prime land, and the central valley corridor is “the boondocks”. That is why you can’t take a train down that ocean/west side right now.
if you don’t believe me you have to ask yourself why did they start in the middle? Why not in SF or LA? Simple even between those two they couldn’t get any city to agree to allow it. People say they want the train, but no one wants one by them. The main reasons for it being “sort of” allowed in the area they started is money/jobs and the trains are already there. And even there they are having a hard time getting past all the protesting and such.
Let me tell you some interesting facts. I live in San Jose.A few times I have considered taking a train down to LA, just for the fun of it. To do that I would have to drive or take a bus about 100 miles to the central valley corridor where the trains are. The same corridor where this train would run.If they got the train to go all the way to San Francisco, I would have to drive about 60 miles in traffic to get on it.
Jason Allen almost 10 years ago
“When was last time you ever saw cutbacks in the fancy fountains or lawn watering on government property while the peasants were forced to ration?”Too bad those peasants never think non-potable water sources such as collected rain water or so called “gray water” to irrigate their lawns and decorative gardens.
ORMouseworks almost 10 years ago
The California of today is Not the California of my childhood… ;)