I guess that $2.4 billion won't be going to Florida ports, roads or into a federal savings account.
QuoteThis week marked the deadline to apply for the $2.4 billion in federal high-speed rail funding refused by Florida. Opponents of fast trains have used the cases of Florida, Wisconsin, and Ohio to argue that Americans are not interested in high-speed rail spending. The long line of those who want part of Florida’s share suggests precisely the opposite. The applicants include (in no particular order):
» Maryland, which wants nearly $300 million to upgrade the rail station at BWI airport, and another $116 million for a trio of bridge studies;
» Washington (state), which wants $120 million to improve Amtrak Cascades service between Portland and Vancouver;
» Connecticut, which wants $227 million for its New Haven to Springfield, Mass., high-speed line;
» New York, which wants $517 million to spread across eight projects, including a congestion bypass that would aid Northeast Corridor trains;
» North Carolina, which wants $624 million to improve, among other things, its Charlotte-Raleigh route (even as officials consider returning the federal rail grants already received by the state);
» Massachusetts, which wants nearly $100 million for service improvements between Boston and Portland, Maine;
» Missouri, which does its best Justin Timberlake in requesting a cool $1 billion to upgrade the St. Louis-Kansas City corridor, among several projects;
» and Rhode Island, which wants a comparatively cute $31 million for three rail proposals.
Other contenders, according to the “Florida redirected funds homepage†being maintained at HSR Updates, include Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and even Texas. All told, 90 applications were received from 24 states, the District of Columbia, and Amtrak, with requests nearing $10 billion, the Department of Transportation announced this morning.
The favorite is California, which has asked for the entire $2.43 billion pot. The money would enable the state to extend the initial segment of its Los Angeles-San Francisco line, in the Central Valley. While the state won’t get all the money, the request is not entirely unfounded. The death of the Tampa-Orlando line sets up California’s corridor to be the country’s high-speed rail model; the more money the Department of Transportation sends there, the quicker it will have a demonstration track.
The other leading candidate is Amtrak. Ray LaHood recently designated the Northeast Corridor as a high-speed corridor, a move that paved the way for Amtrak to request of Florida’s money, and the national rail provider did not disappoint, requesting $1.3 billion (pdf). Part of the money would go toward increasing the speed of trains between New York and Philadelphia; another part would fund the Gateway Project, Amtrak’s recently proposed $13.5 billion tunnel between New York and New Jersey.
By far the most intriguing â€" and, in many ways, confusing â€" applicant for Florida’s abandoned money is Wisconsin, which of course abandoned $810 million of its own high-speed funding when it elected Scott “no train†Walker as governor. Now Walker and company are asking for about $150 million for the Hiawatha line, which runs from Milwaukee to Chicago. At least $12 million of the requested funds were part of the grant rejected by the state. While some officials call the shift “hypocrisy,†Walker himself does not, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Asked about the apparent reversal in his position on rail initiatives, Walker said he always had supported improvements to the Hiawatha. It’s a popular and established service, without the local opposition that complicated the Milwaukee-to-Madison link he campaigned against.
“This is not inconsistent with the position I took in the past,†he said.
I’m guessing LaHood and his high-speed application committee might not agree.
http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/04/06/states-line-up-for-florida-high-speed-rail-money-%E2%80%94%C2%A0including-wisconsin/
Quote from: stephendare on April 06, 2011, 11:05:26 AM
Wow. lake. Didnt see that coming.
What jackasses thought that the HSR money was going to get spent on the ports?
Gee, all that wishful thinking didn't pan out after all. Who'd have thunk?
Spend, spend, spend, that is all we can do these days, spend, spend, spend. It is insane!!!
Your so right our governor wants to spend over 100mil not to be able to put this infrastructure in place.
QuoteYour so right our governor wants to spend over 100mil not to be able to put this infrastructure in place.
What's 2.7 billion when you have a 3.8 billion hole to fill? Can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself.
Quote from: mtraininjax on April 07, 2011, 06:39:24 PM
QuoteYour so right our governor wants to spend over 100mil not to be able to put this infrastructure in place.
What's 2.7 billion when you have a 3.8 billion hole to fill? Can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself.
Penny wise and pound foolish. The 2.7 billion is coming from the federal government, it doesn't impact the 3.8 billion hole in the Florida budget, except to maybe DECREASE it some through all the taxes these new workers will be paying, because now they have money to spend:
Thy will be paying: federal income tax, federal payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare, and excise taxes on gasoline, aviation, alcohol and cigarettes. Many also pay state or local taxes on sales, and property.
Quote from: mtraininjax on April 07, 2011, 06:39:24 PM
QuoteYour so right our governor wants to spend over 100mil not to be able to put this infrastructure in place.
What's 2.7 billion when you have a 3.8 billion hole to fill? Can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself.
well the $2.7B would have created jobs in FL...and those fiolks would have then spent moeny, increasing sales tax and other receipts...so maybe the $3.8B revenue shortfall would have decreased!
The Hiawatha between Milwaukee and Chicago is a highly used train, even though it runs parallel to the Metra North as far as Kenosha, it still garners high usage.
I think what people overlook on Scott Walker and his "hypocrisy" is that he is willing to take fed rail funds, but he takes the time to look at the strings attached. HSR out to Madison was not the slam dunk everyone was making it out to be. Easy to rip him for refusing certain rail grants, but perhaps we should look at some of the legislative strings attached to the grants before making judgment.
What California has going for them is that they could care less what the strings attached are since the political winds blow hot and cold so often. They know if they take the cash now, politics can easily allow them to amend or better yet cut those strings completely through legislative acts in the future.
Different states, different approaches.
QuoteBesides Wisconsin, the other states that have applied for funds are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Washington.
In case anyone is still crying over the demise of the nations worst railroad proposal since the Carson and Colorado (*note) pay close attention to the states in bold red above. In the event you failed geography, these are the missing pieces of SOUTHEAST HIGH SPEED RAIL. One of the 3 main Georgia projects is to wipe out crossings on the CSX line (you'll recall that's the railroad that will NEVER allow HSR on their tracks) between, yeah, you got it... JACKSONVILLE and ATLANTA! More? Both NC and SC are looking at improvements to the CSX mainline that currently runs from Jacksonville-Savannah-Columbia-Raleigh-Richmond-Washington. NC and SC have made some lines on a map that call for trains between Charlotte and Columbia, a line that hasn't seen a passenger train since at least as long ago as the Florida East Coast. Putting a pen to a map you might note that this line which Jacksonville should be raising hell about, is about as straight south from Charlotte-Jacksonville as it gets. (http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/46223/2295669310104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)(http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/45297/2441236130104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Quote
Here in Metrolina, Columbia, SC city leaders are travelling to Charlotte on Monday to investigate how a Charlotte-Columbia inter-urban rail project could add the South Carolina Midlands to the regions benefiting by the larger planned rail corridor connecting Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta. There's clearly no economic advantage to that. At long last, perhaps, there will be access to both Columbia and Charlotte from Rock Hill, SC, which today has not even so much as a Greyhound bus stop.
SC DOT is studying the broader possibility of establishing a commuter rail system within the state, connecting the metro areas of Charleston, Columbia, and of course SC's world-famous Grand Strand, with Charlotte, NC and Greenville-Spartanburg, already included in the broader regional Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor plan. Opponents (mostly the rental car industry) say that such a system would not enjoy sufficient ridership. There's no model for that anywhere in the world, by the way, and here in Metrolina, the CATS system has been so popular in its initial development that suburban areas throughout the region are fighting over "next."
The Columbia, SC, Amtrak station, reports the National Association of Railroad Passengers, enjoyed a 12% annual increase in ridership in 2008, the last year for which figures are available.
SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-charlotte/midlands-leaders-see-benefit-columbia-charlotte-rail-line-unlike-fl-s-scott
*NOTE:
(http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/45109/2063841100104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Trust Me, this photo of Keeler, California (garden spot of the world) would look the same even in color! This is more or less how the I-4 Plan For Florida HSR would look in 20 years.
(http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/carson_n_colorado/c_c_pass.jpg)
*NOTE: History buffs might want to know the Carson and Colorado was built from near Carson City, Nevada over Montgomery Pass south to Laws, California, just above Death Valley. The line pierced some of the most desolate country in North America and managed to miss every town in between its terminals. Narrow Gauge, it was said to have been built "Either 300 miles too long or 300 years too soon."
Quote from: Ocklawaha on April 07, 2011, 10:26:05 PM
QuoteBesides Wisconsin, the other states that have applied for funds are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Washington.
In case anyone is still crying over the demise of the nations worst railroad proposal since the Carson and Colorado (*note) pay close attention to the states in bold red above. In the event you failed geography, these are the missing pieces of SOUTHEAST HIGH SPEED RAIL. One of the 3 main Georgia projects is to wipe out crossings on the CSX line (you'll recall that's the railroad that will NEVER allow HSR on their tracks) between, yeah, you got it... JACKSONVILLE and ATLANTA! More? Both NC and SC are looking at improvements to the CSX mainline that currently runs from Jacksonville-Savannah-Columbia-Raleigh-Richmond-Washington. NC and SC have made some lines on a map that call for trains between Charlotte and Columbia, a line that hasn't seen a passenger train since at least as long ago as the Florida East Coast. Putting a pen to a map you might note that this line which Jacksonville should be raising hell about, is about as straight south from Charlotte-Jacksonville as it gets.
(http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/46223/2295669310104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)(http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/45297/2441236130104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Quote
Here in Metrolina, Columbia, SC city leaders are travelling to Charlotte on Monday to investigate how a Charlotte-Columbia inter-urban rail project could add the South Carolina Midlands to the regions benefiting by the larger planned rail corridor connecting Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta. There's clearly no economic advantage to that. At long last, perhaps, there will be access to both Columbia and Charlotte from Rock Hill, SC, which today has not even so much as a Greyhound bus stop.
SC DOT is studying the broader possibility of establishing a commuter rail system within the state, connecting the metro areas of Charleston, Columbia, and of course SC's world-famous Grand Strand, with Charlotte, NC and Greenville-Spartanburg, already included in the broader regional Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor plan. Opponents (mostly the rental car industry) say that such a system would not enjoy sufficient ridership. There's no model for that anywhere in the world, by the way, and here in Metrolina, the CATS system has been so popular in its initial development that suburban areas throughout the region are fighting over "next."
The Columbia, SC, Amtrak station, reports the National Association of Railroad Passengers, enjoyed a 12% annual increase in ridership in 2008, the last year for which figures are available.
SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-charlotte/midlands-leaders-see-benefit-columbia-charlotte-rail-line-unlike-fl-s-scott
*NOTE:
(http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/45109/2063841100104969885S600x600Q85.jpg)
Trust Me, this photo of Keeler, California (garden spot of the world) would look the same even in color! This is more or less how the I-4 Plan For Florida HSR would look in 20 years.
(http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/carson_n_colorado/c_c_pass.jpg)
*NOTE: History buffs might want to know the Carson and Colorado was built from near Carson City, Nevada over Montgomery Pass south to Laws, California, just above Death Valley. The line pierced some of the most desolate country in North America and managed to miss every town in between its terminals. Narrow Gauge, it was said to have been built "Either 300 miles too long or 300 years too soon."
OCKLAWAHA
So Jacksonville, by helping vote for Rick Scott managed to take money away from Central Florida and thus allowing Georgia to take on the liability and to getting that state to pay for the rail system maintenance that will benefit Jacksonville FL causing our little city to bloom at the expense of the rest of both Florida and Georgia!
This could be a beginnings of a good Machiavelli novel if that really what happens. Trickery, Manipulation, Greed, and Selfishness if not what others consider - Evil. That story will be one for the historians to laugh at!
I'll be surprised if anything significant happens. That $2.7 billion is going to be piecemealed to the point that nothing big actually happens outside of the states with shovel ready plans.
Quote from: thelakelander on April 08, 2011, 05:21:33 AM
I'll be surprised if anything significant happens. That $2.7 billion is going to be piecemealed to the point that nothing big actually happens outside of the states with shovel ready plans.
I think our governor will probably steal a bunch of that 2 billion..he's stole before so we must keep our eye on him...he should be in jail...but the republicans of this state apparently love a good thief.
Ock...you do know that the ongoing GDOT study will be recommending one route by the end of 2011 right?
I expect the route to go from Atlanta to Macon via I75, Macon to Savannah via I-16, and then down to Jacksonville via I-95.
Quote from: thelakelander on April 08, 2011, 05:21:33 AM
I'll be surprised if anything significant happens. That $2.7 billion is going to be piecemealed to the point that nothing big actually happens outside of the states with shovel ready plans.
I vote for having it ALL go to CA!! ;D
Lets get that true HSR going fast!!
Quote from: tufsu1 on April 08, 2011, 08:10:41 AM
Ock...you do know that the ongoing GDOT study will be recommending one route by the end of 2011 right?
I expect the route to go from Atlanta to Macon via I75, Macon to Savannah via I-16, and then down to Jacksonville via I-95.
It's a miracle they have Marta. Georgia is as conservative as they get. Florida is now as conservative as Georgia, at least the leadership in Florida is.
And the voters keep taking the bait, that "poster child" image of the welfare queen has done wonders for the Republican party. Symbolism over reality, penny wise and pound foolish, except when it comes to the real heisting in the US. Oh well. shrugs shoulders. Hey Florida even has THE posterboy of the REAL heist: our governor Rick Scott running this state. Brace yourselve for more BIG Time stealing :o
Quote from: FayeforCure on April 08, 2011, 08:19:47 AM
Quote from: tufsu1 on April 08, 2011, 08:10:41 AM
Ock...you do know that the ongoing GDOT study will be recommending one route by the end of 2011 right?
I expect the route to go from Atlanta to Macon via I75, Macon to Savannah via I-16, and then down to Jacksonville via I-95.
It's a miracle they have Marta. Georgia is as conservative as they get. Florida is now as conservative as Georgia, at least the leadership in Florida is.
And the voters keep taking the bait, that "poster child" image of the welfare queen has done wonders for the Republican party. Symbolism over reality, penny wise and pound foolish, except when it comes to the real heisting in the US. Oh well. shrugs shoulders. Hey we have THE posterboy of the REAL heist: our governor Rick Scott running this state. Brace yourselve for more BIG Time stealing :o
Despite a majority of democrat voters in the state. How the eff does THAT happen??
Quote from: BridgeTroll on April 08, 2011, 08:24:19 AM
Quote from: FayeforCure on April 08, 2011, 08:19:47 AM
Quote from: tufsu1 on April 08, 2011, 08:10:41 AM
Ock...you do know that the ongoing GDOT study will be recommending one route by the end of 2011 right?
I expect the route to go from Atlanta to Macon via I75, Macon to Savannah via I-16, and then down to Jacksonville via I-95.
It's a miracle they have Marta. Georgia is as conservative as they get. Florida is now as conservative as Georgia, at least the leadership in Florida is.
And the voters keep taking the bait, that "poster child" image of the welfare queen has done wonders for the Republican party. Symbolism over reality, penny wise and pound foolish, except when it comes to the real heisting in the US. Oh well. shrugs shoulders. Hey we have THE posterboy of the REAL heist: our governor Rick Scott running this state. Brace yourselve for more BIG Time stealing :o
Despite a majority of democrat voters in the state. How the eff does THAT happen??
BT it really DOES boggle the mind.
But think about it, some imagary is soooooo ingrained, it can be used for generations................especially if it makes you "feel good" in the "I'm better than thou" sense.
See the heisting Rick Scott does is something we cannot personally identify with. After all, most of us are average citizens, and would never be in the position to pull off a big time heist.
But we can all fall on hard times, and to look down on those people is what makes us "feel strong"
It's one of those manipulative psychological things courtesy of Reagan ;)
He was the ultimate sales person.
I saw a very positive HBO documentary about Reagan called: Reagan
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/ronald-reagan-documentary-hbo_n_819988.html
One of the things I never knew about him is that he honed his sales person skills, as the prime "morivational" sales person for GE.
BTW, except for the welfare queen stuff, he didn't con us like many politicians today do..............he really did believe in supply side economics working for one of the largest corporations in America. Little did he know that instead of seeing trickle down, we'd be trickled on.............and the middle class would melt before our eyes!
Quote
Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%
http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105
MARTA is all inner city, that's why it still lives. Democrats saved it. Gwinnett County was once the fastest growing county in the nation and they are mostly republican, they have no bus service and Cobb County, CCT buses people to Marta, they won't allow it in their county. See a trend here?
QuoteLittle did he know that instead of seeing trickle down, we'd be trickled on......
(http://www.myemoticons.com/images/super-smileys/humor/frozen.gif)
MARTA will always be remembered for this...
http://www.youtube.com/v/zXz-tlK2pkI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0
PRESSIN MAHH CHARRAGGGGESSS!
-Josh
Quote from: wsansewjs on April 08, 2011, 09:29:11 AM
MARTA will always be remembered for this...
http://www.youtube.com/v/zXz-tlK2pkI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0
PRESSIN MAHH CHARRAGGGGESSS!
-Josh
Chill Josh, I couldn't understand a word. Bur what was even more funny was how google flashed a townhall meeting announcement for Cliff Stearns for April at the bottom of the video.
I'm sure Stearns would not even want to be associated with this video! ;D
Alright, back on topic ;)
Quote from: cityimrov on April 08, 2011, 12:38:47 AM
Quote from: Ocklawaha on April 07, 2011, 10:26:05 PM
Here in Metrolina, Columbia, SC city leaders are travelling to Charlotte on Monday to investigate how a Charlotte-Columbia inter-urban rail project could add the South Carolina Midlands to the regions benefiting by the larger planned rail corridor connecting Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta. There's clearly no economic advantage to that. At long last, perhaps, there will be access to both Columbia and Charlotte from Rock Hill, SC, which today has not even so much as a Greyhound bus stop.
SC DOT is studying the broader possibility of establishing a commuter rail system within the state, connecting the metro areas of Charleston, Columbia, and of course SC's world-famous Grand Strand, with Charlotte, NC and Greenville-Spartanburg, already included in the broader regional Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor plan. Opponents (mostly the rental car industry) say that such a system would not enjoy sufficient ridership. There's no model for that anywhere in the world, by the way, and here in Metrolina, the CATS system has been so popular in its initial development that suburban areas throughout the region are fighting over "next."
The Columbia, SC, Amtrak station, reports the National Association of Railroad Passengers, enjoyed a 12% annual increase in ridership in 2008, the last year for which figures are available.
SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-charlotte/midlands-leaders-see-benefit-columbia-charlotte-rail-line-unlike-fl-s-scott
So Jacksonville, by helping vote for Rick Scott managed to take money away from Central Florida and thus allowing Georgia to take on the liability and to getting that state to pay for the rail system maintenance that will benefit Jacksonville FL causing our little city to bloom at the expense of the rest of both Florida and Georgia!
This could be a beginnings of a good Machiavelli novel if that really what happens. Trickery, Manipulation, Greed, and Selfishness if not what others consider - Evil. That story will be one for the historians to laugh at!
As much as I like Ock's support for expanding Amtrak's reach, I'm all in favor of that. But it shouldn't come out of the HSR pot, and Mica agrees with that.
I DO want to point out that true HSR requires dedicated passenger rail tracks rather than share with freight. CA is best positioned to get THAT ball rolling. TRUE HSR.
The dichotomy has always been:
1. upgrade existing rail (nostalgia plays a role here too ;D )
or
2. Build new tracks like they are doing in China, and will be doing in CA............and what Florida HSR was about too.
Doesn't the Amtrak Acela HSR line share track with freight?
Mtrain. Gwinnett County does have bus service. It started up in 2002, while I was living up there. They actually run a good express system that takes commuters to Downtown Atlanta. MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
Quote from: JeffreyS on April 08, 2011, 09:54:13 AM
Doesn't the Amtrak Acela HSR line share track with freight?
Exactly, and it needs major upgrading to even get close to real HSR.
Quote from: fsujax on April 08, 2011, 09:57:45 AM
Mtrain. Gwinnett County does have bus service. It started up in 2002, while I was living up there. They actually run a good express system that takes commuters to Downtown Atlanta. MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
But mtrain is right, gwinnett would not allow Marta to expand into gwinnet county, I was still living in gwinnett in 2002 also. They just don't want that riff raff to have too easy access to super Republican "secluded gwinnett"
Never mind that the biggest drug bust ever took place in gwinnett county!
You are right. The bus system is not MARTA it is GCT. Guess I should have made that clear.
Quote from: JeffreyS on April 08, 2011, 09:54:13 AM
Doesn't the Amtrak Acela HSR line share track with freight?
yes, but Amtrak owns the tracks...and has spent hundreds of millions upgrading/straightening the track...and let's not forget, while the train is capabale of speeds of 150mph, it never reaches that speed....Amtrak has said it needs billions more to upgrade the tracks to achieve true high speed capability.
Quote from: FayeforCure on April 08, 2011, 10:26:46 AM
Quote from: JeffreyS on April 08, 2011, 09:54:13 AM
Doesn't the Amtrak Acela HSR line share track with freight?
Exactly, and it needs major upgrading to even get close to real HSR.
Works just fine as it is, freight is a non-player for all practical purposes.QuoteCauses of delays
For non-NEC trains, a common cause for delays is freight congestion as mentioned above.
Amtrak owns the northeast corridor and thus controls the freight movements seamlessly between passenger trains. The model could be repeated with a joint track agreement leaving the freight railroad in ownership, or a case where Florida would buy a stretch of track. Either way it goes, if someone can watch a TV screen and work a PC then there is no reason they can't work this out. The hysterics of building a completely new railroad are unnecessary expenses that have zero chance of ever recovering a penny of the cost. OCKLAWAHA
With attempts by Savannah and Charleston to get some piece of the Panamax pie; CSX is going to be reluctant to support any east/west passenger rail using existing infrastructure as it will impede timed freight deliveries to the Atlanta hub. Charleston specifically is counting on timed freight to Atlanta over CSX.
All of the Appalachian Midlands cities (Atlanta, Columbia, Charlotte, Greenville, Triangle) make HSR planning difficult since they all don't fall in the line between the metro NE and the Florida coast.
As far as Josh's YouTube contribution. Consider it Exhibit #1 on why many people abhor public transportation. Granted it represents less than 1% of the total experience, most people prefer to listen to a Hannity rant on the radio in the privacy of their car than listen to that tirade. I have seen worse than her in my transit life.
Chicago Metra police just arrested guy because he wouldn't stop using derogatory language on his cell phone in the middle of a commute. They finally tackled him on the platform after he tried to deck he conductor. No doubt to Ock's pleasure, the conductor held his own and had him almost on the ground when the police arrived.
Many people are already turned off by lack of decorum on passenger airlines, would they allow the same on rail? Hardly!
Saw in the TU, page A-3, the Federal cuts of 38.5 billion will include money for HSR. So wait to see what else comes out in the form of cuts from the weekend. I believe many states are in for a shock when they see what gets cut.
Quote from: mtraininjax on April 12, 2011, 08:01:38 AM
Saw in the TU, page A-3, the Federal cuts of 38.5 billion will include money for HSR. So wait to see what else comes out in the form of cuts from the weekend. I believe many states are in for a shock when they see what gets cut.
cuts will come from the HSR funding proposed in the 2011 budget...not from the stimulus money...which is what Florida turned down
Recall our governor...he's ruining our state even more than his party has already done...it's a shame and i'm embarrased...even in europe they know of his ills.....the republican party proves they could care less about anything but guns and god...i'm sick of it....
Rick Scott taking credeit for the Federal budget deal by rejecting HSR
http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2011/apr/11/rick-scott/gov-rick-scott-takes-credit-helping-avert-federal-/
Quote from: spuwho on April 10, 2011, 01:26:24 AM
With attempts by Savannah and Charleston to get some piece of the Panamax pie; CSX is going to be reluctant to support any east/west passenger rail using existing infrastructure as it will impede timed freight deliveries to the Atlanta hub. Charleston specifically is counting on timed freight to Atlanta over CSX.
The route is actually a Norfolk Southern secondary mainline that runs from Atlanta-Macon-Jessup-Brunswick, and they'll use the Atlanta-Jessup segment, hence north to Savannah of south to Jacksonville via the regular Amtrak-CSX double track high speed mainline. (Yeah, HIGH SPEED, I have ridden a demo train over that track at close to 120 mph, they had police close the crossings as we approached). I'm working up an article that will go into more detail.QuoteAll of the Appalachian Midlands cities (Atlanta, Columbia, Charlotte, Greenville, Triangle) make HSR planning difficult since they all don't fall in the line between the metro NE and the Florida coast.
It's a triangle Richmond-Charlotte-Atlanta/Atlanta-Macon-Jacksonville/Jacksonville-Savannah-Charleston-Richmond.QuoteAs far as Josh's YouTube contribution. Consider it Exhibit #1 on why many people abhor public transportation. Granted it represents less than 1% of the total experience, most people prefer to listen to a Hannity rant on the radio in the privacy of their car than listen to that tirade. I have seen worse than her in my transit life.
A little quick math using the total lane miles in the State of Florida (267,793), our population and a typical daily trip length, I came up with 300 passenger miles-per direction-per lane mile daily. Not sure if my numbers are close, but at that rate a single Amtrak train serving a typical long-distance route carries as many people. Cook up the numbers for highway maintenance and construction cost per lane mile and you could lay them side by side and see which gives us more bang for the buck. It also would eliminate the age old argument that nobody rides the trains, because highways would appear just as weak. I'd love to see what some of you math experts could come up with because you might have the answer that would shut down these fools once and for all. QuoteChicago Metra police just arrested guy because he wouldn't stop using derogatory language on his cell phone in the middle of a commute. They finally tackled him on the platform after he tried to deck he conductor. No doubt to Ock's pleasure, the conductor held his own and had him almost on the ground when the police arrived.
Many people are already turned off by lack of decorum on passenger airlines, would they allow the same on rail? Hardly!
Actually a railroad Conductor carries Federal Authority as do intercity bus drivers, in either case they can and do put disruptive or drunk passengers off in BFE. It goes for employees too, I recall one sunny Pennsylvania day along the Mon River when I was in an interchange yard to inspect an endless line of retired PENN CENTRAL boxcars. All at once my team was facing the business end of railroad police. We had to go to the yard office of the "other" railroad as they didn't know we were there. They finally worked it out and we went back to our work, but the moral of the story even for professionals is, "stay on your own side of the interchange or the bulls will get you!"OCKLAWAHA
hey ock i just found out that bnsf railway operates 3 different commuter rail, i thought freight did not want to run passenger rail!
Here's the continuing resolution budget reductions. Transportation got wacked. HSR got about a $3 billion cut.
Looking through the list, it's hard to tell exactly what this means in terms of programs cut, but it looks drastic. And more to come by next month.
http://money.cnn.com/news/economy/storysupplement/finalprogramcuts.pdf?iid=EL
FYI
APPROPRIATIONS DEAL KILLS HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROGRAM
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 3:30 a.m.
At 1:45 a.m. Tuesday morning, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee introduced H.R. 1473, a bill finishing the fiscal year 2011 appropriations process and implementing the agreement struck late last week between the White House, House Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Reid (the last two on behalf of their respective leadership teams). The text of the bill was put online at 2:20 a.m. on the House Rules Committee website and is available here:
http://rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_1/Floor_Text/FINAL2011_xml.pdf
(The Department of Transportation part is on pages 404-411, the Energy and Water part is on pages 220-240, and the Homeland Security part is on pages 262-287.) All sums appropriated by dollar amount in H.R. 1473 or appropriated by reference at the FY 2010 level by section 1101 of the bill are automatically further reduced by an across-the-board rescission of 0.2 percent by section 1119 of the bill. This section appears to apply to discretionary budget authority only, and not to obligation limitations (across-the-board rescissions in prior years specifically mentioned obligation limitations but section 1119 does not). (Basically, multiply any sum by 0.998 to get the real total.)
The final legislation eliminates all new funding in fiscal year 2011 for the troubled high-speed and intercity passenger rail program (the FY 2010 appropriation was $2.5 billion, the White House requested $1.0 billion, and the final bill gives zero dollars for FY 2011). The final bill also reaches back and rescinds $400 million of the funding appropriated for the program in FY 2010, which will eliminate DOT's ability to give that portion of the FY 2010 funding out to other applicants now that Florida has turned the money back to USDOT. Even Amtrak itself was not immune to cuts, with its capital and debt service grants being cut by $80 million below the FY 2010 level.
The final bill also provides for a hefty rescission of highway contract authority in order to help meet the Transportation-HUD Subcommittee reach its budget authority target of $55.5 billion (down 18 percent from FY 2010's $67.9 billion). $2.5 billion in unobligated balances of highway formula contract authority held by states will be rescinded (see section 2207 of the bill for details), along with an estimated $630 million from rescinding "orphan earmarks" - highway earmarks from the 1998 TEA21 law and earlier authorization laws for which at least 90 percent of the amount provided remains unspent (unobligated) - see sections 2210-2211 of the bill for details.
Obligation limitations on contract authority from transportation trust funds are either left at the FY 2010 enacted level, apparently not subject to the across-the-board rescission, or in the case of FMCSA operations received a slight increase. (Those programs face their huge cuts in the FY 2012 budget resolution and the next surface transportation extensions.)
The final bill also contains a sizable cut in the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Improvement Grants program (new starts and small starts) beyond what had been announced earlier - the final level for FY 2011 is an even $1.6 billion, 20 percent less than FY 2010's $2.0 billion. The final bill also reaches back and cancels $280 million of that $2.0 billion provided in the FY 2010 appropriations law (much of which was freed up by the cancelation of the New Jersey ARC tunnel).
The legislation cuts the FY 2011 amount of "TIGER II" grants from FY 2010's $600 million to $527 million.
For aviation, the final bill cuts FAA procurement (Facilities & Equipment) by $202 million, from $2.936 billion in FY 2010 to $2.734 billion. The big FAA account, Operations, gets an increase of $164 million over FY 2010 to $9.514 billion, but that is $279 million less than the Administration requested. FAA R&D is cut back to $170 million.
This week's regular issue of Transportation Weekly will hopefully come out later today and will contain much more coverage.
OKAY BOYS AND GIRLS TIME FOR A SMILE BREAK, AFTER ALL SAME ASSHOLES DIFFERENT DAY!Happy and I'm smiling,
walk a mile to drink your water.
You know I'd love to love you,
and above you there's no other.
We'll go walking out
while others shout of war's disaster.
Oh, we won't give in,
let's go living in the past.
Once I used to join in
every boy and girl was my friend.
Now there's revolution, but they don't know
what they're fighting.
Let us close out eyes;
outside their lives go on much faster.
Oh, we won't give in,
we'll keep living in the past.
(Living in The Past, by Jethro Tull)
(http://crimemagazine.com/images/08-nixon_vee.jpg)
He's the man of the hour!
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mxBjELPP6rw/S9dM-D5dEJI/AAAAAAAAB64/TqXCz2NnKDI/s1600/tpp-3-indelible_nixon.jpg)
He's a god!
(http://www.otis.edu/image/2071/591/600.jpeg)
BUMS studying civics.
There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
(http://cla.calpoly.edu/~lcall/204/8-10/flowers_in_guns.jpg)
Express yourself, give them a piece of your mind
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_bQsuhPJduqQ/TaT08i74ElI/AAAAAAAAEx4/SplLqXMwLhM/s800/georgia_straight.jpg)
...And your government will thank you.
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
(For What it's Worth, by Buffalo Springfield)
(http://www.legion.org/files/orange_090110_p1.JPG)
Maybe you'll be given a job killing the weeds.
Got off the plane in Vietnam, It didn’t seem like war.
With all I saw I started to wonder what I have come there for.
Some officers got drunk at night, and cheated on their wife’s.
And the peasants on the other side, where just struggling for their lives.
Oh the army tried some fancy stuff, to bring them to their knees.
Like Agent Orange defoliant, to kill the brush and tress.
We’d hike all day on jungle trails, through clouds of poison spray.
And they never told me then, that it would hurt my health today.
But I got the news this morning, yea, the doctors told me so.
They killed me in Vietnam, and I didn’t even know.
I tried hard to forget the war like everybody did.
Settled down, got married, even had a of couple kids.
Well my children both had birth defects, and the doctors had their doubts.
They never could understand it, but I think I figured it out.
Because I got the news this morning, yea, the doctors told me so.
They killed me in Vietnam, and I didn’t even know.
This Agent Orange from Vietnam, we carry it with us still.
It stays inside for years and years before it starts to kill.
You might get cancer of the liver; you might get cancer of the skin.
You can file for disability, but you might not live to win.
Oh I got the news this morning yea, the doctors told me so.
They killed me in Vietnam, and I didn’t even know.
Oh the doctor said I got some time, trying to be kind.
I’ve never been a radical, but this has changed my mind.
Oh I’d be so proud to hear my kids say hell no I won’t go,
Because you killed my dad in Vietnam, and he didn’t even know.
Yes I’d be so proud to hear my kid say hell no I won’t go,
Because you killed my dad and he didn’t even know.
my song? (Agent Orange Song, by Country Joe McDonald and the Fish)
(http://healthandenergy.com/images/Air%20Safety.gif)
(http://www.somervillestep.org/files/cartoon_singersubsidy2.gif)
This old engine
makes it on time
Leaves Central Station
at a quarter to nine
Hits River Junction
at seventeen to
at a quarter to ten
you know it's trav'lin again
Drivin' that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better
watch your speed
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind
Trouble ahead
The Lady in Red
Take my advice
you be better off dead
Switchman sleepin
Train hundred and two
is on the wrong track and
headed for you
Drivin' that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better
watch your speed
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind
Trouble with you is
The trouble with me
Got two good eyes
but we still don't see
Come round the bend
You know it's the end
The fireman screams and
The engine just gleams
Drivin' that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better
watch your speed
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind
(Casey Jones, by The Grateful Dead)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2357/2488729739_9e65e04d1a_o.jpg)
Ridin' on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central, Monday mornin' rail
15 cars & 15 restless riders
Three conductors, 25 sacks of mail
All along the southbound odyssey the train pulls out of Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms & fields
Passin' graves that have no name, freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of rusted automobiles
Good mornin' America, how are you?
Don't you know me? I'm your native son!
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans
I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done
Dealin' cards with the old men in the club car
Penny a point, ain't no one keepin' score
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
And feel the wheels rumblin' neath the floor
And the sons of Pullman porters & the sons of engineers
Ride their fathers' magic carpets made of steel
Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel
Good mornin' America, how are you?
Say don't you know me? I'm your native son!
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans.
I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.
Night time on the City of New Orleans
Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home, we'll be there by mornin'
Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea
But all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream
And the steel rail still ain't heard the news
The conductor sings his songs again
"The passengers will please refrain:
This train got the disappearin' railroad blues
Good night America, how are you?
Say don't you know me? I'm your native son!
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans.
I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.
(City of New Orleans, by Arlo Guthrie)
(http://jrrr.net/images/sanjoaquin.jpg)
Sisters, Brothers And The Whities
Blacks And The Crackers
Police And Their Backers
They're All Political Actors
Hurry, People Running From Their Worries
While The Judge And His Juries
Dictate The Law That's Partly Flaw.
Cat Calling Love Balling Fussing And Cussing
Top Billing Now Is Killing
For Peace No One Is Willing
Kind Of Make You Get That Feeling
Everybody Smoke
Use The Pill And The Dope
Educated Fools
From-Uneducated Schools
Pimping People Is The Rule
Polluted Water In The Pool
And Nixon Talking About Don't Worry
He Says Don't Worry
He Says Don't Worry
He Says Don't Worry
But They Don't Know There Can Be No Show
And If There's A Hell Below We're All Gonna Go
Everybody's Praying And Everybody's Saying
But When Come Time To Do
Everybody's Laying
Just Talking About Don't Worry
They Say Don't Worry
They Say Don't Worry
They Say Don't Worry
Sisters, Brothers And The Whitie
Blacks And The Crackers
Stone Stone Junkie
Police And Their Backers
They're All Political Actors
Smoke, The Pill And The Dope,
Educated Fools From Uneducated Schools,
Pimping People Is The Rule
Polluted Water In The Pool
And Everybody's Saying Don't Worry
They Say Don't Worry
They Say Don't Worry
They Say Don't Worry
But They Don't Know
There Can Be No Show
If There's A Hell Below
We're All Gonna Go
Lord What We Gonna Do
If Everything I Say Is True
This Ain't No Way It Ought To Be
1f Only All The Mass Could See
But Everybody Keeps Saying Don't Worry
(If There's A Hell Below We're All Gonna Go, by the late great Curtis Mayfield)
(http://ourrecipefile.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/d963southern-comfort-label-posters.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/CRITICAL%20Special%20Effects%20Images/amtrak2.jpg)
Oh shit my true identity is showing through...
Please allow me to introduce myself
Im a man of wealth and taste
Ive been around for a long, long year
Stole many a mans soul and faith
And I was round when jesus christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around st. petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank
Held a generals rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
I shouted out,
Who killed the kennedys?
When after all
It was you and me
Let me please introduce myself
Im a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached bombay
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's confusing you
Is just the nature of my game
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me lucifer
Cause Im in need of some restraint
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, um yeah
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, um mean it, get down
Woo, who
Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah!
Tell me baby, what's my name
Tell me honey, can ya guess my name
Tell me baby, what's my name
I tell you one time, you're to blame
Ooo, who
Ooo, who
Ooo, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Oh, yeah
What's me name
Tell me, baby, what's my name
(Sympathy For The Devil, by The Rolling Stones)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/CRITICAL%20Special%20Effects%20Images/upinsmoke.jpg)
JUST GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE EVENINGS!
I'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go?
I'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go?
I'm goin' to some place where I've never been before.
I'm goin', I'm goin' where the water tastes like wine.
Well, I'm goin' where the water tastes like wine.
You can jump in the water and stay drunk all the time.
I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away.
I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away.
All this fussin' and fightin', man you know I sure can't stay.
Now baby, packin' up the truck you know I got to leave today.
Just exacly where I'm goin' I can not say, but we might even leave the USA.
It's a brand-new game and I don't wanna play.
No use of you running or screaming and crying
But you got a home man, long as I got mine.