Gov. Jerry Brown and other California leaders on Tuesday marked the beginning of construction of the nation's first bullet train and one of its most ambitious public works projects ever.
Conceived in Brown's first terms as governor a generation ago, the $68-billion line that is supposed to connect the state's major population centers has finally reached a stage where heavy construction equipment and thousands of workers are ready to begin raising bridges, building underpasses and preparing miles of track bed.
The carefully choreographed ceremony at the site of a future Fresno station marked a historic milestone for the project.
(http://www.trbimg.com/img-54ac8744/turbine/la-me-g-0107-bullet-groundbreaking-20150106/750/750x422)
Another viewpoint:
QuoteIn defiance of all sense and reason, California is actually pushing forward with its absurd bullet train plan. Today is the groundbreaking for the first stretch of the estimated (completely underestimated, probably) $68 billion train. It's supposed to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles someday, far in the future. For now, though, they're just building the start of a stretch from Fresno to Madera, in the middle of nowhere where nobody needs it, nor will anybody probably ever need it.
And that may well be it unless more money appears somehow. The state only has $12 billion on hand for the project and is planning for another $8 billion. The rest is absolutely nowhere to be found. California got $3 billion from the Obama administration as part of the stimulus package, but it's pretty safe to say they're not going to see another cent from the federal government for at least the next two years. There is no sign of any private investment coming. The California High Speed Rail Authority is taking the "If you build it, they will come" mantra as a permanent motto. Its chairman, Dan Richard, is hoping they can raise money from selling advertisement and real estate development rights along the route or that the feds will chip in again later.
Whole article here: http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/06/california-to-begin-digging-giant-ditch (http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/06/california-to-begin-digging-giant-ditch)
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on January 07, 2015, 10:34:37 AM
Another viewpoint:
QuoteIn defiance of all sense and reason, California is actually pushing forward with its absurd bullet train plan. Today is the groundbreaking for the first stretch of the estimated (completely underestimated, probably) $68 billion train. It's supposed to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles someday, far in the future. For now, though, they're just building the start of a stretch from Fresno to Madera, in the middle of nowhere where nobody needs it, nor will anybody probably ever need it.
And that may well be it unless more money appears somehow. The state only has $12 billion on hand for the project and is planning for another $8 billion. The rest is absolutely nowhere to be found. California got $3 billion from the Obama administration as part of the stimulus package, but it's pretty safe to say they're not going to see another cent from the federal government for at least the next two years. There is no sign of any private investment coming. The California High Speed Rail Authority is taking the "If you build it, they will come" mantra as a permanent motto. Its chairman, Dan Richard, is hoping they can raise money from selling advertisement and real estate development rights along the route or that the feds will chip in again later.
Whole article here: http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/06/california-to-begin-digging-giant-ditch (http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/06/california-to-begin-digging-giant-ditch)
Sounds like a great plan.
There have been a couple of lawsuits contesting the funding sources. There are several ballot initiatives currently collecting the minimum signature counts to get it voted on again.
They are still working on some agreements with Union Pacific due to their desire to align the ROW so close to theirs.
The Fresno routing was chosen for cost and political reasons. Land acquisition is cheaper in the valley. Less environmentalist push back and Valley politicos wanting to see a large capital project in their district.
The largest cost component of this project is still being engineered. That is the routing over amd through the San Gabriel Mountains out of the Los Angeles Basin. Since it is high speed and will run through a seismically active area that also can have snow at times during the winter, and has to minimize grades to less than 1.5%.....this will be a significant exercise in rail design.
They were planning to use an abandoned Western Pacific RR ROW to access the San Francisco area which wont be as expensive.
Anyway you look at it, this project will take lots of dough and take many years to be 100% operational.
Wow! This IS historic! They held this ceremony in Fresno and didn't get mugged!
Meanwhile....over Yonder Land Of Flowers,specifically down SE Florida way.....United States Coast Guard might likely hold final decree on SE Fla project; related to Rail infrastructure,hourly use; MiamiRiver and - more particularly- New River Broward County.
See also Marine Industries of Florida.
Or somethin' like that.
8)
QuoteIn fact, without high-speed rail, California would have to use carbon-intensive solutions to accommodate the expected bump in population to 50 million by 2050. Experts estimate that the state would have to build 4,000 more miles of roads and two new international airports to solve the population puzzle, spending twice as much as high-speed rail on a less sustainable system based mainly on fossil fuels.
http://www.salon.com/2015/01/06/americas_most_ambitious_infrastructure_project_of_the_century_why_todays_high_speed_rail_launch_is_miraculous/
average speed of 80-90 mph?
Quote from: finehoe on January 07, 2015, 08:38:47 PM
QuoteIn fact, without high-speed rail, California would have to use carbon-intensive solutions to accommodate the expected bump in population to 50 million by 2050. Experts estimate that the state would have to build 4,000 more miles of roads and two new international airports to solve the population puzzle, spending twice as much as high-speed rail on a less sustainable system based mainly on fossil fuels.
http://www.salon.com/2015/01/06/americas_most_ambitious_infrastructure_project_of_the_century_why_todays_high_speed_rail_launch_is_miraculous/
Miraculous until the first quake shuts it down over the Tehachapi & Grapevine pass. Unless Salon has forgotten (or those they quote), this train runs on fossil fuels as well and is carbon intensive in construction and maintenance. I don't think this "high speed" rail will replace 2 airports and 4000 miles of highway in its currently planned configuration. I think its a great alternative, especially as air travel is getting congested and will increase with the use of commercial drones and automated personal air travel. But it won't replace it fully. Complement, yes.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bullet-train-cost-final-20151025-story.html
in case anyone is still interested