Introduction - Derail HSR - Suspension of Site Effective 11/09/08
California voters have now approved Prop 1A. The High Speed Rail Authority will now proceed to attempt to build this project which they now estimate will cost $33 billion for the core San Francisco to Los Angeles segment.
The goal of this site was to inform the Voters of our concerns about this project, and to advocate a no vote on Prop 1A. To this end, we have posted numerous references which have served as an information cache for voters and the media.
In the near future, there will be opposition appearing anew to this project. Residents and organizations throughout the state will become more informed about the adverse impacts the project will have on urban, suburban and rural environments. When actual project plans have been prepared and real costs bids have been obtained, reality and not fantasy will reveal what a boondoggle this project represents.
Prop 1A has now been approved, although by a narrow margin. The goal of this site to inform the voters, of our concerns, we feel has been achieved. Nevertheless, Prop 1A was approved.
This will be the last posting to this site for quite some time. The site is being suspended. It will be available for some time for visitors to look at the history over the last year or so.
Thanks for viewing.
Nov 9,2008For the next year, the Authority is apparently asking for an appropriation of $200 million to start studies and acquire right of way. In this time of severe budget problems for the State, one would think the legislature will cut that request way down.
The business plan that was illegally not prepared by Sept. 1st, has now finally been published. There are numerous reasons why the Authority did not want the voters to see this information.
Instead of the 117,000,000 passengers per year they were using to promote the project, they now project less than one-half that number. This business plan under State law must now undergo a peer review and that review is to be presented within 60 days. It should be really interesting to read what the review panel has to say about this business plan.
We still claim our objections to the project are valid. It is really too bad, this reality will only become obvious when first construction bids are in and we find their cost estimates are completely out of line.
Furthermore, private investment funds will certainly not be available in this time of nationwide financial crisis. The State legislature would do well to exercise its control over the release of funds.
This is not a very popular project. Although it received 52% of the votes cast on the Prop 1A ballot measure, it received only 48% of the total votes cast in the election. And this was after a vigorous well funded campaign, whereas opposition groups had little funds to spend.
The current leadership of the Authority has been incompetent and arrogant beyond belief. They have miss-led the Voters of California and used devious methods to get this project approved.
Now it is up to the State legislature to deal with this problem. Senator Alan Lowenthal, the Chairman of the Transportation and housing committee has grave doubts about this project. He has shown courage by investigating the Authority and their work, and through his efforts Prop 1A became law, replacing Prop 1, which had no oversight at all. Under Prop 1A, there will be oversight. Hopefully the legislature will use it wisely.
The project has now planned and studied in the EIR, uses right of way owned by the Union Pacific Railroad from San Jose to Gilroy. The Railroad will not allow the Authority to use this corridor for High Speed Rail. Therefore, a new route must be found and studied. This will at the very least involve more years of delay and and expense.
This one example of incompetence of the Authority should be more than enough to remove the leadership from this agency. State Senate bill SB-53 is now law. This next summer a study will be completed with the goal of examining whether to consolidate several rail transit groups, including the Authority. At that time it is very possible that the Authority could be abolished, and this project be carried ahead under completely new leadership.
We applaud Senator Roy Ashburn for pushing hard to get SB-53 voted into law. Senator Ducheny, the author of SB-53 should be congratulated for her efforts in this direction. She recognized what a wasteful system the State now has in place with these separate agencies, which should all be working together.
Only time will tell what will really happen with the funds from Prop 1A. This is a huge project. It is by far the largest infra-structure in the United States. It must be done right. Up to now, it certainly has not been done right.
