GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM CURTAILS PLAN FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL, PLANS TO ONLY BUILD BETWEEN MERCED AND BAKERSFI

[Jose Garcia]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by DonViejo (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he's ending the state's effort to build a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Newsom said Tuesday in his State of the State address it "would cost too much and take too long" to build the line long championed by his predecessor, Jerry Brown. Latest estimates pin the cost at $77 billion and completion in 2033.

Newsom says he wants to continue construction of the high-speed link from Merced to Bakersfield in California's Central Valley. He says building the line could bring economic transformation to the agricultural region.

And he says abandoning that portion of the project would require the state to return $3.5 billion in federal dollars.

Read more: https://abc30.com/amp/politics/california-state-of-the-state-gov-newsom-curtails-plan-for-high-speed-rail/5134386/?__twitter_impression=true

[RandySF]

1. :(

[cab67]

2. This is something I don't always get.

Why does it take so much longer to do things these days?

The transcontinental railroad was completed in 6 years in the 1860's. It was mostly done by hand. I realize high-speed rail isn't the same as the network used for steam locomotives, but still - why would it take 15 or more years to build something a lot shorter than what was built in 6?

Likewise, a lunar mission. It would take a long time to develop the spacecraft, they say. But can't we upgrade the Apollo system that was so successful? They'd obviously need modern computer systems, but it's not as though we've never sent someone to the moon before.

I realize there are good reasons for all of this, but I don't know what they are, so I'm going to be curmudgeonly about it.

[DrToast]

5. I believe it involved a lot of land grading

[oldsoftie]

26. Many reasons. Securing property, EPA regs, Higher quality building, water or other obstacles

The number one reason is that its the government doing it.
Look how long the "Big Dig" in Boston took! They had a ton of natural obstacles, but still. It took about 16 yrs!

I've seen it around where I live. Crews just disappear for weeks at a time. We have a 4 lane being built and the layout has been done for 2 years, but the final paving has just started. I bet it isnt open at the end of the year. And its only about 6 miles.

[jmowreader]

32. When we laid the Transcontinental Railway, things were different

1) No one owned the land the rails were going on.

2) There were no such thing as environmental impact studies.

3) There were also no labor laws. If you wanted to bring 100,000 Chinese workers and 100,000 African-American workers to the jobsite, pay them a dollar a day and charge them for food and work clothes, work them seven days a week and have a quarter of them die during the project...you could, no problem at all.

You could never build the Transcontinental Railway today. Just the citizen protests alone would kill the project.

[DrToast]

3. The writing has been on the wall for a while now

Probably should have cut their loses before, but it is what it is.

[SunSeeker]

4. OFFS. He caved to the right wing bullshit.

We need a bullet train between LA and SF, Gavin!

[CountAllVotes]

6. Like to see one running from one end of the state to the other end

Statewide!

Why leave out the northern part of the state?

[SunSeeker]

8. Indeed. And one from LA to Vegas. nt

[defacto7]

13. Merced to Bakersfield? How does that compare with LA to SF?

High speed.... to Bakersfield? For that you can take a bus.

[SunSeeker]

18. If you have to take the bus, it will make the train untenable.

Taking the Greyhound bus from LA to Bakersfield takes 2-3 hours. It's 4-6 hours for the bus ride from Merced to SF, depending on time of day. The bus ride from Merced to Bakersfield is only about 4 hours, so turning that into a one hour bullet train ride does not shave off that much of your total trip time.

The bullet train promised a cheap two-hour-and-40-minute ride between San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal and LA’s Union Station. https://sf.curbed.com/2017/9/19/16331308/high-speed-rail-california

Now, having to take the bus to complete the journey, we're talking anywhere from 12 to 15 hours of travel time from LA to SF, and that's assuming no down time waiting for your connecting buses/train, and one hour bullet train travel time between Bakersfield to Merced. Realistically, the LA to SF bus-train-bus trip would be closer to 18 hours. No one would do that. They would just take the Greyhound directly from LA to SF, which takes about 8 hours. Or the Amtrak from LA to Oakland, about 11 hours. Or fly, for one hour 30 minutes.

A bullet train between Merced and Bakersfield will be a train to nowhere with no riders, just a pork barrel construction project for the Central Valley. Our only hope is that a future Governor(s) will have the guts to complete the line.

[jls4561]

7. Who the hell wants to go from Merced to Bakersfield?

[CountAllVotes]

9. +1,000 !!

Not me!

I've been to hotter than hell Bakersfield once in my life.

Forget it!

[defacto7]

14. It's the beaches.

[madville]

16. Exactly, basically a train to nowhere.

I'd rather take Amtrak anyway, I like to sightsee.

[SpankMe]

10. Let's see...

Cancelling the project, and strengthening accountability for cost overruns. Both things that the right has sought for years.

But do you think they'll give Newsom any credit for it?

Nope. I predict conservatives will now, suddenly, be in favor of the project and claim that Newsom is a job killer...in 3...2...1..... ...

[roamer65]

11. There should be bullet trains from NYC to Chicago, Chicago to Denver, then Denver to SF.

Then two lines out of SF, one north to Portland and Seattle, one south to LA.

As mentioned above, a good brahc line would be LA to LV.

[jayfish]

12. No We Can't!

#sad.

[diva77]

15. CONTACT NEWSOM: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/

I tried calling but system is not accepting calls currently -- I hope that means people are speaking out against this HORRIBLE decision. I want Jerry back!!!!!

Mailing address:
Governor Gavin Newsom
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

You have to fill out the form at link above to send an email



K&R for exposure

[SunSeeker]

20. I just tried his phone, it is still not taking messages. I will email him.

I am so pissed.

[diva77]

22. me too. thanks for contacting him

[Yavin4]

17. High Speed Rail could be the solution to CA's skyrocketing housing costs

High speed rail making hub stops + commuter buses at the stations = giving the working classes of LA and SF more options for affordable housing outside of the city and beyond.

[SunSeeker]

21. Very true. And reduce greenhouse gases. nt

[Auggie]

19. It was a bad idea from the very beginning

Newsome did the right thing to bail.

[diva77]

23. can you expand on that thought? thanks

[SunSeeker]

25. No, it was a great idea, both for our environment and CA's economy.

The bullet train promised a cheap two-hour-and-40-minute ride between San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal and LA’s Union Station. 
https://sf.curbed.com/2017/9/19/16331308/high-speed-rail-california 

[cab67]

28. Good idea, wrong place.

There's a reason rail travel does well in the Northeast, but hasn't worked so well elsewhere in the US (including California): urban planning.

Eastern cities are more centralized. They also have extensive public transportation connected to regional rail lines. People taking the train from New York to DC, or to Boston, can do the whole trip without a car at either end.

Western cities are less centralized. Someone taking the train from one California city to another is more likely to have to (or want to) rent a car at the destination.

[SunSeeker]

30. We need a bullet train between SF and LA.

It is much greener than flying (which most business people do) or driving. The bullet train promised a cheap two-hour-and-40-minute ride between San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal and LA’s Union Station. https://sf.curbed.com/2017/9/19/16331308/high-speed-rail-california 

It is also the only way many people working in LA or SF will be able to buy an affordable family home.

[dumbcat]

29. Yup.

Anyone who understands engineering, construction, finance, and geography knew that it was never going to work, and it was going to end up pretty much as it is.

But people wanted to believe ...

[SunSeeker]

31. No, it was a great idea. Don't believe the right wing naysayers.

The Republicans have been bashing the bullet train from day 1. Sadly, many of us ended up being swayed.

[still_one]

24. Perhaps he is thinking about universal healthcare instead

[Brother Buzz]

27. They really, really need to punch it up to Lodi so nobody gets stuck there

Although the jury is still out on which is worse, being stuck in Lodi or Bakersfield.

[DonViejo]

33. Locking...

Forum Hosts feel this is not important news of national interest, but rather, a local interest story. Please post this in the General Discussions Forum and/or the California Group