California OKs funding for high-speed rail line

[BNSF650]

http://news.yahoo.com/california-oks-fu ... 24919.html

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers approved billions of dollars Friday in construction financing for the initial segment of the nation's first dedicated high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The move marked a major political victory for Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and the Obama administration. Both have promoted bullet trains as job generators and clean transportation alternatives.
"No economy can grow faster than its transportation network allows," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement applauding the legislative vote. "With highways between California cities congested and airspace at a premium, Californians desperately need an alternative."
The bill authorizes the state to begin selling $4.5 billion in voter-approved bonds that includes $2.6 billion to build an initial 130-mile stretch of the high-speed rail line in the Central Valley. That will allow the state to collect another $3.2 billion in federal funding that could have been rescinded if lawmakers failed to act Friday.
Brown pushed for the massive infrastructure project to accommodate expected growth in the nation's most populous state, which now has 37 million people. He said the project is sorely needed to create jobs in a region with higher-than-average unemployment.
Members of the state Senate voted 21-16 along party lines after intense lobbying by Brown, Democratic leaders and labor groups. The bill, which passed the state Assembly on Thursday, now heads to Brown for his signature.
"The Legislature took bold action today that gets Californians back to work and puts California out in front once again," Brown said in a statement. The governor celebrated with Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, a fellow Democrat, in the lawmaker's office right after the vote.
The first segment of the line will run from Madera to Bakersfield. The final cost of the completed project from Los Angeles to San Francisco would be $68 billion.
Republicans blasted the Senate decision, citing the state's ongoing budget problems.
"It's unfortunate that the majority would rather spend billions of dollars that we don't have for a train to nowhere than keep schools open and harmless from budget cuts," Sen. Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, said in a statement.
Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Granite Bay, said the project would push California over a fiscal cliff.
"It will require endless subsidies and will blast a massive hole into our budget," Gaines said in a statement.
The Bay Area Council, a group of business leaders from the San Francisco Bay and Silicon Valley areas, cheered the vote. The council backed the 2008 statewide bond measure regarding the rail line and had been working to sway legislators in support of the project in recent weeks.
"This is a courageous step forward for California's future," said its president and CEO, Jim Wunderman.
In recent days, Democratic leaders included more funding to improve existing rail systems in an effort to entice support for the bullet train.
The bill now allocates a total of $1.9 billion in bonds for regional rail improvements in Northern and Southern California. The upgrades include electrifying Caltrain, a San Jose-San Francisco commuter line, and improving Metrolink commuter lines in Southern California.

[Chessie8638]

I'll believe it when the first train leaves the station...

[arizonachris]

I'm sorry, I don't see the sense in this. It's a political statement. No one will be able to afford or want to ride this. Yeah, it will create lots of jobs, and put us more in debt. Can't meet the budget anyways. How many cars on the freeway with only one person? Probably 99%. Millions of cars.

California is a one person one car state. We hate public transportation, because we all have to go to a certain place that public transportation can't get us to. I use the Blue Line, Green Line, Red Line, now the Gold Line, when ever I can. But I have to drive to the darn station! That's 20 miles away from where I am! I might just as well drive to where I want to go!

Oh, well. My taxpayer dollars at work.

[jmslakings]

You know its funny. We already have a freeway that connects Los Angeles to San Fransisco (I-5) and people drive 200 mph on that highway anyway. So whats the point of the high speed rail

[PapaXpress]

I can only agree with some of your opinions Chris. Here in the Bay Area we are asking for more public transit. BART, Caltrain, Capital Corridor and ACE (which I use to take) are all thriving. There are also several bus line that crisscross the greater Bay Area. Whats holding it all back is funding from the State. If HSR is as affordable as Southwest Airlines then that is what my family will ride to get to Disneyland.

But we do like our cars.

[Kali]

Well, it's either a political statement or *very* forward thinking - not something politicians are generally good at - very much like our domestic high-speed route here. I think we're running out of oil faster than viable alternative propulsion methods for cars are turning up, and there aren't alternatives for aircraft.

Our first domestic highspeed line is being planned along the same corridor as a route which had an underfunded upgrade a few years ago, it's not really going to save much journey time. I can't imagine how much of our network you could electrify with the same budget, highspeed rail is crazily expensive. Our normal network is in a better state than yours, though.

[PapaXpress]

For certain we are far behind on HSR (its embarrassing).

[arizonachris]

Here in the Bay Area we are asking for more public transit. BART, Caltrain, Capital Corridor and ACE (which I use to take) are all thriving. There are also several bus line that crisscross the greater Bay Area. Whats holding it all back is funding from the State. If HSR is as affordable as Southwest Airlines then that is what my family will ride to get to Disneyland.

But we do like our cars.

I guess that's what I really meant, Papa. Put the money where it's needed, not some high speed thing no one will ride. Amtrak is already floundering. This won't help. IMHO, as always.

[PapaXpress]

Something I forgot to mention is that Caltrain, and ACE are part of the HSR project. I am still waiting to read their final plans but it should benefit the Bay Area.

[Kali]

I guess that's what I really meant, Papa. Put the money where it's needed, not some high speed thing no one will ride. Amtrak is already floundering. This won't help. IMHO, as always.

It'll take a couple of decades to build it anyway, by that time it'll be the only affordable transport other than bicycles...

[PapaXpress]

At least a couple decades....
http://www.cahsrblog.com/2012/07/whats- ... e-politics

[buzz456]

Just another waste of our money. Every one of these things that I have dug into is a endless money pit to build and then to run. This is exactly what is wrong with our government nowadays and why we are broke.

Buzz