Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Run Into Town on a Rail



High Speed Rail still on track, says representative

[Gilroy] to receive $600,000 grant for station planning in early 2014
Despite three recent court rulings viewed by some as strikes against the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the $68 billion project is still steaming along locally in Gilroy and statewide, according to a representative with the group.Ben Tripousis, northern regional director with the CHSRA, says he's working with City staff to better plan the proposed station in downtown Gilroy through a $600,000 grant the City will likely receive by Jan. 1. ....
 “The Authority won't select a preferred alignment and station location until the environmental review process is complete for the San Jose to Merced project section in roughly 2016,” Tripousis added. “The process will include significant community outreach and input before coming to a decision.”Ketchum is confident that if the CHSRA hasn’t decided on the Gilroy station’s location by then, the City can surely plan for it during the next General Plan process.The statewide high-speed rail system, according to documents provided during the Gilroy High-Speed Train Station Visioning Process, are forecasted to carry up to 100 million passengers each year as early as 2035. The 800-mile system will link the Bay area, the Central Valley and southern California together through 24 stations, all with an expected travel time of 160 minutes.“We're talking about development in and around the downtowns of all of our stations, increasing densities in the downtown cities and allowing for greater economic development,” Tripousis said.



This disaster keeps getting worse.  Gilroy is is a community of 50,000.  $600,000 to add HSR to their General Plan?  No, a $600k bribe to grease the tracks.  Come on.  The construction of the station shouldn't cost much more than a million or two. 

Nota bene.  Almost every number uttered in the excerpt above is incorrect.  No points for guessing in which direction. 

7 comments:

sm_landlord said...

A station in Gilroy? To deliver the tourists to the annual Garlic festival, I guess.

This smells worse than than the Garlic Festival itself.

Rob Dawg said...

I'm trying to think what $600k buys you in a small town in the Central Valley. They don't need even a "station." A "platform" would, IMO, work better. An elevated slab, ADA compliance, wind screen from the west and cap the sucker with solar panels. $2m true cost so $4m public cost.

The whole thing is collapsing under the weight of reality.

Unknown said...

Dawg, American Government at all levels has become insane, and not a little bit.
And at the Federal level, violently insane.
Giving the Salinas PD a 37 ton armored vehicle has implications.

TJandTheBear said...

The Fed is printing it, DC is spending it, and everyone else is grabbing as much of it as they can.

I'm always cracked up by books, courses, etc. on "ethics". Not something you can teach (at least to adults). Either you have them or you don't, and it seems like everyone that doesn't made their way into politics or finance.

Unknown said...

TJ, I suspect ethics is a matter both of nature and early nurture.
In my experience about 20% are ethical, no matter what, 20% are unethical no matter what and 60% blow with the wind.
American Society has punished ethical behaviour for decades and rewarded unethical behaviour for as long.
And we are seeing the results, which are not pretty and will likely not be survivable for many.

sk said...

going off-topic :

Shoud auld acquentance be forgot,
An niver brocht tae mind ?
Shoud auld acquentance be forgot,
An auld lang syne ?
OWERWIRD:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Of course I'm going to give the Scots version, it being a Robbie Burns composition'n'all. But this Auntie BeeB program about it reminds me of its very impressive world-wide popularity - not just in the old and new Commonwealth and ex-colonies either.

Happy New Year, RD.

Rob Dawg said...

Shantanu,
Love the auld englais. Make this the year we decide meet up.

Regards,
Robert