Pedestrian View Of Los Angeles

This blog focuses on rail lines in LA country that exist, are under construction or under consideration. The Californian high-speed rail project and southern CA to Vegas project will also be covered. Since most of the relevant developments in the news, rail websites and blogosphere take place on weekdays, this blog will be updated primarily Monday through Friday and occasionally on the weekends. Your comments, criticism and suggestions are encouraged. Miscellaneous stuff will also appear here.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

From the Las Vegas Sun: Letter to the editor critical of the high-speed train to Vegas from CA.

Link: DesertXpress plan doesn’t get the job done - Las Vegas Sun
DesertXpress plan doesn’t get the job done

Mark Kostner, Las Vegas

Sun, Jun 21, 2009 (2:03 a.m.)

I am a rail enthusiast who has hoped for years that train service of some kind would be restored on the Las Vegas to Los Angeles corridor. I’d settle for Amtrak, but I have been following the high-speed rail proposals with great interest. I travel to California frequently and would certainly ride a high-speed train if it were priced reasonably.

Unfortunately this DesertXpress proposal just doesn’t do it for me. I have yet to make Victorville my destination on a California trip.

What kind of train gets you only part of the way there? Could Las Vegas have been built on this kind of service?

The thinking seems to be: If you can make it to Victorville, we’ll see to it that you can get the rest of the way here. Or, we’ll get you part of the way home; after that you’re on your own.

This proposal is quite unbecoming of a Las Vegas transportation option. Seriously, folks, how many of you would actually ride a train, no matter how modern, that only got you part of the way there?

The sensible option is to tie any proposed Las Vegas-Southern California rail line to what is being planned internally by California. Perhaps Nevada could have a representative on the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

This Victorville proposal is a white elephant. The Roy Rogers Museum isn’t even there anymore!

Ask yourself: How how many people do you know in Southern California who would trek to Victorville in a car or bus to hop aboard this train? The DesertXpress would be a deserted express.


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