DesertXpress Train to Vegas in Planning Stages
After 30 years of planning, the MagLev project between Anaheim and Vegas lost one of its biggest proponents last month to a train part of the federal high-speed rail corridor. Nevada Senator Harry Reid is now behind the DesertXpress between Southern California and Las Vegas that would mainly go along Interstate 15. Unfortunately, the phase planned right now only goes between Vegas and Victorville. Why Victorville? Their website explains:
Of course it would be great if DesertXpress could be extended to downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim and Ontario, and someday it might. But for this initial project, it is critical for the station to serve the Southern California market and be financeable without public tax dollars.
Victorville makes a lot of sense because it is the first major population center northeast of the Cajon Pass through the San Bernardino mountain range separating the High Desert from the Los Angeles basin. Victorville is within only a 30- to 45-minute drive for roughly 5 million people who live in the Inland Empire, Antelope Valley, and the eastern portions of Los Angeles County, and only a one to two hour's drive for most of the rest of the Southland's 21 million residents—many of whom routinely drive at least an hour to and from work each weekday.
Victorville also is the choke point of I-15, where the roadway narrows from from four through lanes to three in each direction. With the station in Victorville, DesertXpress avoids the uncertainty of the challenging 200-mile drive across the Mojave Desert that could take anywhere from 4 hours to 10 hours - you never know, because of congestion and incidents or accidents.
Yes, someday "it might" go to Los Angeles." The Victorville leg will cost $3.5 to $4 billion for 200 miles of work--that's less than proposed subway to the sea in Los Angeles.
By Zach Behrens in News on July 3, 2009 9:15 AMComments (2) [rss]
Ross: Though I agree with you on the Victorville terminus, that's only Phase I. The goal is to bring it to Palmdale to tie into the CA High-Speed Rail project. If the projects are designed to use similar equipment and track gauges, it's possible that the Vegas train will be able to use the HSR corridor for a direct connection to Union Station. The future extension of the CA HSR to San Diego will head east from Union Station through the San Gabriel Valley/Inland Empire, so that's another possible connection the DesertXpress can make.
As I understand it, the point of DesertXpress is to get *something* built a significant portion of the way to Vegas as quickly as possible using mostly private funding.
Also, the DesertXpress and the Vegas-Anaheim maglev proposals are totally separate. Maglev deserves to die a quick death IMO, since the cost is unacceptable and the technology incompatible with the future CAHSR network.
I may not drive to VV to hop on a train to Vegas (I don't go to Vegas that often), but people in the SGV and IE aren't that far away and may be more willing. I'd definitely use the train if I could take HSR to Palmdale and transfer - or better yet if the DesertXpress used the HSR right of way from Union Station.
Friday, July 3, 2009
From LAist: DesertXpress Train to Vegas in Planning Stages
Link: DesertXpress Train to Vegas in Planning Stages - LAist
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This makes zero sense. Victorville is a declining community that is bleeding people as quickly as it is bleeding job. The only growth industry, besides meth production, is teenage pregnancy and this is the community they think will most serve the needs of this train? Do they honestly think people will drive to VV to get onto a train? Please.
Seems to me this whole thing is nothing more than an expensive way to kill the entire project.