From Streetsblog Los Angeles: Glendale City Councilman Najarian Takes Over as Metro Board Chair

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Glendale City Councilman Najarian Takes Over as Metro Board Chair

Glendale City Councilman Najarian Takes Over as Metro Board Chair

by Damien Newton on July 1, 2009


Every year on July 1, the Chairmanship of the Metro Board of Directors changes hands. This year, Glendale City Councilman, and former Mayor, Ara Najarian takes the helm. While outgoing Chair Villaraigosa is rightly proud of his steering of the Board during the Metro debate, he often seemed bored at meetings and liked to skip "open comment" and just show up to vote.

Najarian's ascension could be good news for bicycle and pedestrian advocates. Recently, the City of Glendale has forged a partnership with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to make Glendale streets more safe for everyone and Coalition staff has nothing but good things to say of the Councilman. Also, Najarian is one of the few Metro Board members to take time out for events such as "Bike to Work" week kickoffs.

Regionally, Najarian isn't one to make waves; but recently he did earn headlines for his opposition to the I-710 Tunnel Project. As a matter of fact, a search of the Streetsblog archives only reveals three stories that mention him by name.

With Najarian officially in the Chairman's seat, it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes occur at the policy level or in the way Board meetings are run. If anyone has any more information on Najarian or wants to give the new Board Chair some advice, feel free to use the comments section as a forum. Since it wasn't available online at the moment of publication, you can find Metro's press release after the jump.

GLENDALE CITY COUNCILMAN ARA NAJARIAN BECOMES

NEW CHAIR OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian takes over as chairman of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors effective today, July 1. He replaces outgoing Board Chairman, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“As the new Board Chair, I look forward to providing the leadership necessary to enhance transportation options throughout the region,” said Najarian. “This next year will be both challenging and rewarding as we move the agency through difficult financial times while at the same time, begin implementing transportation improvement projects voted by the public with the passage of Measure R, the half-cent sales tax initiative.”

Najarian was elected to the Glendale City Council in 2005 and served as Mayor from 2007 to 2008. He is currently Chair of the Glendale Housing Authority and previously served as Chair of the Glendale Redevelopment Agency. He also served on the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2005 and was Chair of the Glendale Transportation and Parking Commission. Najarian has served as a director since 2006 and also currently serves on Metrolink’s Board of Directors.

Najarian has been an attorney in private practice in Glendale for 20 years and attended Occidental College where he received a BA degree in Economics and later earned his JD from USC School of Law.

Metro is the third largest public transportation agency in the United States. It has a $3.9 billion annual budget and more than 9,000 employees. It operates approximately 200 bus routes serving a 1,433 square mile service area and five subway and light rail lines that crisscross Los Angeles County. Metro’s total annual bus and rail ridership exceeds 400 million boardings.

From Gadling.com: How to visit Los Angeles without a car. It can be done. I have worked out such plans with tourists before. It's nice to see this idea in print. And this is the reason I chose to post it.

Link: How to visit Los Angeles without a car | Gadling.com

How to visit Los Angeles without a car

by Mike Barish on Jul 1st 2009 at 10:30AM
Los Angeles is known for a lot of things: celebrities, beaches, smog and police chases, to name a few. But, when it comes to planning a trip to LA, perhaps the fact that will stick out the most is that LA is a car town (which explains the smog and police chases). Los Angeles is a sprawling city that is really several towns and neighborhoods that are connected by a series of highways that stretch for miles.

As such, when you're planning a trip to LA, somewhere on your to-do list will be the task of renting a car. But what if you don't want to spend that money? Or contribute to that smog? Or be chased by police? There has to be a better way! As I prepared to head to LA last week, I decided to skip renting a car. I asked my friends on Twitter and Facebook if I was crazy and received these responses:

"It can't be done."
"You're insane, Barish."
"People will stare at you if you walk more than two blocks."

Not a lot of optimism there. Was I crazy? Can you visit LA without a car? Well, I endeavored to do just that. Join me, won't you?

It's worth noting that I was only in Los Angeles for two days. While not a lengthy stay, I did have a packed agenda. I needed to attend three meetings, a dinner and a charity event. My challenge: to make all those activities happen without having a car of my own. How did I do it? It was simple really.

Airport Shuttles - Before arriving in LA, I had made a reservation with SuperShuttle. A one-way trip to or from LAX costs $16, and they have discounts if you book round trip or use a discount code. Sure, we meandered to my hotel in West Hollywood while dropping off other passengers, but, 90 minutes after my Virgin America flight touched down, I was in my room. That's not terrible and and it's cheap. I took the SuperShuttle back to LAX two days later and arrived with time to spare.

The Internet - First, the bad news: Google Maps and HopStop don't include Los Angeles in their transit directions. Now, the good news: The Los Angeles MTA website provides detailed transit directions with astonishingly accurate time estimates. It fast became my best friend when I needed to take...

Buses - Yes, people take buses in LA. Despite what my friends and native Angelinos told me, I found the bus routes to be quite convenient. I caught a bus right outside my hotel and, three miles and 30 minutes later, I arrived a half-block away from Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles for my first meal in LA. I transferred between two buses while traveling the 13 miles from my hotel to the Skirball Cultural Center in the Santa Monica Mountains. Sure, it took me an hour, but the buses delivered me practically door-to-door.

Selfishness - My first night in LA, I was staying at the Mondrian. It's home to SkyBar, which is a bit of a hip scene. So, when I offered to schedule one of my meetings at the other person's office, she quickly suggested that we instead meet over drinks at my hotel. I quickly agreed and avoided having to commute anywhere. Is this cheating? I had my meeting, avoided all transportation and had some delicious mojitos. Seems fair to me.

Rely on Friends - I had dinner plans with a friend while I was in town and we decided to eat in Venice. In order to get us eating sooner rather than later, she offered to pick me up from my hotel and give me a ride to the restaurant. We used the time in the car to catch up and she was happy to do me the favor. And, at the end of that charity event that I attended, a very nice business contact of mine offered to drive me back to my hotel. It may have been out of pity (or maybe it was because I'm charming), but it got me to where I needed to be and only cost me a profuse series of thank yous (thanks again, Sarah).

Walk - Shockingly, you can walk places in LA. So long as Point A and Point B are in the same neighborhood. I walked the mile or so back from my lunch meeting in Hollywood to my hotel and enjoyed working off the meal. And no one stared at me!

Taxis - I actually wanted to avoid taxis. I had been told that they were expensive and they're not much better for the environment than just having my own car. But, I had left my sunglasses at the Mondrian (after checking out) and had to be at a meeting in 30. The only way I could manage to be on time was to take a cab back to the hotel and then to my meeting. The four mile, 30 minute errand cost me $27 (including tip) and proved my friends right about one thing: cabs in LA are beyond pricey.

Trains - The LA Metro was great for...oh, who am I kidding? Everyone I spoke to said that the Metro was useless and, as far as I can tell, they're right.

I spent roughly $33 dollars on SuperShuttle trips, $5 on buses and $27 on a taxi. That's $65. Or, less than the cost of a rental car for one day (and that taxi fare was only necessary because of my carelessness). I used the time on buses to check email and I didn't contribute to the smog or get chased by the LAPD.

I will concede that I managed without a car for two key reasons: I was able to isolate much of what I was doing to one neighborhood (Hollywood) and it was a short visit. But I hope my point was made. LA can be done without a car if you plan in advance, impose on some friends and don't mind getting asked by at least three people if "you lost your license because of a DUI."

Photos by flickr users biofriendly (top) and stevelyon (bottom).

From LA Daily News: Mayor starts 2nd term today. On transportation, the Orange Line extension to Chatsworth and the Expo Line in the Mid City Area are two of the top projects.

Link: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to be sworn in at 11 a.m. - LA Daily News

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to be sworn in at 11 a.m.
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
Updated: 06/30/2009 06:06:36 PM PDT

With the city facing one of its worst economic crises, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be sworn in today to his second term of office, with a more humble tone and promises of specific goals to get the city moving.

"You can call it a rededication to the job and a demand for accountability," spokesman Matt Szabo said. "Accountability from him and from others."

Villaraigosa, who was re-elected with 55 percent of the vote last March against a crowded field of relatively unknown and underfunded candidates, feels a sense of humility and appreciation in being re-elected to a second term, Szabo said.

At the same time, he recognizes the opportunity he faces as mayor of the nation's second-largest city.

The mayor's inauguration ceremony will be hosted by Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher. The ceremony on the south lawn of City Hall will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature Grammy-winning singer Patti Austin performing the national anthem and a flyover from fire department helicopters.

The mayor's sister, Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Villar, will administer his oath of office.

Villaraigosa last week announced he was giving up plans to run for governor in 2010 to focus on his job as mayor. His primary goal for the next four years is to create jobs by retaining firms, helping them expand or bring in new business.

In particular, the mayor is looking to bring in more green and clean tech industries along the Clean Tech Corridor being created between downtown Los Angeles and the Harbor area as well as continued development of biomed and other industries.

"We are looking at everything," said Bud Ovrom, deputy mayor for business development. "Whether it is old-style manufacturing or new clean tech jobs."

Deputy Mayor David Freeman, who served as a harbor commissioner and the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said he believes the city is in a unique position to take advantage of new technology.

"We have three universities - Cal Tech, USC and UCLA - that graduate more engineers than any other part of the country," Freeman said.

"We have more electric vehicle charging stations than any other part of the country... I think we can move Detroit to Los Angeles."

Szabo said Villaraigosa remains committed to his proposal to clean the Los Angeles environment with efforts such as the clean trucks program at the Harbor among others.

Also, he will continue to pursue those aspects of solar energy development agreed to by most of the public and as outlined in Measure B, the solar initiative rejected by voters.

On transportation, with the Measure R sales tax taking effect today, the mayor is looking at ways to either borrow against it or leverage it to get more federal stimulus money to speed construction on projects.

Szabo said the Orange Line extension to Chatsworth and the Expo Line in the Mid City Area are two of the top projects.

On education, Szabo said the mayor recognizes the role he plays - having helped elect a majority of the Los Angeles Unified school board and having his former top adviser, Ramon Cortines, named superintendent.

The final area to be emphasized by the mayor will be public safety with his continued support of an expanded Los Angeles Police Department while also extending anti-gang programs. The mayor this week launched the second year of the Summer Night Lights program at 16 parks devoted to keeping young people out of gangs.

Inaugural events this year will kick off at 8:30 a.m., with an interfaith breakfast at 1st AME Church with City Hall ceremonies beginning at 10:30 a.m., on the South Lawn. Tickets have been limited.

In addition to the mayor, City Attorney-elect Carmen Trutanich, Controller-elect Wendy Greuel and eight council members - Ed Reyes, Dennis Zine, Paul Koretz, Richard Alarcon, Jan Perry, Bill Rosendahl, Eric Garcetti and Janice Hahn - will be sworn in to office.

From MetroRiderLA: Ride Report: Metro Line 632, the Gold Line emulator

Link: Ride Report: Metro Line 632, the Gold Line emulator | MetroRiderLA

Anecdotes, Awareness, Opinion, Ride Report

Ride Report: Metro Line 632, the Gold Line emulator

Contributed by Wad on July 1st, 2009 at 5:43 am

We like to complain, and justifyably so, at the glacial pace of making progress on public transit in L.A. It takes decades for a rail line to go from concept to completion. Even something as simple as a bus route change takes about a year of prep work before they are even implemented. Things ought to go faster.

For once, Metro did do something fast. And guess what happened? Nothing. Actually, something did happen. Nothing is a close approximation of the ridership of its seat-of-the-pants planning and operations.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wanted Metro to dream with him. His dream was to have the Gold Line extension up and running by the time he celebrated his second inauguration. This left Metro a window of opportunity to tie an opening in with its normal semi-annual bus service shake-ups, which was this weekend. Just one problem: the Gold Line wasn’t going to be ready — even though several lines were rerouted and had scheduled changed as though the trains were operating.

So instead, we have Line 632. Move over Orange Line, because 632 is the bus that acts like a train. Literally. This is a bus line that nudged its way in at the last minute — even bus drivers were caught by surprise, not to mention the flustered riders on East First and Third streets. So, what happens when service is implemented quick and dirty?

Empty Neoplan on Line 632

This.

Here’s a sampling of the ridership of Line 632 on its second day, taken in the early afternoon just before rush hour. It’s not an out of service bus, or even a typical trip along the Harbor Transitway. Normally, there would be a breakdown of ridership, what buses were used and the times.

Here it is in a nutshell: There were about 10 people in total, both ways, on two separate trips taken between 2 and 3 p.m. All the buses on Tuesday were Neoplans. There were dozens more angry and confused riders who had thought a 30/31 had passed them by. A few had asked for 632 schedules. Neither bus had them, though it did have schedules for other lines out of Division 10, the yard selected to do this assignment.

The comments by one 632 driver cast some interesting light on how this Gold Line emulator was something scrambled together swiftly. Most of the drivers weren’t even aware of this line until the weekend, with the arrival of the pink sheets (run times and instructions for temporary added service). Also, only “extra board” drivers will be driving the line. “Extra board”, from Metro-ese to English, is the equivalent of a substitute teacher pool for bus drivers.


Line 632 at Atlantic and Pomona

This also means that the drivers may not become familiar enough with the routes to help out riders or build a loyal base before it vanishes.

It’s a shame, too. Metro runs this bus at a time it can ill afford to expend money on unproductive services. It also comes as some lines had reduced service, notably Line 711 losing weekend coverage.

I also noticed the flaws that will also hamper the Gold Line train when it will run. The Eastside really needs to beef up north-south bus service beyond what’s available on Soto Street and Atlantic Boulevard. And the Atlantic/Pomona station is a sorry excuse for an anchor station. This should be the focal point for Eastside bus transfers, but there is nothing visible to suggest the area can handle a huge volume of buses. Also, it will be quite a far walk to East L.A. College, which is nearby at least on a map but adds 15 minutes to students’ commutes without walking.

Does this serve as a harbinger that empty buses will equal empty trains once the Eastside gets rail service again? Hardly. Line 632 was hastily crafted, and had the line been running for at least a year, it might have built anticipation for the rail line when it opens.

Line 632 leaves Atlantic and Pomona

Besides, if you ever seen how L.A. introduces rail service, you know we turn it into an orgiastic carnival of long lines, free rides and trainloads of swag. When the first segment of the Gold Line was introduced, so many riders turned out that there was a four-hour wait for rides by midday. Expect it to happen again, and for ridership to build itself slowly but steadily.

What would the future hold for East L.A. after the train starts running? It’s hard to say now. Transit-oriented development, just like the other kind, will be in a deep freeze even after the economy begins to recover. Real estate may drag for much longer, possibly at least another generation, because of how much was overbuilt and capital lost during the real estate bubble.

East L.A. is also a special case. It is predominantly Latino and mostly dense individual tract homes that usually stays within a family for generations. It has not become overbuilt and will likely stay the way it is for the forseeable future. Boyle Heights, though, has the markings of a potential Echo Park-like gentrification. The rail line will tie it to downtown, and unlike East L.A., the neighborhood sees more residential transience. There is also a stock of old housing that is prime for restoration.

What the Gold Line will also have going for it is the “gourmet/gourmand factor.” East First Street is almost wall-to-wall eating establishments. Nearly all are Mexican food, naturally, but there is tremendous variation on the styles of food by state (Oaxacan, Michoacan, D.F.-style, etc.). There is also a small pocket of Japanese businesses in Boyle Heights, clear outside Little Tokyo — which of course has its own treasures.


Little Tokyo station and Savoy condos

Regardless of whether you go see the Eastside by bus or train, either mode is fine to get a feel for the latest addition to our growing Metro network. If you want to help boost ridership, Socata’s Dana Gabbard says in a Streetsblog L.A. post that the group plans an informal ride of its own July 10.

From the LA times: Measure R sales tax hike goes into effect Wednesday

Link: Measure R sales tax hike goes into effect Wednesday - Los Angeles Times

Measure R sales tax hike goes into effect Wednesday

The transportation initiative passed by voters in November pushes L.A. County's rate up to 9.75%, one of the highest in California.

By Dan Weikel

6:48 PM PDT, June 30, 2009

A new half-cent sales tax to build transportation projects in Los Angeles County goes into effect Wednesday, raising the county's rate to 9.75%. But the measure passed by voters in November might generate about $1.8 billion less than originally estimated.

Officials for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that the worst recession since World War II would probably reduce the revenue collected under Measure R from about $40 billion to roughly $38.2 billion during the next 30 years.

They noted that the economic downturn has cut revenue from Measures A and C -- the county's two other transportation sales taxes -- by about 19.5% for the months of January, February and March, compared with the same period last year. During the last three months of 2008, the decline was about 13%, compared with the same period in 2007.

Terry Matsumoto, the MTA's treasurer and chief financial officer, said the drop in Measure R's projected revenue is based on an analysis prepared last month for the MTA board. The study assumes a robust recovery of the nation's economy in the years ahead.

If all goes well, Matsumoto said, the drop in estimated revenue should not be that serious, though the decline might reduce the amount of matching funds the MTA could obtain from the state and federal governments. He noted there have been strong economic turnarounds after past recessions.

"This will all depend on how fast the economy recovers," Matsumoto cautioned. "Using a crystal ball is always a little dangerous. Past performance is not always an indicator of future performance."

The MTA is scheduled to receive its first Measure R revenue in September, but the amount of the initial installment has not yet been estimated. The money will pay for highway improvements, commuter rail systems, buses and the subway extension to the Westside.

With the activation of Measure R, the basic sales tax rate in Los Angeles County jumps to 9.75%, one of the highest in the state. The new half-cent tax, for example, will add $5 to the price of a $1,000 purchase and $100 to the cost of a $20,000 item.

Sales tax rates in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties are lower, which may provide some incentive for people to shop there instead of Los Angeles County. MTA officials said the difference, however, would have little effect on Measure R's revenue.

dan.weikel@latimes.com

From the Daily Breeze: South Bay should press for sales tax transit funds

Link: South Bay should press for sales tax transit funds - The Daily Breeze

South Bay should press for sales tax transit funds
Posted: 06/30/2009 05:14:45 PM PDT

It's an odd juxtaposition. As the governor rejects any tax increase to solve the state budget crisis, here in Los Angeles County consumers today will start paying a higher sales tax.

The half-cent increase is the result of county voters approving Measure R, which is supposed to generate $40 billion in local transportation projects over the next 30 years, including a Westside subway line.

The tax, which is estimated to cost about $25 per person per year, certainly brings mixed emotions. We believe the projects to be funded by the tax, such as extending the Green Line north to Los Angeles International Airport and also south to the South Bay Galleria, will benefit this region and provide commuters more options.

County residents are obviously disgusted with the status quo. Lost time stuck in freeway traffic is lost money. The added pollution drives up medical costs and mortality. The continuing dependence on foreign sources of energy saps our economy and leaves us less secure.

So the projects funded throughout the county should improve mobility and lessen dependence on single-occupancy cars.

Meanwhile, with gas prices on the rise and the unemployment rate hovering in double digits, the measure's infrastructure spending and the creation of 212,000 jobs are welcome indeed.

Still, although we supported Measure R when it came before voters in November, we're disappointed that county planners don't seem to be in any
to extend light rail into the heart of the South Bay. The completion of the southern extension of the Green Line is not scheduled to occur until 2033. That provides little comfort to today's commuters.

Of course, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority could alter its priorities if South Bay elected officials continue to press the agency. The Harbor Subdivision, an old freight rail right-of-way, could eventually provide a way to link the Green Line even further south, if funding is found.

Our hope is that South Bay residents who pay the new sales tax rate of 9.75 percent will see a return on their investment in their lifetime.

Lawmakers and taxpayers alike need to make sure that the trustees of our largesse - the MTA's governing board, which oversees our transit needs - spend these extra billions of our hard-earned money wisely.

Courtesy of the Herald Group: City of Newport Beach Endorses California-Nevada Interstate Maglev Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2009

Contact: Tara Finnigan

Public Information Manager

949-644-3035

 

NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. --The City of Newport Beach has formally endorsed the California-Nevada Interstate Maglev Project (CNIMP), citing the project’s ability to reduce congestion, avoid the expansion of airports and freeways, and improve the environment. Mayor Edward Selich recently sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the California congressional delegation expressing the city’s support.

“It is estimated that by 2015 there will be 52 million people travelling along the I-15 corridor to be serviced by the California-Nevada Interstate Maglev Project,” said Selich. “Considering the amount of growth estimated in Southern California over the next 20 years, the maglev system will play an important role in upgrading the infrastructure capacity of the region.”

The CNIMP, which is included in the regional transportation plan for Southern California and has been endorsed by the Orange County Transportation Authority and the cities of Anaheim and Ontario, will address highway congestion challenges along the I-15 corridor by enabling efficient travel between Las Vegas and Anaheim at speeds of over 300 miles per hour. The maglev train will also facilitate increased access and usage of Ontario International Airport with a 15-minute ride on the maglev train from the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) directly to Ontario International Airport.

“The people of Southern California deserve a transportation system for the 21st Century,” said Neil Cummings, president of the American Magline Group. “We welcome the City of Newport Beach’s support and partnership in helping to make this a reality.”

Highly-efficient, maglev technology, currently operational on a daily basis in Shanghai, China, with a 99.5 percent on-time rate, emits no direct greenhouse gas emissions and results in far fewer pollutants than traditional forms of ground transportation. The project will also help ease land consumption issues, impact to wetlands, endangered species and community disruption.

The Anaheim-Las Vegas corridor will provide quality passenger service to an estimated 43 million passengers annually by 2025 - the equivalent of an eight-lane freeway moving at a constant speed of 60 mph, or 295 fully loaded 747s landing at LAX each day. A trip between Anaheim and Las Vegas will take only 81 minutes.

The City of Newport Beach is located in the coastal center of Orange County and has an estimated permanent population of 86,252. During the summer months, the population grows to more than 100,000 with 20,000 to 100,000 tourists daily. Newport Beach is known for its fine residential areas, modern shopping facilities, strong business community and quality school system. It surrounds Newport Bay where more than 9,000 boats of all types are docked within the 21-square-mile harbor area. The bay area and the city’s eight miles of ocean beach offer outstanding fishing, swimming, surfing, and aquatic activities.

 www.theheraldgroup.com
 

From the heraldgroup.com: Maglev Project Sets New Standard for Environmental Responsibility in High-Speed Rail

No Link as this press release was sent to Pedestrian View Of LA.


California-Nevada Interstate Maglev Project Sets New Standard for Environmental Responsibility in High-Speed Rail
Emits no direct greenhouse gas emissions; far fewer pollutants than traditional forms of ground transportation
Challenges DesertXpress to reconsider decision not to comply with state and local land use, permitting and environmental laws
City of Newport Beach latest to endorse the maglev project
 
June 30, 2009
Las Vegas, NV
 
The California-Nevada Interstate Maglev Project (CNIMP) operating between Las Vegas and Anaheim will be among the greenest transportation systems in the world, emitting no direct greenhouse gas emissions and resulting in far fewer pollutants than traditional forms of ground transportation, the Commission overseeing its development announced here today. Maglev technology is approximately 20 percent more energy efficient than steel-on-wheel transportation when traveling at the same speed.[i]
 
To help build a high-speed rail system that both protects the environment and addresses the growing congestion issue along I-15, the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission (CNSSTC) today also challenged DesertXpress to reconsider its decision not to comply with state and local environmental and land use laws.
 
Unlike the maglev project, DesertXpress received an exemption from complying with state and local land use, permitting and other environmental laws through a Surface Transportation Board (STB) ruling in 2007. The CNIMP is committed to complying with such laws, which includes the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
 
The CNIMP corridor, with connection to three airports in the region, will address the congestion issue along I-15 by providing quality passenger service to an estimated 43 million passengers annually by 2025 - the equivalent of an 8-lane freeway moving at a constant speed of 60 mph, or 295 fully loaded 747s landing at LAX each day. DesertXpress has announced plans to terminate service in the high-desert community of Victorville, nearly 80 miles short of Anaheim, leaving travelers to deal with anywhere between 2-3 hours of heavy traffic in Southern California.
 
In 2004, the Commission under the sponsorship of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) commenced an environmental impact statement (EIS) under federal law and an environmental impact report (EIR) under California law. This is in contrast to DesertXpress, which believes it is exempt from complying with EIR requirements.
 
In April, the American Magline Group (AMG) certified matching funds to the Nevada Department of Transportation for the $45 million currently available to the project to complete an Environmental Impact Study, already in the third and final phase.
 
The Commission today also announced that the City of Newport Beach has joined Anaheim, Ontario, Barstow and the Orange County Transportation Authority in endorsing the maglev project. In a recent letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the California congressional delegation, Newport Beach Mayor Edward Selich highlighted the need to address the highway congestion issue, saying, “considering the amount of growth estimated in Southern California over the next 20 years, the maglev system will play an important role in upgrading the infrastructure capacity of the region.”
 
Last month, former Nevada Governors Miller and Guinn encouraged bi-partisan support for the project, noting the environmental, technological and economic benefits of an interstate maglev system: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/24/former-governors-press-maglev/.
 
Quotes:
 
“We owe it to our children and grandchildren to build a 21st Century high-speed rail system that sets a new standard for improving our shared environment,” said Ken Kevorkian, Vice-Chairman of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission. “This means not only avoiding shortcuts and committing to complying with all necessary environmental and land use regulations, but also making it a priority to exceed them whenever possible.”
 
“As we decide which system best fits the needs of the people of Southern California and Nevada, we have an opportunity to help lead the transition to a greener, more efficient low-carbon economy,” said Bruce Aguilera, Chairman of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission. “It is critical that we set an example for others in the nation to follow.”
 
###
 
Contact:
Erica Fitzsimmons
(202)347-7445
efitzsimmons@theheraldgroup.com

From Trading Markets.com: JR Tokai chief urges U.S. to introduce Japan's N700 bullet rail system. What system should we adopt? The Japanese, Chinese, French or from some other European model? Or should we develop our own?

Link: CJPRF JR Tokai chief urges U.S. to introduce Japan's N700 bullet rail system

JR Tokai chief urges U.S. to introduce Japan's N700 bullet rail system
Tue. June 30, 2009; Posted: 10:08 AM


WASHINGTON, Jun 30, 2009 (Kyodo News International - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX)
 CJPRF Central Japan Railway Co. Chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai on Monday appealed to the U.S. administration of Barack Obama to adopt Japan Railway's state-of-the-art N700 Series bullet train system for a proposed new high-speed passenger rail system.

Kasai, now visiting Washington D.C., made the appeal at a meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Raymond LaHood, Kasai told a news conference after the meeting.

The chief of the key Japanese railway operator, known as JR Tokai, said he told LaHood the N700 Series system would satisfy the needs of the United States most suitably among a range of high-speed rail systems now available from various rail car makers worldwide.

He quoted LaHood as replying that Washington is keen to consider the creation of U.S. jobs in choosing a rail system.

Kasai said that he told LaHood that adopting the N700 Series would have considerable positive effects on U.S. employment.

Obama has recently called for the country to move to a system of high-speed rail travel which would better ease congestion and air pollution as well as save energy.

In a related lecture Kasai gave to officials from the U.S. public transportation sector, he briefed them on the N700 Series rail cars' performance in connection with their speed, safety and environmentally friendly features.

Kasai called on the officials to adopt the N700 technology as an integral system including rail infrastructure-related machines and their controlling systems as well as rail cars.

Describing reactions from the U.S. side, Kasai said, "My perception is that U.S. considerations over the high-speed rail network have just started and it is necessary for us to make a long-sustained effort." Today's meetings "mark just the beginning of the effort," he said.

"We must step forward" in marketing efforts, rather than letting the Japanese government do it, he added.

To see more of Kyodo News International, go to http://www.kyodonews.com
Copyright (c) 2009, Kyodo News International

From Minn Post: With Measure R, it looked like California would lay the first high-speed rail in the country, but it may no longer be the case.

Link: MinnPost - High-speed rail headed to Midwest before California, Oberstar says

High-speed rail headed to Midwest before California, Oberstar says

By Joe Kimball | Published Mon, Jun 29 2009 1:38 pm

A high-speed rail proposal will be launched first in the Midwest, not California, if Rep. Jim Oberstar has any say in the matter.

And he does, as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

He told the Mesabi Daily News that the Midwest is far ahead of California in terms of planning for the rail initiative.

“This really should be called the Rudy Perpich high-speed initiative. The former governor (of Minnesota from Hibbing) and I talked about it back in 1989 and '90. I think it’s looking very good for the Midwest to get the high-speed initiative,” Oberstar said in an interview with the paper.

Federal officials have said that the Midwestern states’ proposal and one from California are the leading candidates for $8 billion in stimulus money for a new high-speed rail project. One official cited the cooperation of eight Midwest states to formulate a network plan with Chicago as a hub and 12 metropolitan areas — including the Twin Cities — within a 400-mile radius.

Said the paper:

Oberstar compares it to the hub-and-spoke airline system, with a few major hubs and several arterial sites connected to them. The proposed Duluth-to-Twin Cities Northern Lights Express would be considered a feeder line to the Twin Cities. But Oberstar said the Northern Lights Express project, which has been moving ahead for a few years now, is not reliant on the stimulus package high-speed money.

From San Mateo County Times: Report sums up Peninsula's high-speed rail concerns

Link: Report sums up Peninsula's high-speed rail concerns - Inside Bay Area

Report sums up Peninsula's high-speed rail concerns
By Mike Rosenberg
San Mateo County Times
Posted: 06/29/2009 06:03:34 PM PDT
Updated: 06/29/2009 06:03:34 PM PDT

State high-speed rail officials released a report Monday that caps a tumultuous public outreach period in which a staggering number of issues were raised over the local section of the proposed bullet train.

The 75-page scoping report summarizes the meetings and extensive comment solicitation that took place from January to April. During that span, some city officials and residents recanted their endorsement of Proposition 1A, the project's $10 billion bond measure that was approved by state voters in November, after learning the potential effect the train could have on their communities.

The report and public outreach that preceded it are required by state law before any real planning work can begin. With the report complete, state officials can start evaluating the controversial issue of rail alignment — whether trains will run on raised tracks, below street level or through a tunnel — and begin planning in earnest, a process that will continue through late 2010.

In all, 955 residents, officials, public agencies and organizations submitted written and verbal comments on the San Francisco-to-San Jose portion of the bullet train project during the four-month span, the report said.

The comments will serve as a "checklist" for planners as they design the local portion of the rail line, said regional manager Dominic Spaethling. All the ideas, comments and concerns raised will be studied during the planning process, he
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said.

"(We) got plenty of creative ideas on how the project should be developed, and also things that we should be cognizant of as we move forward with the environmental work," he said.

Oakland-based engineering firm HNTB Corp., which is managing the Peninsula section of the project and compiled the scoping report, divided the comments into 10 sections. One category contains remarks supporting the project, while nine sections summarize various concerns raised over high-speed rail.

Most of the issues mentioned involve environmental protection, funding questions, fear over eminent domain and the rail-alignment options. Other areas of anxiety include the use of alternative technologies, connectivity and coordination with other transportation systems, methods to improve public outreach and general issues with the project description.

Of those showing support for the project, some said it was long overdue, while others approved of specific aspects of high-speed rail. In November, 61 percent of San Mateo County voters approved Prop 1A.

The comments starting pouring in after the rail authority held three public meetings earlier this year, mailed notices to 16,459 properties near the Caltrain tracks and proposed stations, and notified 809 public officials.

In addition to hundreds of residents and dozens of local organizations, representatives from virtually every city on the Peninsula submitted comments. Caltrain, BART, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and state and federal agencies also weighed in.

Engineers say the feedback will be instrumental during their upcoming study of the potential alignment options. That alignment analysis, which is the next phase in the planning process, will begin soon and should be released by late fall, Spaethling said. Officials then will seek more public comments on that plan.

Reach Mike Rosenberg at mike.rosenberg@bayareanewsgroup.com.

From LAist.com: Bus and Train schedules have changed and you can find out about the changes here.

Link: New Metro 'Service Enhancements' in Effect: Gold Line Bus, Rapid Line Canceled - LAist

New Metro 'Service Enhancements' in Effect: Gold Line Bus, Rapid Line Canceled


Route 460 was one of the many to receive minor changes | Photo by Alan Heitz via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

Twice a year, Metro makes a slew of changes to their schedules and transit routes in an effort to improve service and efficiency. Sunday was one of those days. Usually, there is something new and flashy to show off like a new Rapid bus route, but this summer there's no such thing. In fact, one Rapid line was discontinued in the Valley and another lost its weekend service in South LA.

What's new--temporarily new, we should say--is line 632, which will run alongside the Gold Line Eastside Extension route until it opens later this summer. As for when the new train route will open between Union Station and East LA, no specific date has been set.

Within Metro, this bi-annual change is unofficially called "the shake up," but Spokesperson Gayle Anderson likes to call it a "time table tuneup." Citizen committees within different regions advise Metro on changes, she said, such as crowded buses that need more frequent service or buses running empty.

The next set of changes will happen in late December. A full list of changes that took place on Sunday are listed here.

By Zach Behrens in News on June 29, 2009 4:30 PM

Russia there are is such an extensive and integrated mass-transit system. This requires a level of centralization of power that doesn't have strong precedent in our country nor is it necessarily in line with the federal structure in it. So, are we willing to embrace a change that would come with following a Russian-type model or that of many other countries that the author is impressed with?

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » From Russia, with Transit Love

From Russia, with Transit Love

by Alexander Friedman on June 29, 2009

View of a departing Moscow subway train. All Photos: Alexander Friedman

I just returned from a trip to Moscow, Russia, and noticed an interesting trend. Despite the economic slowdown - which Russia is also certainly experiencing - their public transportation is not only as efficient as it's always been, but - it keeps getting better and better, with No service cuts!

Namely:

* Buses, trolleybuses, and streetcars run more frequently than ever before;
* Subway trains continue running every two minutes (every minute during rush-hours);
* Commuter/Regional electric trains run even more frequently than before (5-15 minute headways, including evenings!);
* New, state-of-the-art Express Commuter Rail routes have opened to various regions, including Airport
* Connector trains to all 4 (four) Moscow region's airports;
* New Subway lines continue to be built as we speak (3 extensions now under construction, that's in addition to the existing 180-mile subway network);
* No service cuts are on the horizon whatsoever!

Russia has had reliable mass transit service since the beginning, and has never been a victim of economic issues. More importantly, Russian government never allowed the auto industry to destroy their public transportation, thus helping the city to preserve its mobility, social life, and better yet - this is what is now helping tremendously to boost the economy!

Embarrassingly for us, Angelinos, Los Angeles city buses run less frequently than Moscow's regional trains! Whenever I was asked a question about our public transportation in LA, I was embarrassed to answer that - getting without a car even within the city is practically impossible, let alone trying to travel outside LA! Needless to say, Russia is not the only country that can be proud of its public transportation and ability to get along without a car - something that cannot be said about Los Angeles!

Most cities across America - even with a developed mass transit system - are still far from leveling with European transit systems. Even in cities like Washington D.C., Boston, and others, intervals at certain times of the day are too long. American mass transit agencies have a strange "Fewer People thus Long Intervals" approach, therefore implementing 20-30 minute intervals at evening and night hours; this policy has got to change as well!

Red-color train - is a new, state-of-the-art Express airport connector, from the Sheremetyevo International Airport - to Moscow's center (directly, non-stop). By the way - it was very comfortable, with luxury seating, flat-screen TV's, large tinted windows, etc.

For instance, I witnessed in Moscow and Paris late-night and early-morning intervals are no more than 6 minutes (despite relatively low demand at this time of day). Now, compare that with America's major cities' subways, where evening or early-morning headways can range from 15 to 30 minutes! So, part
of the overhaul in our Metro-Rail and Bus service should be significantly improving frequencies at late-night and early-morning hours. We should have trains running at no more than 10-minutes intervals (not 20-30 minutes!). Generally, forcing riders to rely on Timetables for city buses & subway trains is pathetic!

So, we wonder whether U.S. is doing something totally wrong as far as our mass transit funding. Why all of our cities' mass transit systems keep struggling, even the developed ones? Why are we in America constantly hearing about transit cuts and fare increases, whereas - in other countries public transportation is booming!

Arguments like "Our transit money is diverted by our Governor due to budget crisis" are just pitiful excuses. The fact that other countries can provide wonderful mass transit service despite economic crisis - is an indicator that things can be done if there's a will! No doubt, America's entire transit funding system needs serious examination.

The roots of severe under-funding of public transportation are in our own federal funding procedures, laws, and regulations. We need a complete overhaul in our whole system of funding Mass Transit - and not just for Los Angeles (although LA should be the first city in the U.S. for a complete overhaul, due to totally inadequate service) - but in all major cities across the U.S. Just like it's done in other countries, and in Russia in particular, the government should dedicate a MUCH higher sum of money to mass transit, and spend significantly LESS on highways! And not just the government, but our local agencies as well (e.g. MTA) should stop focusing on roads & highways, but should truly invest in our public transportation!

Thankfully, for the first time ever since the Auto industry took over America, the feds are considering a bill that would switch the funding priorities, from Highways to Mass Transit. This is a phenomenal development, albeit major obstacles ahead. But at least, there is an indicator that America is ready for a change!

More & more people realize that basing our transportation system on Cars is doomed for failure! Ultimately, funding of public transportation should come not just from Gas Tax and Sales Tax (or other minor sources) - which hasn't worked well, but - Transit funding should be our Federal government's priority funding, period! The reason that all U.S. cities' public transit systems are heading for severe cuts is because the government does not allocate nearly enough funding; it's that simple! The government should also make it a Federal law - for Transit money to be fully protected and to go directly to mass transit, without ever being diverted (by our California legislature, for example).

Finally, I find bailing-out the Auto companies by our government to be a major mistake! Whereas, I do
sympathize the automakers for facing bankruptcies (just like I sympathize any other business venture that is failing), it's obvious the demand for auto vehicles is falling. People are switching to public transportation with record numbers! So, when the government tries to pay to "save" the auto companies - is like almost forcing those companies to stay in business, even though there is obviously not much business going around!


View of the Russian country-side.

If the government desires to act like a "Big Daddy" to the failing business ventures - then why doesn't the government help everybody, not just the biggest moneymakers! Otherwise, it's clear discrimination, aimed towards "Car Propaganda" that has been dominating America for the last several decades. Rapidly falling demand for new (and used) vehicles comes shoulder-to-shoulder with rapidly increasing demand for Public Transportation, which again - proves that people do not want to be forced to buy cars! People want improved public transportation nationwide!

Yes, stimulus money is badly needed - but not to pay-off auto companies, but to re-build our mass transit networks, something our country desperately needs! It's time that government realizes: transportation is about moving People, not cars.

As for the "Americans love their cars" slogan, I believe this to be an old cliché, propagated mostly by our
government and automakers - to force people buying cars! So, I would describe this "car love" being rather - car addiction; most of us are forced to be car-addicted due to the lack of reliable alternatives. Our goal is - to invest in, and provide, those reliable alternatives, thanks to which we won't have to be "in love" with our cars anymore! Providing options for people, the freedom to choose our method of commute - is what needs to be done!

The economic slowdown is felt worldwide, especially in European countries, including Russia. But public
transportation systems worldwide are able to avoid service cuts; they sometimes raise their fares, but no service cuts are being forced whatsoever, helping to retain ridership and overall mobility! This should send a strong message to the United States - that economic downturn does Not mean mass transit downturn. In fact, improving public transportation is the least the government should do to provide mobility and boost our economy. It can be done, but would require complete change in our government's mentality, in our entire Public Transportation funding politics, and switching priorities.

It's time for the U.S. to get rid of their ego and notorious "car culture" notion, and learn from other countries how to effectively provide mass transit for people. With our new Administration, there is a hope American cities will build reliable, efficient public transportation systems we can all be proud of!
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Erik G.

And they have high-speed rail between Moscow and St. Petersburg coming on-line this December:

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2008/11/9060/sapsan_claims_russian_rail_speed_record.html

From California High Speed Rail Blog: High-speed rail in the US is the first major national infrastructure project in the US since the 50s when Eisenhower launched the national highway system. It's so new we're really in the dark about what would be the best way to build it. Seeing how it has been done in other countries can shed a lot of light. So, I'll be adding entries on high-speed rail systems in other countries.

Link to this article

Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday Open Thread

by Robert Cruickshank

Back in the USA after two wonderful weeks in Portugal. There was a fair bit of HSR news while I was over there - the ruling Socialist Party made the surprising announcement that the final decision to move ahead with the planned HSR line to connect Lisboa to Madrid was going to be postponed until 2010, after this year's legislative elections. The PS and its prime minister, José Sócrates, are worried about losing to the rival Social Democrats (PSD), who are not exactly strong supporters of the line even though Portugal and Spain have signed agreements to build it, and even though the EU has already planned to contribute financially to the project.

The PS wants to make the PSD look uninterested in solving the economic crisis, and Sócrates seems to think that making an election issue out of the HSR project would give his party a boost, as the proposal is generally popular with the public, and Portugal doesn't have to foot the entire bill. But the nakedly political ploy could well backfire. The EU was not pleased with the postponement, and Portugal's president, Aníbal Cavaco Silva (of the PSD), had to step in to ease concerns and promised that the project would still go forward. News reports spun it as a sign of weakness on the part of Sócrates and the PS.

So we will see what happens. I'm still getting over jet lag, so use this as an open thread. Tomorrow I'll be back to discuss our own HSR project here in California.
Posted by Robert Cruickshank at 1:13 PM 

From New with Views.com: An essay arguing in favor of private enterprise building America's rail system

Link: Marilyn M. Barnewall -- Who Should Build America’s Rail System?

WHO SHOULD BUILD AMERICA'S RAIL SYSTEM?



By Marilyn M. Barnewall
June 28, 2009
NewsWithViews.com

Why is high speed rail important to economic recovery? Why should you care about it? There is one primary reason and a large number of secondary ones.

The primary reason: High speed rail service in America will either be built by experts who have ownership positions to protect and the expertise to implement intelligent programs; or, it will be built by government.

For example, California’s projected costs for high speed rail are from $33 to $37 billion. Californians, already living in a bankrupt state, need to know that costs of recent rail projects in Denver and Seattle are running 60 to 100 percent above projections. That happens when government builds such projects rather than the private sector.

When government funds projects, for some reason politicians throw good money after bad to pay for cost over-runs. When completed, such projects are often turned over to private investors or government-sponsored entities. They keep the profits. Taxpayers get stuck with original project costs and potential losses. We can all spell Amtrak.

Americans know our rail system has made few – if any – improvements in decades. In fact, Amtrak has regressed. In 1938, a Life Magazine article points with pride to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe which provided service between Chicago and Los Angeles. “Nothing faster” the magazine headline says. The ATSF Railroad made the run (including all depot stops) in 40 hours.

That train was pulled by two 1,800-h.p. Diesel-electric units geared to travel 117 mph and the average speed (including depot stops) was 43.68 mph.

In today’s “modern” America, the Texas Eagle departs Chicago at 1:45 p.m. and arrives in Los Angeles at 9:40 a.m. – three days later. It is 1,747 miles from Chicago to L.A., as the crow flies, -- and we know train tracks take a longer route than crows. The trip requires about 44 hours. The Texas Eagle (at best) averages 39.70 mph. That’s how we can expect government-sponsored projects to run.

Ask yourself how the Interstate Highway system, begun by President Dwight Eisenhower, opened up America for interstate and intrastate trade and travel. Taxes for the treasury increased, too. All of those rest stops, gasoline, food and gift shop purchases, poured tax dollars into State and Federal coffers.

Properly done, high speed rail will do the same for America. Trains traveling up to 200 mph will provide thousands of new jobs and give Americans some much-needed confidence in their country.

The State of Florida bills itself as having “the Most Advanced High Speed Rail Express System Plan in the Country.” Their plan says from 25,000 to 42,000 new jobs will be created. The analysis was done in 2002 by the center for economic forecasting at Florida State University.

In Europe, Japan and China, great progress in rail travel has, in many instances, made trains more popular than air travel… reducing the carbon footprint of air travel.

In Japan, Bullet Trains achieve 200 mph (the record speed is 277 mph… the best average speed which includes stops at depots along the way is 164 mph).

In Japan, you can leave Tokyo on a Shinkansen (translated “New Trunk Line”) Bullet Train, travel an average of 131 mph and arrive at Aomori in three hours and five minutes. The distance between Tokyo and Aomori by rail is about 670 km – or, 402 miles. In America, to go from Chicago, IL to Omaha, NE (431 miles or 694 km) takes 14 hours… an average of 28.71 mph.

The Bullet Trains were implemented by Japan in the mid-1960s and today, using the above example, garner a 67% market share of travel between Tokyo and Aomori. The airlines serve only 33 percent of travel between these two cities.

Speed is important – and construction largely determines the ability to achieve the maximum speed available. In France, when the TGV high-speed operation from Paris to Marseille shortened travel time between the two cities from just over 4 hours to 3 hours, market share jumped to approximately 60%. Prior to that, it carried only 40 percent market share. To gain public support for rail travel and resultant market share, the quality of high speed rail construction is critical.

Under the government plan, stimulus funds for the construction of a regional network of “faster passenger rail lines” will have its hub in Chicago. Big surprise there – hometown boy makes good… and shares the success with political cohorts and cronies. Obama’s words “faster passenger rail lines,” however, are misleading. “Faster passenger rail lines” do not equate to “high speed rail.” If all the Obama administration wants to achieve is make trains faster, it can do what the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe did in 1938: Put two engines on the train and remove the wooden crossties that hold the tracks together and replace them with cement crossties designed to handle faster trains.

Here’s a link to the map provided by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood who has requested stimulus funds to begin high speed rail development.

Because Chicago is home to the man in the White House, we may now define “fly-over country” differently than before. According to the President, it once was that part of America where, in fear of progress, people hold on to their Bibles and their guns. Chicago, under Obama’s “faster passenger rail lines” plan, suddenly emerged as the non-fly over hub of faster rail service. Hmmm… will the nation’s capitol be moved to Chicago next?

Chicago as the hub for high speed rail worries me. My brother lived North of Chicago and for years I drove from O’Hare to his house on the same highway when I visited. After more than ten years, the City of Chicago never completed road repairs on that highway. How can workers employed by government who can’t repair a highway in a timely manner build something as complex as a high speed rail system? How timely will their work be?

When is the last time you saw a government project planned or run efficiently or on budget? Do you recall a government-sponsored program that didn’t hand taxpayer money to political cronies like peppermint candy? One might also ask how many favors will be passed out to elitists… companies like Blackstone, the Carlyle Group, BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and others?

Maybe Acorn will be invited to create a high speed rail hedge fund? As I write this, Carlyle, BlackRock and Blackstone appear to be investing in banks – not bad banks, just banks in difficulty – at bargain prices.

There is an alternative to having government build America’s high speed rail system. A private company has offered a high speed rail deal to the government – years ago. The deal offers high speed rail, not just “faster trains.” It promises to use no taxpayer funds. I repeat, no taxpayer money… just private capital.

To which taxpayers would this private company make high speed rail available? Well, let’s look at another map and compare it with the Obama administration’s high speed rail map.

As you can see, this plan brings high speed rail to all taxpayers – who will NOT be paying for it. If we can let go of our Bibles and guns long enough to buy a ticket, even those of us in fly-over country will have access to high speed rail… and so will our local and state economies. New jobs will stimulate our economies, too. All of the country, not just the select Northeast, Chicago, and California Corridors, get high speed rail under this plan.

The offer says the company will: “Build and PAY without liens or encumbrances a total and complete Hi-Speed Bullet type domestic railroad system, based on existing Japanese/Chinese and/or other alternatives.” The offer further states the company will use American employees, suppliers and fabricators. The plans are thorough. Attention has even been paid to using high speed rail for emergency evacuations… what a difference that could have made for Katrina victims!

THE COMPANY WILL “BUILD AND PAY” is a key phrase. It offers American taxpayers a way to avoid paying the hundreds of billions of dollars the high speed rail program will cost – California alone will cost over $50 billion.

I support the concept of high speed rail – necessary to bring America to a transportation par with Japan, China and Europe. However, I prefer that a company experienced in building high speed rail systems pay for it than have government tax me, my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren.

The routing in the offered plan includes New York to Los Angeles, Florida to Seattle, Florida to Los Angeles, New York City to Seattle, Richmond to Sacramento, Seattle to Los Angeles, New York City to Florida – and Texas to Minnesota via the Chicago Corridor up to Detroit.

The proffered plan for high speed rail includes cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, Denver, Salt Lake City, El Paso, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Phoenix – and many others. Taxpayers in Iowa, Montana and Arizona would gain as much benefit as the Northeast and Chicago Corridors.

Logic tells me the best way to update America’s rail system so it equals the rest of the world is to let experts in high speed rail build the national grid and let local governments using stimulus funds build “faster train service” that connects communities to it.

There is no doubt America will have high speed rail. The primary question is: will we get high speed rail from the private sector? Or, will we get “faster trains” from the public sector? Will an expert build it? Or, will government cronies get the nod?

We need expertise for this project. We need to tell our legislators to keep the intrusive hands of government off high speed rail!

© 2009 Marilyn M. Barnewall - All Rights Reserved

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Marilyn Barnewall received her graduate degree in Banking from the University of Colorado Graduate School of Business in 1978. She created the first wealth creation (credit-driven) private bank in America in the 1970s. Prior to her 21-year banking career, she was a newspaper reporter, advertising copywriter, public relations director, magazine editor, assistant to the publisher, singer, dog trainer, and an insurance salesperson and manager.

She was named one of America's top 100 businesswomen in the book, What It Takes (Dolphin/Doubleday; Gardenswartz and Roe) and was one of the founders of the Committee of 200, the official organization of America's top 200 businesswomen. She can be found in Who's Who in America (2005-08), Who's Who of American Women (2006-08), Who's Who in Finance and Business (2006-08), and Who's Who in the World (2008).

Web site:

E-Mail: marilynmacg@juno.com

From Las Vegas Review-Journal: TOURISM: DesertXpress on right track?

Link:TOURISM: DesertXpress on right track? - Business - ReviewJournal.com

TOURISM: DesertXpress on right track?

Critics say terminus in Victorville, route through national park could stymie LV rail proposal

By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

An artist's rendering shows the 125-mph DesertXpress, which would use electric-powered trains on dedicated tracks between Victorville, Calif., and one of four possible stations in Las Vegas.
Illustration courtesy of DesertXpress

The good news is frequent Las Vegas visitor Larry Carlson may finally get to ditch his car in favor of a high-speed train from Southern California to Nevada.

"I think a lot of people are waiting for it," said Carlson, 40, of Escondido. "I know I'm waiting for it."

The bad news for Carlson, and others like him, is he'd have to ditch his car in Victorville, at least under the leading proposal.

"I don't know how many people would actually want to go into Victorville," said Carlson of the San Bernardino County exurb, where backers of the proposed $4 billion DesertXpress plan to end their line from Las Vegas.

The terminus in Victorville is the first issue detractors claim will doom a train proposal that seeks to accommodate about 5.1 of the estimated 18.25 million annual round trips between Southern California and Las Vegas, with an average fare of $50 each way.

But a line that stops 80 miles short of downtown Los Angeles -- 2 hours and 30 minutes by car in heavy traffic -- is just one obstacle to making DesertXpress a reality.

One proposed track alignment cuts through a national park, a situation that park advocates say could set a dangerous precedent.

Also, the DesertXpress won't reach its full potential without another line between Victorville and Palmdale, a Los Angeles County exurb where California plans to create a major hub for its own high-speed rail system between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The gap between Palmdale and Victorville is about 50 miles, and even rail supporters are skeptical that it would be built anytime soon.

"I don't think the Victorville connection is anybody's first priority for doing California's high-speed rail," said Richard Little, an infrastructure expert at the University of Southern California.

Despite the obstacles, DesertXpress backers say they have the business and political juice and ridership demand to start construction on the project in 18 months.

That's sooner than backers of a rival route from Las Vegas to Anaheim, Calif., via a magnetic levitation train, can get started on the first phase of their proposal, a short leg from Las Vegas to Primm.

DesertXpress partners include veteran Nevada political consultant Sig Rogich, resort builder Tony Marnell, longtime transportation expert Tom Stone and Gary Tharaldson, a self-made centimillionaire raised on a farm in North Dakota who made a fortune developing modest, midpriced hotels in rural communities. Tharaldson owns land near the Strip that's considered a possible site for the DesertXpress depot in Las Vegas.

The group also recently welcomed support from U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who ended his long-standing support of the magnetic levitation, or maglev, proposal because, he said, backers had little to show after three decades of work on the project.

"We have a project that goes over 200 miles into Southern California at no cost to the taxpayers," Rogich said.

REASONS FOR CONFIDENCE

Rogich, Marnell and the others say they're confident they can deliver the DesertXpress for three simple reasons: The technology is proven, the demand is present and the funding doesn't require direct government contributions.

"Is it perfect? No. Does it seem like the rest of the world has been doing it for 20 years? Yeah," said Marnell, whose construction company built Bellagio, Treasure Island and The Mirage for developer Steve Wynn. "It is not a stroke of genius. It is a very viable alternative."

Marnell said his business career makes him a natural fit as a DesertXpress partner.

"My part of that has been building rooms," he said of the Las Vegas boom dating back to the 1990s that put so much stress on Interstate 15 in the first place. "But (also) understanding how critical it is to get the customers to Las Vegas so you can put them in the rooms."

The DesertXpress would use electric-powered trains on dedicated tracks between Victorville and one of four possible stations in Las Vegas.

Ridership studies, which were verified by the Federal Railroad Administration, state that by 2013, the projected first year of operation for DesertXpress, the train would haul as many as 2,100 passengers per hour at peak Friday and Sunday times, the equivalent of an entire lane of traffic on Interstate 15, the crowded, hilly, hot, dangerous highway that links Las Vegas to Southern California.

Las Vegas regular Mike Esfahani, 26, of Irvine, Calif., contrasted a potential train to flying from Southern California.

"If it was about half the price I would actually drive to Victorville and hop the train the rest of the way, if parking was ample and safe," said Esfahani, a freelance musician.

He added, "It would have to cost the same as gas, if not a little more."

DesertXpress partners boast of a one-way fare of $50. But a closer look at the project's environmental impact statement, or EIS, shows they intend to have tiered pricing, with costlier fares at peak travel times.

DesertXpress spokeswoman Lee Haney said the $50 figure represents an average fare and the company hasn't set prices for frequent riders, first class versus economy accommodations and peak-time fares.

Trains would depart every 20 minutes and make the trip to Las Vegas in 84 minutes, rolling along at a speed of about 130 miles per hour.

Unlike conventional passenger rail, DesertXpress wouldn't need to yield to freight trains. Its dedicated tracks for both eastbound and westbound trains would be independent of existing rail lines.

Passengers would essentially start their Las Vegas vacation in Victorville, where they would park their cars and have the option to check bags, reserve a hotel room and, presumably, receive cocktail service in the depot.

"The resort experience starts and you don't have anything to worry about," Stone said.

SIMPLE PLAN FOR FUNDING

If Stone and the other Desert Xpress partners are worried about anything, such as how to find $4 billion to invest in a train to one of the cities hurting most in the current recession, they aren't showing it.

Their funding plan is simple.

They plan to recruit $1.5 billion in private equity investment and borrow the rest through the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program, which operates through the Federal Railroad Administration.

The program has the capacity to make loans and loan guarantees for up to $35 billion, according to the railroad administration's Web site.

So far it has only committed about $7 billion nationally, presumably leaving capacity to make another $28 billion in loans.

Rob Kulat, an administration spokesman, said the loans are made at the U.S. Treasury rate, which is now about 4.4 percent for 30-year notes.

That's much less than the backers could expect to find on the debt markets, where bonds for a new, unproven transportation project would likely get poor ratings and drive up the cost of financing.

Chad Lewis, an analyst for Fitch Ratings, said about the only transportation bonds with AA or better ratings are those for proven turnpike routes or projects that are backed by dedicated tax revenue, as opposed to fares from riders.

"It is just a pure pledge of tax receipts," said Lewis of some highly rated transportation- related bonds.

DesertXpress backers insist they won't seek help from taxpayers. The backers have already invested nearly $30 million of their own money, and say more is on the way.

"We've had significant interest from potential private equity investors," Haney said. "Once you are familiar with the corridor, most people understand the demand is absolutely there."

OBSTACLES TO SURMOUNT

But the corridor has its own obstacles.

It cuts through the Mojave National Preserve, a unit of the national park service. The 1.6 million-acre park is considered a zone of solitude for people and an oasis for wildlife wedged between the chaos and pollution of Southern California and Southern Nevada. It is also home to endangered species, primarily the desert tortoise.

"That is an area that is very dense with desert tortoise," said Lynn Davis, a Las Vegas-based representative of the National Parks Conservation Association, a private, nonprofit group that advocates on behalf of national parks. "Aside from that (the train) would mandate a new right-of-way."

Although the conservation association supports DesertXpress and the proposed maglev train in concept, Davis said it opposes allowing a new transportation right-of-way in a national park.

"We don't want to look like a spoiler in this," she said. "We just want to advocate for routes that skirt where the actual preserve is."

Stone acknowledged that the right-of-way issue could be problematic.

The DesertXpress backers say they want to work with park advocates, but they haven't committed to a route that would avoid the preserve.

"That does have to get resolved, and it will," Stone said.

Another unresolved issue is competition with the maglev proposal.

SUPPORT FOR MAGLEV

Although Reid withdrew his support for the maglev project in favor of DesertXpress, maglev backers continue to back their project.

They want to build a train that would use magnets to levitate the cars in an overhead track and propel them at speeds as high as 300 miles per hour.

Their proposed route is from Las Vegas to Anaheim, a much more central location than Victorville.

"You want to go all the way to the ocean? Or do you want a train that is going to stop halfway?" said Neil Cummings, president of American Magline Group, the private component of the public-private partnership behind the maglev.

But maglev has its own problems, beginning with a price of about $12 billion. It is also just beginning its environmental study process, which puts it behind DesertXpress' time line.

And the first phase, which would cost about $1.8 billion, would only go from Las Vegas to Primm, home to three casinos, a roller coaster, an outlet mall and little else.

The maglev group is also dependent on raising money in the debt markets, which have little appetite for unproven transportation proposals.

Still, the greatest obstacle for both proposals may be the one Don Duhamel, 67, of Rowland Heights, Calif., pointed out.

Duhamel, who visits Las Vegas as often as 12 times per year, said he's not yet ready to ditch his car and he doesn't think others are, either.

"I don't see an advantage in it myself. If the train doesn't stop right where you want to be you have to take a cab there," he said. "I don't think it will ever happen."

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861

From Bakersfield.com: An essay against high-speed rail

Link: RIC LLEWELLYN: Put the brakes on high-speed rail - Bakersfield.com

RIC LLEWELLYN: Put the brakes on high-speed rail
By RIC LLEWELLYN, Contributing columnist | Friday, Jun 26 2009 10:58 AM

Last Updated Friday, Jun 26 2009 11:03 AM

Alex Horvath / The Californian Columnist Ric Llewellyn

Ouch! I think we shot ourselves in the foot with a bullet train!

The California High-Speed Rail Authority and the State of California have finally wriggled their way into the bullet train business. Now the people of Kern County are saddled with the economic fallout of a $10 billion loan for high-speed rail service to a few metropolitan areas. And that's just a fraction of the total projected cost of California's High-Speed Train System.

High-speed rail sounds like a good idea if you just skimmed the voter's pamphlet or visited the official Web site. But it's not and hasn't been for 20 years, especially in Kern County. Nobody in the private sector has wanted to step up and finance the development of high-speed rail service because it is not a money-making proposition.

Even sub-orbital space flight has a greater profit potential. If the financial return were there, no matter what it cost, we would be riding the bullet train today. Instead the state is going to deliver high-speed rail and make us pay for it.

And it's really going to cost us. Money that could be budgeted for local road improvement and expansion will be spent on EIRs for the bullet train corridors. Instead of improving waste water treatment facilities here in Kern, we'll be buying rights-of-way like a patchwork quilt for the next decade. Instead of downtown redevelopment, we'll be pitching in for studies and preliminary engineering for the bullet train boondoggle. And if a train actually ever runs, we will pay to subsidize a service that benefits a relative few rather than building long-term economic growth here at home. Every dollar we ship to Sacramento for the loan payment or maintenance is a dollar in economic growth lost in Kern County.

In response, proponents point to Japanese and French success as the benchmarks in high-speed passenger train service. But the Asian and European impetus was a real capacity versus demand problem. California has no such critical shortage of commuter train capacity. We just have the dream. We just want a bullet train.

Perhaps Amtrak can show us how this is really going to work out. California has one of Amtrak's busiest passenger rail routes. The Capitol Corridor runs from Auburn across the Valley to San Jose. Last year was a record year for ticket revenue. Yet the revenue-to-cost ratio was only about 55 percent. Amtrak executives extol this lackluster performance as "the best full year recovery ratio in the history of the Capitol Corridor." And nationally, Amtrak reported a net loss for 2008 of $1.1 billion.

Hasn't anyone ever heard of the doctrine of separation of business and state? The bullet train fiasco is the result of government barging into business and business exploiting the political enthusiasm of the government. Yes, some local businesses would legitimately benefit over the long term from developing high-speed rail. But business wants you and me to bear all the risk. So they "partner" with government to get all of us to shield them from the financial exposure.

The flip side is that government fancies itself as entrepreneurial. So the state will build and operate the high-speed rail system. But as we know, the state is mediocre at best when it comes to taking care of business. The rail authority cheerfully declares once it's built, the system will make a $1 billion annual profit. But the non-partisan California Legislative Analyst's Office could only promise voters Amtrak-like performance, saying the ongoing costs of California's bullet train would be "at least partially, and potentially fully, offset by passenger fare revenues ..." It MIGHT pay for itself? What kind of plan is that? I guess it's no big deal for government because you and I can just make up the difference.

With the passage of Proposition 1A last November, we took one giant step forward. That doesn't mean we have to throw ourselves off the cliff. There are significant land use issues associated with high-speed rail in Kern County. Do we replace prolific, productive and profitable ag land with train track? Up and down the Central Valley environmental issues will stymie planners for years to come. Even the rail authority will have to respect species and habitat. Proponents optimistically are counting down to a construction start in 2011, but we will no doubt find the project bogged down in a bureaucratic morass.

High-speed rail isn't what it's cracked up to be. Enormous upfront costs, ongoing financing cost, operation and maintenance costs, irreversible land use and environmental impacts make the bullet train the perfect project to put on hold. Now is not the time. Let's put the brakes on California's High-Speed Rail System.

Ric Llewellyn is one of four conservative community columnists whose work appears here every Saturday. These are the opinions of Llewellyn, not necessarily The Californian's. You can write to him at rllewellyn@bakersfield.com. Next week: Ralph Bailey.

From the Las Vegas Sun: An editorial supporting a mag-lev train from CA to Vegas.

Link: Go maglev - Las Vegas Sun

Go maglev
High-speed train plan merits support

Fri, Jun 26, 2009 (3 a.m.)

If Las Vegas wishes to remain competitive with other U.S. cities in transporting people, it will have to do more than rely on cars, buses and airplanes. Our roads and skies already are clogged with traffic.

There is another form of public transportation that deserves the public’s support — high-speed rail.

Two proposals are on the table that would employ fast trains between Southern Nevada and Southern California. One proposal, the DesertXpress, would involve a steel-wheel train on steel tracks that would initially run from Las Vegas to Victorville, Calif.

But we think a competing plan that would use magnetic levitation technology is far superior. Its supporters say that maglev represents the technology of the future, with trains that float on air and with no moving parts or friction, thereby reducing maintenance costs. In contrast, those supporters argue convincingly that steel tracks represent technology of the 19th century.

The maglev train would run all the way to Anaheim, Calif. That’s where it would potentially link up with another proposed high-speed rail system that would carry people to Northern California, according to stories that ran June 16 in the Las Vegas Sun, a sister publication of In Business Las Vegas.

The maglev line, a nonprofit venture that would be overseen by the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission, also has the potential to be part of a futuristic high-speed rail network of trains moving at 300 mph that could connect major cities throughout the country.

Think of what that would mean in terms of increased commerce for Las Vegas.

DesertXpress proponents say they intend to build a spur to Palmdale, Calif., to connect with the north-south California line. But that proposal doesn’t have a timetable or financing plan.

By initially extending only to Victorville, which is nearly 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, Southern Californians would still have to drive several hours in congested traffic just to reach the train. That would include a journey over the Cajon Pass on Interstate 15.

When it comes to selecting a proposal worthy of competing for federal economic stimulus money set aside for high-speed rail development, we are convinced that most commuters would choose the maglev plan.

From LA Observed: Last car on historic LA railroad tracks that will be taken out to make way for the Orange Line extension

Link: Los Angeles history bits - LA Observed

Kevin Roderick • June 25 2009 10:57 PM

The Orange Line busway extension from Woodland Hills to Chatsworth will follow the route of old Southern Pacific railroad tracks that crossed the Valley starting in 1888. The trains carried out crops, brought in settlers and lumber to build the suburbs, and transported paraplegic GIs to Birmingham Army Hospital (now high school) during World War II. It was the route north up the coast from Los Angeles, via tunnels dug under the Santa Susana Mountains that are still used.

About 900 feet of the historical tracks still remain alongside Canoga Avenue. The last car to occupy those tracks will be loaded up this weekend and taken to Omaha, according to local railroad salvage contractor Dan Huffman. The tracks will then be torn out. I went out and grabbed a one-minute video of the scene, including an Amtrak Surfliner passing by on the active line that intersects with the old route at Plummer Street.

Behind the times.....

   Sorry for getting behind. The blog is complety current.