Results tagged “hsr”

As part of the proposed network of high speed trains in California, a route from Los Angeles to San Diego could go b-line eastward through into the Inland Empire instead of taking the traditional Amtrak Surfliner route down the coast. Such a trip would take 1 hour and 18 minutes. There are lots of public meetings this month about transit and a series about this project will start up next week.

Last week, after a few rallies throughout the state, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger handed in a grant to the feds, asking for $4.8 billion in stimulus money for California's high speed rail project, which would take passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in a few hours. Today, that grant drew support from both of California's U.S. Senators and 21 other congressional leaders, including many from Los Angeeles.

Last week the California High-Speed Rail Authority voted to submit a grant application to the federal government, asking for $4.8 billion in stimulus money for a high speed rail line that would connect Los Angeles and San Francisco with a few hours trip. On Friday, that application will be submitted after few rallies across the state, including one in Los Angeles.

With the feds yearning to give away $8 billion in Recovery Act money to states for high-speed train development, California officials today prepared to submit an application asking for more than half of that.

After three decades of dreaming and planning, it looks like the federal government is finally paying attention to an expensive MagLev train line that would carry passengers between Las Vegas and Anaheim at speeds up to 300 miles per hour along the 270-mile route. The Federal Railroad Administration will give $45 million in congressional earmarked dollars to the first phase of the route, which will go from Las Vegas to the state border in Primm, NV, according to the LA Times.

A quick 20-minute trip to Anaheim via high speed rail could be a reality in less than ten years, according to Metro, whose board today officially supported the California High Speed Rail initiative, as well as a first segment that would connect Los Angeles to Anaheim. The segment within the 800-mile system could begin construction as early as 2012, finishing six years later, and is considered to be the most "construction ready.” “Union Station will become transformed into a world-class, 21st Century intermodal transit hub that will serve the County of Los Angeles in ways that are very exciting to imagine," said Metro CEO Art Leahy. Metro estimates the creation of 75,000 jobs, enabling the possibility for $8 billion in federal stimulus money. Voters last November already passed Prop 1a, a $9.95 billion bond for the state's high speed rail system. The Board also voted to support general improvements to the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor, mainly served by Metrolink and Amtrak Surfliners, for more efficient and coordinated service.

We may be cut short by 80 miles for the train to Vegas, but the one to San Francisco is moving along. Yesterday the California High-Sped Rail Authority met electing Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle as the chairman and approving the scope of projects that qualify for federal stimulus funds. “We have obtained environmental certification for the general statewide alignment and station locations for the 800-mile system designed to carry over 100 million people by year 2030, as well as secured California state bond proceeds resulting from passage of Proposition 1A," explained Pringle. "These are the kinds of things that position the state very competitively to secure matching federal funds through ARRA to begin construction on three key segments and to complete the preliminary engineering work on the linking segments.”

Every time we have a statewide election, there tend to be a few bond measures in there. Last November, one was the popular high speed rail bond that raised nearly $10 billion to whisk people from Los Angeles and San Fransisco in two hours, thirty-eight minutes. Most all agree, it's a good thing, but when it comes down to paying bonds back, it can run the state into fiscal problems such as we're facing today.

Today, the California High Speed Rail Board meets to discuss a number of things, but mainly the route between Anaheim and Union Station and up to the 134 Freeway, which could be on of the first legs to be built along with a leg between San Francisco and San Jose.

Ten high speed rail corridors were identified today by the White House, including one that is already well on its way in California. Comparing his plan to President Eisenhower's Interstate highway system, President Obama said “My high-speed rail proposal will lead to innovations that change the way we travel in America. We must start developing clean, energy-efficient transportation that will define our regions for centuries to come... High-speed rail is long-overdue, and this plan lets American travelers know that they are not doomed to a future of long lines at the airports or jammed cars on the highways.”

This is going to get old fast. In response to Barack Obama's big "State of the Union" like speech last night, the Republicans, via Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, had sharp criticisms of the President and stimulus bill including trying to reduce the MagLev train between Anaheim and Las Vegas to "bridge to nowhere" levels:

"I think President Obama would like to be known as the high-speed rail president, and I think he can be," said Department of Transportation head, Ray LaHood this morning to National Public Radio in a report about stimulus funding and high speed rail. $8 billion is dedicated to the HSR vision and the radio program took note of California:

The California Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday that they oppose Prop 1a, the November ballot initiative that would authorize a $9.95 billion bond to partially fund the route between Southern to Northern California. A trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco would be under three hours.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a piece of legislation on Monday that changes the language in Proposition 1, the high speed rail bond.

In order to get the State Legislature to pass the budget, which was due by July 1st, Schwarzenegger threatened to veto any bill that came across his desk until it passed. But that meant he would have to veto bills that he supported like the bill to update the High Speed Rail proposition (SF to LA in under 3 hours) or his water bond bill. Then today he reversed course... for his pet bills, of course. For those following the Metro sales tax story, Streetsblog LA has some hope that the bill that would allow voters to approve or deny public transit funding will be signed.

On this November's ballot, we will be voting on Proposition 1, a bond that will help fund a high speed rail route that is planned to have a two hour-forty minute train trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco. USA Today columnist David Grossman writes his experiences and why we need it:

Scwharzenegger has given his support of Proposition 1, which would allow over $9 billion in funding for the beginnings of high speed rail in California (whiz between LA and SF in under three hours, they say). But earlier this week, he said he was not going to sign any bills (and some report that he will veto everything or some mix therof) until the legislature finishes the budget.

It's funny, everyone wants to stop the people from getting a chance to choose for themselves this November on the ballot. Yesterday, it was the LA County Board of Supervisors who denied putting a measure on the ballot that would let residents choose if they wanted an increased sales tax to provide massive funding for mostly public transit. Also this week, there was a Senate Bill that sought to take Prop 1, the high speed rail bond, off the ballot. It got voted down in a state transportation committee. So for now, in November, it's up to the voters to authorize a $9 billion bond to help travelers whisk from LA to San Francisco in less than three hours by the earliest projected date of 2018.

This weekend, it was reported that the Sierra Club is still undecided on Proposition 1, which would authorize a $9.95 billion bond for High Speed Rail (as in less than three years to train it from Los Angeles to San Francisco). Sierra, along with the Conservation League, feel that the train's route through the Pacheco Pass between the Central Valley and San Francisco would cause sprawl in the otherwise underdeveloped region. They rather see it go via another route that is already in a developed area.

When state planners completed the last bit of the proposed High Speed Rail route between LA and San Francisco last month, some environmentalists like the Sierra Club and Planning and Conservation League were and and still not sure with that portion, citing that a train from the Central Valley to Northern California through the more undeveloped Pacheco Pass could beget sprawl. The Fresno Bee reports that they rather see it go through the more urban Altamont Pass, which also could bring in more riders and less congestion, they say.

Proposition 1, which seeks high speed rail funding (you know, LA to SF in less than three hours?) on the November ballot, is one of the many proposals that won't go without a fight this political season.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority announced the completion of the route yesterday. The project has been some 10 years in the making and this November, Proposition 1 (pdf) on the ballot will help determine the future of the project that would take passengers between San Francisco and Los Angeles in about 2 hours and 40 minutes by 2030. The last step was to connect the Bay Area to the Central Valley via Pacheco Pass.

Doesn't this make you all warm and fuzzy?