California High-Speed Rail Authority Poised to Approve 2014 Business Plan on April 10: CCHSRA Letter Demands Legitimate Public Hearing
Have you tried to read the Draft 2014 Business Plan for the California High-Speed Rail Authority? It seems to be designed and organized so that no one can figure out what’s going on with the most expensive public works project in American history.
The deadline for the 60 days of public comments is April 10, 2014, when the California High-Speed Rail Authority board is scheduled to approve a final version of their 2014 Business Plan at their monthly meeting. We don’t know what the final version of the business plan looks like, what comments were submitted from the public, or how the Authority will respond to criticism of the plan at the one legislative informational hearing, held by the Senate Transportation Committee on March 27.
In the meantime, Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability (CCHSRA) has sent a nine-page detailed letter dated April 2, 2014 to the California High-Speed Rail Authority asking for a legitimate public hearing with proper public notice, as required by state law. Here is the letter:
By the way, have you submitted your comments about the California High-Speed Rail Authority Draft 2014 Business Plan? Please do so, by close of business on Monday, April 7, if you can. Here’s how to do it:
1. Online comment form through the Draft 2014 Business Plan website at:
http://www.hsr.ca.gov/About/Business_Plans/Draft_2014_Business_Plan.html
2. By email at [email protected]
3. By U.S. mail to the Authority:
California High-Speed Rail Authority
Attn: 2014 Business Plan
770 L Street, Suite 800, Sacramento, CA 95814
4. Voice mail comment at 916-384-9516
5. Provide public comment at the Authority’s Board of Directors Meeting on February 11,
March 11 and April 10
Google “Bourbonnais Train Wreck”. Two Amtrak locomotives and 11 of 14 cars derailed at a grade crossing on 79 mph track (same speed as Caltrain, but slow for HSR). 11 people killed. 228 injured. That was an accident, a couple of years before the 9/11/01 attack on the World Trade Center that made terrorism a real threat.
2008 Prop 1A was for “The Safe, Reliable High Speed Passenger Train…” HSR needs a secure trackway, fenced and without grade crossings. The “Blended Rail” of HSR on Caltrain (with its scores of grade crossings) would be NEITHER SAFE NOR RELIABLE.
HSR should truncate at San Jose, with easy transfers there to Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and the planned Silicon Valley BART line.
Later HSR should follow an upgraded East Bay Mulford UP/Amtrak route toward Sacramento with an Oakland transfer at the BART overhead six to ten minutes from four downtown San Francisco BART stations. (BART trains there run about every four minutes.)
I erred in my comments on Bourbonnais Amtrak accident. There were 11 fatalities and 122 injuries (not 228 injuries as I had stated). A sent correction to CHSRA on comment form.
Is there anything later on what the final version will look like? I doubt it.