Fresno Bee Publishes Commentary by Two Leaders of Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability
The June 25, 2014 Fresno Bee includes an opinion piece written by Aaron Fukuda and Shelli Andranigian, leaders in Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability (CCHSRA). It states that “the group’s mission is to make sure the proposed California High-Speed Rail Project does not adversely affect the economy, environment or quality of life for California communities.”
Read it here: California High-Speed Rail Fairytale
From the opinion piece: How long will our emperor (Gov. Brown) and his ministers (California’s dominant party Legislators) still walk among us with nothing in hand and promising the world? The emperor has no clothes, and California will not have the first high-speed rail system built in America.
My comment regards later HSR extension to the SF Bay Area.
Prop 1A in 2008 was entitled “The Safe, Reliable High Speed Passenger Train Bond Act…” High Speed Rail to the San Francisco Bay Area , as planned along Caltrain, would be NEITHER SAFE NOR RELIABLE. HSR needs secure – i.e., grade separated and fenced – track. —
Caltrain has dozens of grade crossings and commuter stations. HSR should initially end at San Jose, with seamless transfers there to Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, VTA Light Rail, and SV BART.–
Squander no more HSR money on a Caltrain “Bookend”! This alternative is far better, safer, more reliable, and less costly.–
Later up-grade the UP/Amtrak East Bay Mulford line from San Jose to Oakland and on to Sacramento. From a new transfer station at the BART overhead in Oakland, San Francisco’s downtown Embarcadero station is just 6 minutes away, with a train every 4 minutes.
Trans-Bay BART trains run even more frequently during commute hours, but each of the four routes runs at least every 15 minutes all day. The new transfer station in Oakland – at the I-880/7th Street interchange – has great potential as a San Francisco Bay Rail Hub, linking commuter and Amtrak rail with BART, High Speed Rail, freeway-oriented bus lines, and the Bay Bridge.