CA governor Newsom scales back high-speed rail

[Angel Eyes]

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/central-valley-high-speed-rail-merced-bakersfield-13610732.php

During Gov. Gavin Newsom's first State of the State speech Tuesday, he surprised listeners by announcing he will abandon the quest for high-speed rail connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles championed by his predecessor.

Good . . .

Instead, Newsom offered a consolation prize: high-speed rail between Bakersfield and Merced.

Wait . . . what??

Recent estimates assessed former Gov. Jerry Brown's plan would be[sic] cost about $77 billion and be completed in 2033. Newsom then pivoted to his alternate proposal, to instead connect the two Central Valley cities, 160 miles apart.

"Critics are going to say that's a train to nowhere, but I think that's wrong and that's offensive," said the governor.

Oh dear, the 'O' word again.  

"Abandoning the high-speed rail entirely means we will have wasted billions and billions of dollars with nothing but broken promises... and lawsuits to show for it," Newsom added, explaining he wouldn't want to send the $3.5 billion in federal money the project has been granted back to the Trump administration.

Ah . . . that's why he wants it.  Anything to avoid returning the tax dollars.

ETA: Amtrak already has service between Bakersfield and Merced.  Improving it would be much more cost-effective than building a new HSR line (which is why it probably won't happen).

[Ben]

I seem to recall that Bakersfield to Merced route was to also be the initial "let's get something done" section for the original overblown plan.

Extremely stupid, and yes Newsom, it's a train to nowhere. Had the train gone LA to somewhere or SF to somewhere (like SF to Sacramento), it might have been viable. Both Bakersfield and Merced are EXTREMELY spread out cities. 95% of the people who take this train to these cities, and any stops in between, are going to have to hop on other transportation to get where they are going, and of course back to the train.

[Angel Eyes]

I seem to recall that Bakersfield to Merced route was to also be the initial "let's get something done" section for the original overblown plan.

First phase was Fresno-Bakersfield, but you're basically correct.  The terrain is fairly flat and land is cheap compared to the urban areas, so they figured it was an easy first step (and they couldn't even get that much done without huge cost overruns and schedule slips).

Not to belabor the point, but it just galls me that the only reason Newsom is pushing the abbreviated route is so he won't have to give back the Federal money.  Just admit it was a mistake and cancel the whole thing.  Nobody needs to travel between those two towns at 180 mph unless the police are chasing them.

Speaking of giving back: will the farmers whose land was seized via eminent domain be getting it back?  I think we know the answer ...

[Firethorn]

Speaking of giving back: will the farmers whose land was seized via eminent domain be getting it back?  I think we know the answer ...

Question:  Was any land actually seized for the project? 
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article218398575.html

I'm not seeing any mention of it, and they speak of condemning land in the future sense, and I doubt much has changed in the last 5 months or so.

[French G.]

How's he gonna deport everyone to the camps as soon as all guns are illegal?

[Ben]

Interesting:

https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2019/02/13/president-trump-wants-that-3-5-billion-back-from-california-for-the-canceled-bullet-train/

Since they're "the 5th biggest economy in the world" it should be chump change for them, yeah?

[Angel Eyes]

https://twitter.com/kerpen/status/1095422008744136705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[French G.]

Did I say Mexico? I meant California! They pay for the wall! It will be huge! Heads asplodey.

[Scout26]

Between what we can claw back from CA and seize from El Chapo, we can build a wall on our southern AND northern borders...

[Ben]

Regarding Newsom's comments in the article: Didn't California actually start the "political retribution" like 5 seconds after Trump was sworn in?

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-administration-exploring-every-legal-option-to-reclaim-money-spent-on-defunct-california-high-speed-rail-project

[Angel Eyes]

Update:  Trump has cancelled the HSR contract:

 https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article230485439.html

In a dramatic move, the Trump administration announced Thursday it has canceled a nearly billion-dollar funding contract with the California bullet train, throwing the state’s troubled high-speed rail project further in doubt.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately fired back, calling the move illegal and vowing to fight it in court.

The Federal Railroad Administration said it terminated a longstanding contract to pay the California High Speed Rail Authority $928,620,000 because California “has repeatedly failed to comply with the terms of the (2010) agreement and has failed to make reasonable progress on the project.

“Additionally, California has abandoned its original vision of a high-speed passenger rail service connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, which was essential to its applications for FRA grant funding.”

Governor Newsom needs to read the bolded part.

[Ben]

Governor Newsom needs to read the bolded part.

Yup. That was the whole selling point. Not BFE1 to BFE2. If they were even half serious for this to be transportation and not a political stunt, when they killed LA to SFO, they could at least have done something like BFE1 to LA. Killing off both the main hubs showed just how ridiculous the whole thing was.

[zxcvbob]

"Train leaving on Track 5 for Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuuuucamonga!"  :)

[Angel Eyes]

"Train leaving on Track 5 for Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuuuucamonga!"  :)

... which makes more sense than Bakersfield to Merced.

[HankB]

How's he gonna deport everyone to the camps as soon as all guns are illegal?

You don't need modern high speed trains for that . . .



(Would this be considered pictorial Godwinning? Well, it IS California . . .)

Anyway, I'm waiting for the next version, since it seems logical that once the Green New Deal is in place (and airplane travel is forbidden) for the eastern terminus of the Hawaii/Mainland train line to be in California.

[Hawkmoon]

Anyway, I'm waiting for the next version, since it seems logical that once the Green New Deal is in place (and airplane travel is forbidden) for the eastern terminus of the Hawaii/Mainland train line to be in California.

Well, the east coast has the car train to get folks (and their cars) from the nawtheast to Florider, so the west coast can have the car boat to get folks and their cars (which will have to be Teslas, of course) to Florida. Sure, the nay-sayers can bray that ferries are nothing new, but wait'll you see the Elon Musk design for the ferry to end all ferries.

[brimic]

Why is the governor against transporting human feces at high speed?

[Angel Eyes]

Surprising absolutely no one, Newsom is suing the Trump administration over the cancelled funding:

https://ktla.com/2019/05/21/california-sues-trump-admin-over-1-billion-in-canceled-high-speed-rail-money/

"Principles and values tend to win out over short-term tweets," Newsom said.

... says the guy who slept with his best friend's wife.

[Angel Eyes]

Surprising absolutely no one, an executive in California's HSR project has been suspended as part of an ethics probe:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-california-high-speed-rail-executive-under-investigation-in-ethics-probe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME

[Ben]

So apparently a whole bunch of farmers have seen zero payment from land that the state took from them via eminent domain for the train.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-farmers-furious-payments-high-speed-rail

I don't like eminent domain to begin with, but one would expect that when it's implemented, that the state hand a check to the landowner BEFORE taking possession of said land. I hope this lawyer wins a ginormous settlement for his clients, including a large punitive fine.

[WLJ]

Senator Scott Wiener
@Scott_Wiener
We need high speed rail in California & across the nation, connected to local public transportation systems.

Building out a nationwide high speed rail system will help us meet our climate goals — reducing the need for car & air travel — & help people get around more efficiently.

https://twitter.com/Scott_Wiener/status/1699081516117336324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

You can't even get one short line built.

[Hawkmoon]

Ah . . . that's why he wants it.  Anything to avoid returning the tax dollars.

ETA: Amtrak already has service between Bakersfield and Merced.  Improving it would be much more cost-effective than building a new HSR line (which is why it probably won't happen).

He can't return the federal grant money -- it's already been spent wasted.

They don't have much actual construction to show for it, but my understanding is that they've already spent a *expletive deleted*it ton of money on this boondoggle. To give the money back now would mean that California would have to pay for all that pork. Much better (from Newsome's perspective) to let the rest of us pay for it.

[WLJ]

He can't return the federal grant money -- it's already been spent wasted.

[Hawkmoon]

Governor Haircut is just following in the footsteps of another Democrat-controlled state:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Connecticut/comments/21owe3/til_for_8_years_bradley_international_airport_had/

[WLJ]

As as if one Hight-Speed Rail money pit isn't enough

The $12billion Brightline West railway will cross the Nevada desert in two hours

Will be $36b before everything is said and done.

The billionaire businessman went on to cite the struggles currently being felt by state officials in California, who for years have tried - unsuccessfully - to finish work on a separate bullet train that would connect LA to San Francisco.

That project has remained marred by setbacks for more 15 years, and has already cost taxpayers an eyewatering $108bn.

High-speed train that will hurtle from Los Angeles to Las Vegas at 186mph gets the green light for $2.5billion funding boost
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13024023/High-speed-train-hurtle-Los-Angeles-Las-Vegas-186mph-gets-green-light-2-5billion-funding-boost.html