Comments on: A Stake Through the Heart of Rail

By: John Galt

John Galt — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

After re-reading your excellent article of July 22nd, it appears one benefit of voter approval of Proposition 1A’s in 2008 may have been to beef-up projections of ridership in the San Francisco subway financial models to increase financial feasibility, at least in theory.

Would in-depth research find the sole purpose of Prop 1A was simply to punch up theoretical San Francisco subway ridership projections to deflect political “heat” off local transit government leaders and keep major redevelopment efforts moving forward? Human nature being what it is, if local San Francisco voters were told the voter approved Prop 1A, California High Speed Rail Project would ultimately deliver millions of new visitors to San Francisco each year, the local subway project would be less of a “white elephant” fiasco, at least while the much larger high speed rail project was moving forward….

Recommended websites:

http://transbaycenter.org/

http://www.sfredevelopment.org/index.aspx?page=54

http://www.sf-planning.org/ftp/CDG/CDG_transit_center.htm

http://www.sf-planning.org/ftp/General_Plan/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Transbay_Terminal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Transbay_development

By: Katy Grimes

Katy Grimes — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:27:31 +0000

I have written about the SF Subway which I think is tied into the whole rail scheme – here is the link.

http://www.calwatchdog.com/2011/07/22/s-f-subway-derails-into-boondoggle/

Katy Grimes

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:32:19 +0000

I heard Crapstein wants to hand the boondogle off to Caltrans.

By: John Galt

John Galt — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:07:17 +0000

Has anyone investigated relationship among San Francisco’s new 1,000,000 SF, $4.0 billion Transbay Transit Center presently under construction (approved April 2005), the California High Speed Rail Project’s (HSR)Proposition 1A Bonding Authority (voter approved Nov. 2008) that provides $900,000,000 for intracity rail improvements, and the HSR business plan that projects 32,000,000 HSR riders will terminate their trip at the new Transbay Transit Center each year?

Did San Francisco real estate developers and government officials create the California High Speed Rail Project to sky rocket land and office building values while the rest of California paid the bill to drop 32 million visitors in downtown San Francisco each year?

By: David

David — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:27:39 +0000

Wow, a right-wing Republican sponsors a bill to stop a major public works project, and this is news? Of course the Dana Point Republican doesn’t want high-speed rail — she won’t use it, because she can stay in a gated enclave, and be chauffered to her appointments by paid underlings. The vast majority of Californians, however, will benefit greatly from high-speed rail.

By: queeg

queeg — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:27:06 +0000

The graphics are great!

Still grappling with why rail has become the Democrats’ Holy Grail?

It will vacumn up public funds to cover negative cash operations to infinity….wake welfare state…your about to lose your lollipops!!!