[Graeme]

VISION: The Future Is Becoming More Clear -- Abandon Sprawl, Intensify Use of High Speed Rail and Return to Urban Life, Like the US Was in the '20s

Crippled by economic depression and environmental catastrophe, the American dream is dead in the water. And with peak oil hot on its hyperconsuming heels, America is looking for solutions, and it may have found a good one in the form of an ambitious national high-speed rail network that would connect its metropoles and mid-size cities together in green solidarity. Better late than never.

"In the '20s, the American way of life looked just like Paris," U.S. High-Speed Rail Association (USHSRA) president Andy Kunz told AlterNet by phone in a wide-ranging interview. (Read the entire interview here.) "Everyone was living in big cities, riding street trains, no one had cars," he added. "But the oil and auto industries, working hand-in-hand with the government, converted the country away from that system. America wasn't born with the system we had now. So the American dream as we know it is somewhat of a myth.

From 1945 forward, we built a different America based on sprawl. But the days of plentiful cheap oil are over, so whether we want to change or not, we will be forced to. And America is going to have a tough time adjusting."

It will be much easier to adjust to the unimaginable economic and environmental crunches coming our way if we launched that system before peak oil smacks us upside the head as early as 2015, according to a recent report by the U.S. Joint Forces Command. And that's being generous; some would argue that we've been experiencing peak oil's birth pangs for over a decade. Right now, USHSRA's projected rail network envisions functional regional high-speed networks in California, the Pacific Northwest, Northeast and Great Lakes region by 2015, and then a complete national system by 2030. But there's no time to waste.

alternet

[hillsidedigger]

In small towns like the one I live near the hotels 100 years ago were in the downtown near the train depot. The hotel buildings are still there but being used for other purposes.

The current hotels/motels are mostly clustered at the intersections along the interstate highway located several miles from downtown.

[Satori]

the Republicans are going to do everything they can to kill high speed rail
their lack of foresight and vision will prove fatal to the country in the years ahead

http://www.businessinsider.com/republic ... ns-2010-11

[vision-master]

Yup BAU..........

Conservatism
Conservatism (Latin: conservare, "to preserve")[1] is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism and seek a return to the way things were.[2][3] The first established use of the term in a political context was by François-René de Chateaubriand in 1819, following the French Revolution.[4] The term has since been used to describe a wide range of views.

[Keith_McClary]

Conservatism
...
Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism and seek a return to the way things were.
...
used to describe a wide range of views.

But always to preserve the wealth and power of the wealthy and powerful.

[Cloud9]

Why would you want to change something if it is working in your favor. Politics is a dirty word if it works against your self interest. If it works for you, it is not politics at all. It is simply networking.

[Plantagenet]

the Republicans are going to do everything they can to kill high speed rail

Democrats say they support high speed rail, but High Speed Rail hasn't actually gotten a lot of support from Obama and the dems. I don't think there was single mile of new high speed rail track laid during 2009 and 2010.

The dems main focus was bailing out GM and Chrysler, bailing out the banks, and expanding the government, rather than building high speed rail. IMHO the dems main focus should be on the rail network, rather then propping up the dying auto industry.

[Newfie]

I'm in the rail transportation industry but I personally don't think HSR is such a great idea.

I do think that interurbans, trolley car type things are a better bang for the buck.

But the whole process is so steeped in politics that there is no real intelligent decision making going on. One of the things that the USA has going against it is our crazy transportation and land development models. They are very inter twined and poorly done.

Back to the OP the future may be coming clear to a few, I don't see the fog lifting from the masses.

[highlander]

[

"In the '20s, the American way of life looked just like Paris," U.S. High-Speed Rail Association (USHSRA) president Andy Kunz told AlterNet by phone in a wide-ranging interview. (Read the entire interview here.) "Everyone was living in big cities,

Really? In 1920 only 12 US cities had a population over 500000, only 3 over 1 million. The US population was over 100 million.

[Timo]

I'm in the rail transportation industry but I personally don't think HSR is such a great idea.

I do think that interurbans, trolley car type things are a better bang for the buck.

But the whole process is so steeped in politics that there is no real intelligent decision making going on. One of the things that the USA has going against it is our crazy transportation and land development models. They are very inter twined and poorly done.

Back to the OP the future may be coming clear to a few, I don't see the fog lifting from the masses.

BANG! BULLSEYE! BINGO!!! NAIL ON THE HEAD!!!

Planning Commission's across this country consider a very two-dimensional universe in terms of development models. If it meets the minimum standards, then OK. Do it. Senseable, reasonable, orderly growth in foreign thinking to these folks. The whole concept of wind energy is reduced to a land use question, with every commissioner assuming that everyone will have a 100' noisy turbine right next door. If it doesn't fit their concept of the good life in the suburbs, then it ain't happening.

Funny, though, how quickly they accomodated and became accustomed to 100' cell towers scattered everywhere throughout town. But, put a moving propeller on top, and that changes everything!!!

[Newfie]

CALTRAIN BUDGET WOES

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/caltrain-budget-woes.html

Caltrain budget woes
Friday, January 21, 2011


As San Francisco Bay Area’s Caltrain begins its budget process, it faces a $30 million deficit and the prospect of drastic cuts to its service.

Under the current budget scenario, cuts could be as severe as a reduction in service to 48 trains that would operate only during the weekday commute. All other service would be eliminated including: weekday service outside the commute peak, weekend service and service south of the San Jose Diridon station. The schedule also would require the suspension of service at up to seven stations.

Caltrain is the only Bay Area transit system without a permanent, dedicated funding source such as a sales tax.

Instead, the railroad has relied on contributions from its three partner agencies - the City and County of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit District and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority – to balance its budget.

In Fiscal Year 2011, passenger fares make up around 44 percent of the operating budget and contributions from the partner agencies make up 34 percent.

“We are not saying that this is what we are going to do, or where we are going to end up,” said Executive Officer for Public Affairs Mark Simon. “But this is where we are starting.”

For the past three fiscal years, salaries have been frozen. Employees will have taken a total of 17 furlough days from FY09 through FY11. January 1, four weekday trains during the midday were eliminated and fares were increased 25 cents for each zone. In an effort to generate additional revenue, a pilot program for weekend Baby Bullet service was introduced.

SamTrans is expected to reduce its annual contribution to Caltrain to approximately $4.7 million, a reduction of approximately $10 million. If the other partners follow suit, the budget shortfall is expected to be $30 million.

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which owns and operates Caltrain, will be asked to call for two public hearings, one on the proposed service changes and one to declare a fiscal emergency, at its February 3, meeting. Four community meetings will be held throughout the Caltrain service area on Feb. 17, followed by a formal public hearing on March 3. A start date for any service changes has yet to be determined.

[Newfie]

It would only have been sweeter if they had posted both stories (this and the above post) on the same day, next to each other.

The future may becoming more clear to some there seems to be a great disconnect between the long term planners and the politicians dealing with the budget. I'm not placing bets one way or the other, especially since NJ Gov. Christy killed the Manhattan tunnel project.


http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/calif.- ... ility.html

Calif. looks at high-speed rail possibility
Tuesday, January 25, 2011


More than 100 California public and private sector transportation leaders voiced strong support for implementing high-speed rail in California in a report from the Center for Urban Infrastructure at Brandman University. The report said that in addition to the advantages of job creation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the top priority should be creating a more efficient mass transit system. The leaders also said California is in a prime position to build a high-speed rail system that will attract riders and private capital from multiple sources.

The report examined the views of public officials, private sector developers, transportation planners and investment backers who attended a conference sponsored by the Center for Urban Infrastructure in late August. Among the results, the survey showed 89 percent of the transportation experts give widespread support for high-speed rail. More than half of the respondents believe that private investment, including foreign investment, is seen as an important part of the high-speed rail system's success. The survey shows that transit connectivity is an extremely important component to a successful high-speed rail system. The transportation leaders also said there is strong support for additional public/private partnership legislation.

Last month, the California High-Speed Rail Authority decided to begin construction of the Anaheim-to-San Francisco system on a 120-mile stretch of track in the Central Valley - between Fresno and Bakersfield. Approximately $5.5 billion is available to California today to begin construction on the statewide system. Preparations will continue on the rest of the system to connect this first segment of new infrastructure to major population centers in California.

"More than 80,000 jobs will be created in the Central Valley over the next five years," said Curt Pringle, chair of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. "Companies from throughout California and investors from around the world are looking at California high-speed rail as a valuable investment and economic development opportunity. Our great state has only two options - move forward to invigorate and strengthen our economy or be left behind in a gridlock of freeway congestion and high unemployment rates."