High-Cost Rail - Part 31 Where's Caltrain in all this?

Mercury Times' columnist John Horgan is right on the money with his latest piece on High-cost Rail.  He writes:

Now, Caltrain finds itself in a bind. The Peninsula's commuter rail service is married to high-speed rail as part of a previous working agreement. The aim has been to hook up with the High-Speed Rail Authority so that Caltrain can be electrified and modernized.

I've been thinking a lot about this unholy alliance since SamTran's Seamus Murphy appeared before the City Council meeting back in August (photo below).  I think John Horgan may have inadvertently used the exact right verb--  "hook up" -- to describe what is going on here; except money is to change hands and you know what that makes Caltrain.  Horgan continues:

If local opposition is loud enough, the cash will probably go elsewhere. And that would leave Caltrain with nothing, at least for some considerable period of time.

And he reminds everyone who actually owns this right-of-way:

What has become the Caltrain right of way was purchased, in large part, by the taxpayers of San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties through the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board in 1991. Union Pacific continues to operate its freight services along that route as well.

But the taxpayers of the three counties, via the Joint Powers Board, control that valuable right of way. HSR needs access to it. The authority is a guest here.

Keep asking questions and talking to your neighbors who haven't been following this.

Comments

[thetruth]

And who is Joe?? sounds alot like a certain M Engle of MenloPark

[therealtruth]

I don't know who M Engle is but you must be quite a dumbshit to be posting here and not know who Joe is. The guy has been a Burlingame activist forever and this website goes back years.

[Clifford]

And thank God for Joe. At least someone is paying attention!

[Joe]

Thanks, Clifford and RealTruth.

By the way, Truth, M Engle is actually Martin Engel (proper spelling) and while I occasionally read Martin's frequent emails, I get to my points of view and conclusions on my own. It's not really that complicated if you follow the issue regularly. If you click on the "High Speed Rail" link on the right hand frame, you will see that I do follow it regularly. Some might argue too regularly, but right now I believe it is the single biggest issue in B'game. Be on the lookout for Part 32.

[Joe]

Get a load of this:

Caltrain’s executive officer of public affairs encouraged Belmont city leaders last night to make a wish list when it comes to the possibility of high-speed rail trains zipping through the city.

“You should ask yourselves ‘what can we get out of this,’” Caltrain’s Mark Simon said to the Belmont City Council last night in a special study session. “The station is a heck of an opportunity.”

He also told the council there was a possibility that the current Caltrain corridor would not need to be expanded to a four-track system on the entire San Francisco to San Jose section of the line that will eventually link the Bay Area to Southern California.

“Put together a wish list of what you want rather than out-of-sight, out-of-mind,” Simon said.

The full article is here:

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=142373&title=Caltrain%20to%20Belmont:%20Make%20wish%20list

So, I have a wish list. I want Caltrain to stop pimping for High Speed Rail. Please?

[jennifer]

'Phased Implementation'--are we supposed to feel better about that?

'Sounds more like slow water torture to me--

[jennifer]

For Immediate Release
September 29, 2010

AUTHORITY CEO OFFERS FIRST PUBLIC ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT: CONFIDENT, BUT CHALLENGES REMAIN

In San Jose, Roelof Van Ark Discusses Need To Lobby For Federal Funds And Where to Begin Construction Of California’s High-Speed Train System

....“As I told the Board Members when I started this job, I’ve taken on the task of re-assessing the many basic assumptions about the project,” said van Ark “and I can tell you today I am more confident than ever that this project can and will be built.”.....

[JF]

Why won't HSRA consider boring a tunnel--seems to work nicely. Out of sight, no blight. Underground, no sound: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2010/10/01/MNR11FLSKG.DTL&object=%2Fc%2Fpictures%2F2010%2F09%2F30%2Fba-devils01_ph2_0501843305.jpg

[Anne]

Why does Eshoo keep saying things like this in the newspaper?

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, recognizes that cities and states across the country are competing for the same federal dollar for transportation projects as the Peninsula.

“A point of unification could be around Caltrain. Electrification of Caltrain needs to be done and HSR money can be used to achieve it,” Eshoo said. “Caltrain should be first and foremost. It is the spine of our transportation system.”

She doesn't really believe this, does she?

[jennifer]

You know, you are spot on. If she actually said that, she isn't doing the communities any favors. The only way to resurrect any kind of local transportation network involving (useful) rail that doesn't ruin our communities, is to realize that Caltrain's marriage to HSR is a handicap, period. How long will they hold on, hoping for some crumbs? There are too many pre-conditions with this 'deal.' I like the idea of a "start over", but let's make it a real start over, not just a new name for an old game.