High Cost Rail - Part 33 See the Story Poles

I think the plan to put up "story poles" to show what High Cost Rail will look like in our downtown is brilliant.  The poles will be unveiled at 2pm this Thursday at the B'game Avenew train station.  The city announcement is here.

The poles will only be up for a week, but here is what they look like in case you don't see them before Caltrain makes the City take them down--or at least that was the rumor at the event!

 
 

Comments

[holyroller]

This presentation is from the heart.
So are my grandchildrens finger paintings on my refirgerator
There was a lot of money spent on Public Works to put up this ridiculous "Mock Up" that nobody will be able to comprehend.
How this display of hysteria was allowed to be funded from the City of Burlingame coffers;if you are for HSR or not, is a reflection of how City of Burlingame Elders spend money.
Emotionally.
Not Good.

[Hillsider]

You are an idiot.

It scares me that you procreate.

The fact that you cannot comprehend something is irrelevant to what the public comprehends.

Go away.

[Joe]

Note: the photo has been changed to the actual story poles that are up.

Easy now, Hillsider. Please comment on the topic, not the personalities.

[40 Year Old Resident...]

I was born and raised in Burlingame...Since 1969...Tom The Tree?! Two years of ridiculous BS...Safeway?! 12 Years Of ridiculous BS...Spending money on this, and then telling us WHY they have to lay off City Workers, cause they have 'NO MONEY?!' Priceless...

There is 27,000 residents in Burlingame...How many TRULY Are Upset bout 'High Speed Rail' In Burlingame?! 1%?! Maybe 2%?! It's 2010...Get with the times people!!!

Progress...Trains And Trollys have been in Burlingame for the last 60 Years Plus!!! If You BOUGHT/RENT A HOME IN BURLINGAME...You KNEW coming into this town, that you'd be living next to MASS TRANSPORTATION!!!

[Takahashi]

Hysteria is right on the money. All the reasons for the high speed rail hysteria is ridiculous. I am also a long time resident over 40 yrs born and grew up here. These few people say that having HSR running through here will divide the city in half. Wake up people! You have a train running through already for over 100 years and the city has always been divided. Just the people have changed and attitudes. El Camino was also a division as well. West side hills to El Camino, El Camino to the tracks, tracks to 101. Noise? There is already noise you bought your house near an airport or railroad track deal with it. Tunnel? Who is going to pay for it. Put these polls up, pay consultants and then say you want to lay people off. $50,000 for guns for the police. HA HA when I was in the military the guns I used were older than me and used far more than a BPD officer would use his whole career. High speed rail is progress. There are plenty of examples of it working but a few people are stuck in a bubble in this city you could never get it through thick sculls. Property values. Maybe you people should not have paid ridiculous prices for your property here. Welcome HSR sorry you people here so full of yourselves are never going to stop it no matter how much money you waste!

[Anne]

Holyroller, I think most of us comprehend the visual message that the story poles provide. To simplify: a picture is very much worth a thousand words.

40-Year-Resident: Mass transportation is a necessity; few would argue this point. Where is the consideration of surface level or below-ground tracks?

This potential above-ground rail, in front of our beautiful and historical train station, is an abomination.

We live in a truly beautiful city. Who would view the proposed elevated eyesore as an acceptable option?

[Takahashi]

Not in my town attitude. I really enjoy listening to the other options. Put it by 101. Well what about the people that live on Rollins Rd. Oh, I forgot those people along rollins rd. do not count. How bout we get some shovels and dig a tunnel. You think it is that easy? My favorite is let's put it near 280. You will have every enviornmentalist and Green freak going crazy. This idea comes from a council member who said "most people in Burlingame have a gardner". Sorry there never had one. The pompusness is quite sickening.

[Mario]

Uhhhhh...most people do have a gardener. Are you really arguing that just because you've never had one. Do you ever leave your house and look around. And what does that have to do with anything anyway.

[Joe]

Here's some news reporting on yesterday's event from the Daily Journal:

On Wednesday, the city councils of Millbrae, Burlingame and San Mateo signed letters to U.S. reps. Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo urging them to seek more federal funding for the Peninsula section of the statewide project.

“Additional funding for the Peninsula portion of the high-speed rail project to assist in both the design and construction of high-speed rail would go a long way toward helping alleviate the concerns in our community,” the letter reads.

The full link is here: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=143709&title=City%20erects%20‘story%20poles’

[jennifer]

We live in a wonderful city, and this is a real threat, not a perceived threat. The reason Burlingame is so special is because for over a century, people have cared about it and don't ever settle for second best. This might be counter to the way some would run things, but frankly, I prefer a more thoughtful approach.

The HSR project as proposed will indeed affect everyone who in any way lives, works or otherwise interacts with the city of Burlingame: east, west, hills or flatlander. And most disturbing is that it proceeding with little or no scrutiny.

[holyroller]

Dear Hillsider,
Tisk,tisk, tisk...

[40 Year Old Resident...]

So MAYBE non native euc trees get taken down. Oh well. When the trolley that used to run through Burlingame, or when the tracks were built for Caltrains...Did Burlingame residents fight to have it stopped?! And what if they did?! People would have to drive to work in their gas guzzlers. Not very green...

In the long run...It will be cheaper, easier, and better for the environment, to take high speed rail then drive our cars or fly.

I'd love to know how this will effect YOU...The person reading this...Will the sight of progress bring you into deppression?! Really. How will it effect you?! Noise?! It will be quieter than Caltrain that blows it's horn at decibles like a rock concert.

It will be ABOVE GROUND...No need to wait, like you do when Caltrains goes by in the morning during your commute. How long do you sit on Broadway, trying to get to 101, as you wait for two trains to pass?!

The tracks will be too high...So driving to work or walking around town, The sight of these tracks will make you wanna move to a different town?! People won't wanna come live or shop in Burlingame?! Those BART tracks and sounds don't stop people from living RIGHT NEXT to the tracks, or shop in that town?!

Oh My GOSH! If BART comes to Millbrae, the undesirables will take BART to Millbrae, and infest Burlingame! (Do you remember that talk?! I Do...Like it was yesterday...)Did it happen?! No. What happened was Burlingame residents can now take BART to the Airport. And I hear ZERO Complaints by anybody anymore bout BART...Same thing will happen with high speed rail.

60 residents showed up yesterday. To voice their concerns bout high speed rail...(Some From San Mateo...NON Burlingame Residents...) So...If Burlingame residents are so concerned...Where were they?! Let's say...30 residents from Burlingame...In a town of almost 28,000?! .001% Seem to really care...Cause, if the residents REALLY cared...They'd be there.

I could go on and on...But it's time for me to go...Hopefully people will think about this, and realize progress happens...Burlingame will survive, like it always has. From the 70's and 80's when it was mostly blue collar workers to the 90's and 2000's, when it's mostly people with money and TOO MUCH time on their hands.

[40 Year Old Resident...]

***Where is the consideration of surface level or below-ground tracks?*** Anne-

It is Impossible for them to go underground...Think of the COST!!...What's underground that they may encounter?! It's High SPEED Rail...They would have to SLOW down...To go UNDERGROUND...

Then...After they come back 'Up' (And where would THAT be?! San Mateo?! Belmont?! And what's underground in those cities?!) THEN...They can finally get back up to...(Wait For It!) SPEED!

Breakfast, Lunch, AND Dinner on me Anne, If an underground tunnel EVER happens...

[jennifer]

Do a little serious research on this topic, you might be surprised what you find.

There is a name for this project, and it isn't "progress".

Good for Burlingame for putting its neck out and trying something rather unconventional--
Nice ABC snippet about our story pole construction.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=7727752&rss=rss-kgo-article-7727752

[40 Year Old Resident...]

Nice? I call it Hysteria... It Won't AND CAN'T go underground...Listen to the lady from Caltrain...Smart woman...

Tom The Tree...Anyone waking up crying cause it's not there anymore?! Or happy they don't have to go into on coming traffic to get around the damage the roots from 'Tom' did to the road...

Safeway is FINALLY after 12 Years, going to be what it should have been 12 years ago...Open space...Easy to shop and MORE options...Did you like how SMALL and OUTDATED that store was?! Or...Happy that shopping will be that much easier?!

Progress...

Do A LITTLE research as well Jennifer...AND...How will YOUR Life Be Impacted By High Speed Rail...Fake pictures of what MIGHT Be...Money spent on towers and cranes, that could be better spent on The City Of Burlingame...

Not trying to argue...But. How will YOUR Life Be Changed For The Worst By THIS?!

[Russ]

I know you are asking Jeniffer how her life will be worse. Let me answer that one too.

First my life will be worse because I will be paying for this boondoggle out of my hard earned money. The state will syphon dollars for other areas including education.

I will be impacted because there will be the equivalent of an 8 lane freeway running through my town. ( I already live near 101--I don't want to be sandwiched between two of those structures.)

I will be impacted because trains will be running through this town every 5 minutes--or more according to the latest reports.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. There are plenty of impacts from financial, to environmental, to physical.

[40 Year Old Resident...]

Everyday...Husbands and wife's...Sons and daughter's, DIE overseas... People are losing their homes to foreclosure, and losing their jobs due to the economy, AND... Their Jobs being shipped to foreign countries...

Yet...People In Burlingame wanna fight this?! Progress?! Newspapers And T.V. encourging the paranoia of what?! Our property values going down?! Divide the town?! Making Burlingame UGLY?!

Think about this...What's more important...Your Life, Friends, Health, Family, Home, Medical Insureance, and Job?!

Or...What will happen if High Speed Rail comes through Burlingame...

Be Honest..What's more important to YOU?! If High Speed Rail Is Your Answer?! I Feel Sorry For YOU!!!

[Anne]

Thank you, Russ; well said.

40-Tear-Old, do you look out the window at the homes you pass by while you are riding on BART (in the areas where it is above ground)? Rather blighted, I'd say. And BART has managed to tunnel under gound quite effectively in some areas-expensive, of course, but worth the expense? I think most would say yes.

The bigger question for you: do you like anything about our wonderful city? It doesn't seem that you do. Can you list a few things that are important to you?

If not, there's some less expensive property in Daly City (right next to the elevated BART tracks) that might be of interest to you.

[Anne]

Are Holyroller and 40-Year-Old-Resident one and the same person? Has anyone seen them in the same place at the same time?

[40 Year Old Resident...]

Anne And Russ...
1. I have NO Idea who Holyroller is...Can't more than ONE person have the same opinion?!

2. Been here for 40 YEARS...How long have you both lived in Burlingame?!

3. I've seen this town go through Blue Collar, To, White Collar...

4. I grew up in this town when EVERYONE on my block...Parents And Their KIDS... Have a water balloon and water hose fight...Laughing...To...

5. New people moving in...And not talking to each other...Where's The Community?!

6. Where's the money for underground, and HOW can they do it...When NONE Of Us, KNOW What's underground?!

7. What's Important to me in Burlingame Anne?! That Old School community that has been LOST...Bringing in LARGE corporations...What happened to the 'Mom and Pop' stores like 'King's Market?!' (I'm sure you and Russ have NO IDEA what or where that was...)

8. When my Dad...And my FRIENDS Dad's bought A home in Burlingame...It was to raise their kids...To have a HOME...Now people buy a home in Burlingame as an INVESTMENT...'How much can I make...' There's No 'Community' Anymore...

9. Burlingame USED to be all about 'Mom And Pop' Stores...Now What Is It?! Exactly...Remember 'La Pinata?!' They got pushed out cause the owner wanted $40,000 A Month...

10. Every 5 Minutes...(Your Words Russ) A train will go by...How will that impact YOU?! When one is ABOVE Ground...Caltrain Impacts us everyday...

11. And tell me bout this '8' Lane Freeway you talk about?! Are you one of those people that have that 'Propaganda' on your front lawn?! "Take This Flyer! See What Burlingame WILL Become!!!"

[takahashi]

You Anne and russ Are just a complete waste of my time. Anne, just deal with it maybe your husband can get get some good contracting jobs. Russ you are you a complete mess with your PR jobs. Maybe you are doing a boondogil(is that how I spell it, I was just educated in burlingame) on us?

[takahashi]

Anne
Russ does not look over anything. Niether do you. You are so full of yourself as well as Russ. You hate to hear anybody with a opposing view> Especially on the city council. We cannot show up for a fourm. Piss off!

[bjm]

Takahashi and 40-year resident:
Wow! Your sentiments seem to be grounded in resentment for your fellow Burlingame residents rather than the facts about the project. Funny, my home is where I live and not an investment. I know my neighbors for blocks around and enjoy that sense of community. You can cheer all you want for the project, but until you know the basic fact (and your posts make it apparent that you do not), I would suggest that you take a break from criticizing those that are working hard on your behalf to ensure that Burlingame is not destroyed in the name of "progress."

[Anne]

Thanks, bjm. Takahashi and 40-Year, it sounds like you have some unresolved issues that go well-beyond your thoughts on elevated train tracks.

As for my sense of community, I've lived here for 55 years. I was educated in Burlingame, as were my children.

I even remember Purity Market. :)

[takahashi]

Not the only ones that think this way.
FYI
http://www.topix.com/forum/burlingame/TV8TTIKVRBTS9RQ3V