High Cost Rail - Part 121 Sound off to the Merc

I enjoy the Sunday Merc's Mr. Roadshow column by Gary Richards where he takes questions and complaints from readers. Sometimes he talks about Bay Area auto history which is a B'game specialty.  Today's column leads off with a real Duesenberg of a question to the readers:

Q How about abandoning the high-speed rail project that nobody but Jerry Brown wants and using the bond money to fix our roads? I bet if you polled California voters they would overwhelmingly agree. 

Gil Amoroso

Redwood City

A The Roadshow ballot booth is now open. But a measure to divert high-speed rail funds to build more reservoirs appears headed to the November ballot.

Well bloggers, Mr. Amoroso has set the table--let's eat!  Gary's email is mrroadshow@mercurynews.com.  What are you waiting for?

Comments

[Joe]

Here is my submission:

Hi Mr. Roadshow-

Love your column and only wish you would have a bit more content on the northern parts of the Peninsula. Aside from John Horgan, we are a bit like step children of the Merc up here (with even the Times' branding going by the wayside :-)

Regarding High-Cost Fail, this boondoggle has been a mistake from the beginning. Last week's myopic ruling aside, it is clear that Prop 1A's terms cannot be met. At a minimum, the project should go back to the voters with current cost estimates, transit times, and a more detailed route. If the Governor had the guts to do that, it would likely fail as Mr. Amoroso notes. Either local rail, roads or reservoirs and desalinization investments would swamp it :-)

Let's leave aside that it would both ruin the Peninsula's character with its eminent domain proceedings, raised platform and 20+ years of construction; it is dated technology now. And to top it off, the design has no plan for the Big One's impact nor any TSA-like security procedures. What a mess!

Best regards,

Joe Baylock
Burlingame

[Jennifer]

Next installment
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2016/03/25/quicker-arrival-of-high-speed-rail-causes.html