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Newsom puts the brakes on CA high-speed rail boondoggle

Sbbruin

By Sbbruin
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Telegraph_it

Telegraph_it 3354

Posted
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Galveston had a sweet tram/rail system until that frikin Hurricane in 1900 tore it up.

Switzerland has an amazing train system that serves the entire country (I realize the country isn't large but they have mountains). Pretty cool seeing people get on the train in full ski gear in the middle of Zurich. A few stops later you are in St. Moritz. 

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tucker

tucker 238

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, berlinerbaer said:

Geographically, this is the most accurate, or maybe Lubbock to Abeline with the intention of eventually making it to Dallas.

Um... every BART line serves the East Bay. To get there, you have to travel east from SF. Pittsburgh/Bay Point and Danville lines make it quite a ways inland, in fact.

You should go back since it seems you've forgotten a lot.

Los Angeles had an extensive system of rail lines back in the 40s. The land was bought by the auto industry and the lines were closed down and built over into freeways and new roads.

Roger Rabbit was based on a true story, brah.

Yes, I understand Oakland but they have no reach to Inner Richmond, etc.

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tucker

tucker 238

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39 minutes ago, berlinerbaer said:

I'm not sure where Inner Richmond is. Probably no more than a few bus stops or a 15 minute walk away from the BART Richmond station.

4aa89527547317233d698432c818db2c--subway

Not at all. I have been back to SF at least 15 times in the past year.

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elfenix

elfenix 34171

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1 hour ago, yaqdum said:

why trains give me the willies.

Edward-Hopper.jpg

do i go back up and see whether i missed the train, possibly missing the train in the process?  or do i just stand here?  if so, how long?

that's why they have those "next train in ___ minutes" boards. 

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RDCanecutter

RDCanecutter 26282

Posted
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On 2/13/2019 at 10:43 AM, David Dennison said:

The problem is the stops and the speed. 

Back to this, I see that as a feature, not a bug. A fast train (or hot-rod bus) that  doesn't stop anywhere might as well be a plane. You slow it down a smidge, and start connecting some towns in between, well now you got a dinette set.

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13414

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The paradox of adding high speed trains is that is too expensive unless you build a line between two nearby places.    I still have hopes for the Houston to Dallas line even though they seem to go quiet for long stretches of time.  I know it screws some farms along the way but I’m sure that interstate highways did that as well.  

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elfenix

elfenix 34171

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20 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

The paradox of adding high speed trains is that is too expensive unless you build a line between two nearby places.    I still have hopes for the Houston to Dallas line even though they seem to go quiet for long stretches of time.  I know it screws some farms along the way but I’m sure that interstate highways did that as well.  

california's system was basically fucked from the get-go. 

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AeroHorn

AeroHorn 735

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I would think >90% of driving, and pollution, is from daily commuting, where 5+ seater car/SUV/truck is carrying one person at a jerky 5mph. On a Pareto chart, this is the one that sticks out and needs to be addressed first. RDCanecutter is right about zoo trains. For minimal investment, these changes would make a big difference:

1. neighborhood zoo trains (with inflated tires, sorry RD): There seems to be no lack of Uber drivers. They can drive the zoo train for equivalent pay. These trains pass by within 2-3 minute walk of any home and circumnavigate an area of couple of square miles, connecting to local schools, shopping, and importantly, a terminus.

2. city-wide fast busses: These busses connect few termini from one area to another area. Each main street (equivalent of Lamar or Congress) will have dedicated central lanes for these busses and their signaling will be same as if they were on track a la BART. For highways, make the carpool lane for 3+ people and these busses.

3. zero pollution bikes/scooters/skateboards: All streets that are not main streets will have half the space (at least one full lane) allotted to these vehicles. With dozens of electric bicycle/scooters coming up, the last mile (or full commute, if you wish) should be easily and safely doable for all except infirm and disabled.

This should drastically reduce car traffic by at least 50%, and there is no reason to not do this in southern states.

 

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RDCanecutter

RDCanecutter 26282

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16 minutes ago, AeroHorn said:

1. neighborhood zoo trains (with inflated tires, sorry RD): There seems to be no lack of Uber drivers. They can drive the zoo train for equivalent pay. These trains pass by within 2-3 minute walk of any home and circumnavigate an area of couple of square miles, connecting to local schools, shopping, and importantly, a terminus.

I'm fine with tires so long as you leave me the Zoo Train whistle. Get the HOA Enforcers/Paranoid Mommies on board by making each Zoo Train double as a Security Patrol/Shutter Paint Compliance Officer, and that should put it over the top. Put a Zoo Train Dining Car on hipster routes.

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Posted
2 hours ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:

Caitlyn Jenner, the former decathlon Olympic gold medalist, running for Governor of California as a Republican is the comedy I need right now:

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/08/caitlyn-jenner-california-governor-run-480232

That awkward moment when you win the Governorship in a Blue State, get elected immediately as vice-chair of the RGA, gavel in the 2023 meeting in Orlando, get up to pee, and realize you're in a state that doesn't allow people like you to use public restrooms.  

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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on the subject of the recall; there's an interesting debate going on among democrats.

The recall election has 2 questions:

1) Shall Gavin Newsom be removed

2) Which one of the following list of assholes should replace him

 

So, the dems are torn.  Do they put a candidate on the ballot, or do they go all-in on saving Newsom?  Some argue that they could do both; support Newsom ("NO" on recall), while at the same time, have a "shit hits the fan" candidate on the ballot, so we don't end up with some shithead republican (John Cox, I'm looking at you).  

Hell, they could even campaign together.  "Vote NO and Vote for Schiff* or some such).


*no idea if Schiff would consider

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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29178

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the frequency in which a ca gov recall vote gets this far makes me think it might be time to rework the rulebook.

i think there's been an attempt to recall pretty much every governor ever.  this is also what happens when you live in a state with 6 million republicans. 

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gmr548

gmr548 16517

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Does a recall in CA have an element like impeachment where the legislature has to approve? Or is it just getting X amount of signatures? Did he do anything besides the whole dinner party thing or is he just being recalled because he’s an ass hole?

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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Does a recall in CA have an element like impeachment where the legislature has to approve? Or is it just getting X amount of signatures? Did he do anything besides the whole dinner party thing or is he just being recalled because he’s an ass hole?

It’s because of masks and shutdowns. The dinner party thing was stupid though.
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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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Does a recall in CA have an element like impeachment where the legislature has to approve? Or is it just getting X amount of signatures? Did he do anything besides the whole dinner party thing or is he just being recalled because he’s an ass hole?

Missed the first part. We have an initiative system. With enough signatures anything goes on the ballot.
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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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33 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

Ahhh - Faulconer.  I thought you were talking about the new/current mayor.   Ya, could have used a little diligence in those deals.

WTF:  I misread your post.  There's already a recall campaign for Gloria?

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31283

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I think the fundamental problem with rail travel in the US is the distances involved.  In the northeast, where the distances are more "European,"  rail travel is fairly ubiquitous and has been for a long time.  Early adoption alone makes a huge difference.

The land issues are settled, track maintenance is less of a burden, the cities themselves are less spread out and easier to get around once there.  All problems that make travel between more western cities by rail, let alone high-speed rail, more problematic.

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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Travelling to Europe made me a fan of rail.  Japan too, but more because of the Tokyo subway system (although it's confusing as fuck for a foreigner).
 

Flying to Italy, the tickets into Milan were a ton cheaper than other cities, but I had no interest in being in Milan.  
 

No problem.   Jump on the train, and be anywhere else in a few hours.  

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Js1

Js1 85112

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The recall support is at 40% and falling as CA COVID infections are now some of the lowest in the country.  A truly futile effort and I hope the CAGOP blows a shit ton of money they’d need in 2022 

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Ghost of LL

Ghost of LL 15492

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On 4/10/2021 at 1:10 PM, Gil Bang said:

Flying to Italy, the tickets into Milan were a ton cheaper than other cities, but I had no interest in being in Milan.  
 

No problem.   Jump on the train, and be anywhere else in a few hours.  

I did this about five years ago and it was fantastic.  We flew into Milan and arrived early afternoon, got a cab to the train station (which if beautiful, by the way), and then took the Frecciarossa First Class to Rome.

The seats in First are very nice.  But the big benefit was that you get a guaranteed seating in the dining car, which wasgreat.  You get a three-course meal (antipasti, pasta, and secondi)--all of which is freshly prepared in an open galley in the dining car--for like 25 Euro.  A bottle of Chianti was another 20 Euro.

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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1 minute ago, Ghost of LL said:

I did this about five years ago and it was fantastic.  We flew into Milan and arrived early afternoon, got a cab to the train station (which if beautiful, by the way), and then took the Frecciarossa First Class to Rome.

The seats in First are very nice.  But the big benefit was that you get a guaranteed seating in the dining car, which wasgreat.  You get a three-course meal (antipasti, pasta, and secondi)--all of which is freshly prepared in an open galley in the dining car--for like 25 Euro.  A bottle of Chianti was another 20 Euro.

I was blown away by how affordable fine dining and drinking was.  Retail, a damn fine bottle of wine can be had for 10 euros easy.  call it 20 at a restaurant.   I had budgeted a lot more for food and drink than I actually needed. 

 

One funny thing:  Took the chairlift to Monte Solaro on a warm day, and once at the top, the bar was out of every beer except corona.

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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1 hour ago, Js1 said:

The recall support is at 40% and falling as CA COVID infections are now some of the lowest in the country.  A truly futile effort and I hope the CAGOP blows a shit ton of money they’d need in 2022 

not "some of" the lowest.  THE lowest. 

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25898

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The recall support is at 40% and falling as CA COVID infections are now some of the lowest in the country.  A truly futile effort and I hope the CAGOP blows a shit ton of money they’d need in 2022 

I should clarify; it looks as though the recall is a go. As of yesterday there were enough signatures to get it on the ballot
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Js1

Js1 85112

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9 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:


I should clarify; it looks as though the recall is a go. As of yesterday there were enough signatures to get it on the ballot

Oh it’s going to happen. But it’ll likely fail. 

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Think about the infrastructure projects that have been dreamed up on Kimberly Guilfoyle's asscheeks by Newsom and Trump, Jr. doing rail after high speed rail off it.  "Holy shit Kimberly, I got it (Spreads her ass apart), this is it...this is the hub station!"  

I mean, I wouldn't know anything about any of that.  But uh...

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Bevo

Bevo 13527

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25 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Yep - or in the California thread.

 

Or pay the taxpayers of the US back for the money received in the COVID stimulus package. https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article249893083.html

California could get $151 billion in new federal aid from the economic relief plan just signed by President Joe Biden, while an estimated $43 billion remains unspent from last year’s aid packages.

The new funding will help pay for vaccination sites, community health centers, schools and colleges, child care providers, help for lower income people with utility bills and more.

But critics contend a lot of the money contained in the $1.9 trillion package was unnecessary.

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