Posted on 09/20/2012 12:54:45 PM PDT by SmithL
California's controversial high-speed rail project received a boost Wednesday when the Federal Railroad Administration approved the proposed Merced-to-Fresno route, clearing the way for construction to start early next year.
A federal record of decision signed by Administrator Joseph Szabo represents the final bureaucratic hurdle for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The decision gives a federal blessing to the 60-mile route and to thousands of pages of environmental review for the project.
Backers of the project hailed the decision as historic for the development of the first high-speed train project in the nation and the start of construction in the central San Joaquin Valley. "With the federal record of decision, we are now poised to move forward and break ground next year," said Jeff Morales, the rail authority's CEO.
But the specter of lawsuits continues to hang over the project.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Because we’re just not wasting money fast enough, and the unions need something to do.
Did you know that there will be a high speed rail stop in Corcoran, California? If I want to visit Charles Manson at the prison in Corcoran I can get thier in a hurry. I can hardly wait. /s
The Train from no where.
Buying votes.
We are Idiots.
What? We aren’t getting to the fiscal cliff fast enough?
I’ll bet they refuse to use Rearden Metal rails.
The master plan connects a whole lot of cities (as I understand it).
This 60 mile stretch does nothing and will not see much use unless it is your job to maintain, run and manage it.
The entire idea is a wastefull boonedoggle that California can ill-afford to support. I predict that this will be the only section that ever gets built. It will be 3X the budget and CA will have to fork over what is over budget. The mainenance costs will be 2X the budget. The system will be plagued with problems and be unreliable to unsafe.
There will be lawsuits and investigations and by the time another section of the track is to be built, the first one will be in need of expensive renovations.
California is embarrassing and a drain on the national economy.
Take 30 spotted owls + 100 blind spiders + several species of endangered lizards, mix lightly in a VERY large bag, release along the proposed train route, call the Sierra CLub and VOILA!!!
Bye-bye!!!!
Take 30 spotted owls + 100 blind spiders + several species of endangered lizards
What! You forgot the little fish? What kind of person are you;-)
Adolph made sure all the trains ran on time, too.
Can’t they find a flea, tick or moth to claim is ***endangered*** to stop that POS waste-of-money, from being built? The enviro-wackos always find one to stop logging, drilling or other job-creating projects? FIND ONE, California Conservative Groups, and SUE to stop it!
So that’s where the Alaskans went wrong! They should have proposed running a train over their “bridge to nowhere” and it would have been embraced by all.
We should start a pool on when the first eco-Nazi lawsuit will be filed asking for an injunction.
.............We should start a pool on when the first eco-Nazi lawsuit will be filed asking for an injunction...................
That would be the first and only time that I wouldd support the eco-Nazis.
Hopefully the San Andreas fault will stymie the fast rail plans. What a total waste of Chinese loaned money!
Why not try a normal-speed passenger train? Merced is not exactly LA...
I was in Merced to visit a ski boat company ... nice location thou, but HSR??
That Sacramento Bee article is a laugh riot. Imagine if World War II being managed the way that California high-speed rail is being handled. German Bombers are on their way to London, but before the British air force can scramble their interceptors, they receive a an urgent memo from the High Command ordering them to modify their propellers for noise reduction.
Even that seems lame compared to reality. You can’t make this stuff up.
Gotta steal that money quick because it might not be there after the New Year.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.